HomeMy WebLinkAbout09212010 FAA RADAR9/21/2010
FAA Radar Blockage Issue at
the Virginia Beach Oceanfront
City Council Update
Steve Herbert, Deputy City Manager
Bob Matthias, Assistant to the City Manager
September 21, 2010
Existing C ondition *
....Virginia Beach has 35 existing buildings within its oceanfront resort area with heights
greater than 110' AGL or 120' above Mean Sea Level (MSL) that block the Oceana radar, as
shown in Figure 1. Most of these buildings were constructed before the ARSR-4 was located
at NAS Oceana. The variance in the color of the shadow equates to the severity of the
blockage caused by the building (i.e. a darker shadow equates to a taller building that
impedes the radar coverage more significandy)...."
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9/21/2010
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Plan View of Oceana ARSR Radar
Blockage by Existing Buildings
Existing Conditions
....The Ciry's Resort Area Master Plan calls for addiuonal buildings up to a height of 200' AGL along
the oceanfront of the resort. This means that as viewed in the horizontal plane, the gaps between the
existing tall buildings will also become blocked as buildings are constructed.
The radar blockage would also worsen in the vertical plane with the addition of more tall buIlding
development, as shownbelow..."
Persvective and Comuazative View of Potential Vertical Blocka~e
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Olmstead Equation: I I
Determines the angle to an object of known altitude and distance from the observer, taking refractiviry of
the eazth's curvature into account. 5
Radar Mitigation Alternatives
1. Relocate existing radar
2. Develop supplemental "gap filler" radar
Locations:
-:• Cape Charles, Virginia - former radar site
• Joint Expeditionary Base Fort Story
• Chesapeake Light Tower
All three sites could be used for a"gap filler" radar.
Several types available. Some create less conflict for wind
turbines than others.
9/21/2010
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9/21/2010
Fort Story Supplemental Radar
(250NM Radar)
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Chronology
• February 11, 2008 - Ciry filed with FAA for convention center hotel
Received OK for a height of 180'
• June 24, 2009 - City re-filed with the FAA and received OE result
` capping" height at 110'
• tieptember 10, 2009 - Congressional Delegation hosts first "all
Yiands" meeting in Washington, DC to discuss this issue
• Pvlarch 12, 2010 - Secretary of Defense Paul Stockton appointed as
single Point-of-Contact (POC) (first such)
• Pvlay 21, 2010 - Meeting with Virginia Beach senior staff and,
(,ongressional Delegation staffs, Representatives of Office of the
~~ecretary of Defense, Air Force, Navy, FAA, Department of
I~omeland Security and others
• POC William Van Houten was identified (second such)
- Comprehensive reevaluation of building/radar issue to be completed in 30-60
days.
- City provided Parsons Brinkerhoff Analysis to all attendees
4
9/21/2010
Chronology
• September 3, 2010 - City learned new POC (tnird su~h~
had been appointed. David Belote, Director poD
Energy Siting Clearing House at Department - Under
Secretary of Defense (I+E). No report from DoD
• September 7, 2010 - City provided revised Parsons
Brinkerhoff radar evaluation (latest edition)
• September 17, 2010 - Mayor sent letter to
Congressional Delegation (copy attached) asking for
active intervention to:
- Schedule meeting with David Belote
- Pursue Legislation to direct FAA/USAF to study
mitigate choices
Next Steps
• Push for legislation directing FAA/USAF
action (with Congressional delegation)
- Maintaining communication with
Congressional delegation and Navy
• Coordinate with area hotel developers
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