On Aug. 24, 2005, the federal Defense Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission voted to maintain the Navy's master jet base at NAS Oceana if, by the end of March 2006, the cities of Virginia Beach and Chesapeake and the state passed certain legislation and had programs in place to appropriate money to stop encroachment and reverse development within the base's highest accident potential zone (APZ 1).

In summary, the BRAC's directive calls for:

• Achieving a series of standards, many of which were already planned or started as a result of the Joint Land Use Study (JLUS), an understanding reached among Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk and the U.S. Navy. These standards include a program to purchase development rights or fee-simple property in the Interfacility Traffic Area between NAS Oceana and Fentress Field, and state-mandated zoning controls to comply with the Navy's Air Installations Compatible Use Zones (AICUZ) directions.
• The codification of the JLUS recommendations by the General Assembly. This effort was already underway when BRAC included it in the motion.
• The requirement for a program to condemn and purchase all incompatible properties in APZ 1 and a commitment of $15 million annually to purchase these properties. This was the only part of the motion not already being planned or implemented.
• A deadline of March 2006 to have programs in place to accomplish the directive.
• If the requirements called for in the BRAC motion are met, Cecil Field in Florida will not get the master jet base.

The City of Virginia Beach 's response to the Aug. 24 announcement was measured; officials initially noted that no actions or decisions would be made until they'd had the opportunity to collect and analyze the facts of the situation. Citizen input and involvement would be an important element of this process. Then an informed decision based on these facts and the best interests of all citizens of the city would be made.

Decisions made by the City Council in the late August 2005 to late March 2006 period included:

12/20/05 - City Council Adopts Plan for Compliance with BRAC Commission Decision

2/14/06 - Action by City Council for compliance with BRAC Commission Decision

3/28/06 - Action by City Council for Compliance with BRAC Commission Decision

 

Other Related Links

DOD BRAC Information

Navy BRAC Program Mgmt. Office

BRAC Commission Official Web Site