Welcome to the Westover Air Reserve Base Joint Land Use Study Community Questionnaire

The Westover Air Reserve Base (WARB) and Westover Metropolitan Airport (WMA) have a history of positive economic contributions to the surrounding communities in Western Massachusetts. In order to sustain this relationship and promote compatibility between the surrounding community and WARB, the Department of Defense (DoD) periodically updates a Joint Land Use Study (JLUS). The DoD has enlisted the help of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) to work with WARB and the surrounding communities to update the JLUS completed in 2004. This updated effort includes a citizen engagement program to encourage public input.

To gain a better understanding of the relationship between WARB and the surrounding communities, we would appreciate your participation in the following questionnaire. The questionnaire should take roughly 5 minutes to complete. For further information, please contact Larry Smith of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission at lsmith@pvpc.org.

This questionnaire will be available through October 31, 2017.

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* 1. How informed are you of the activities at Westover Air Reserve Base?

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* 2. What are your sources of information about WARB?  Please pick your top 3:

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* 3. How significant is WARB and its operations to the local economy?

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* 4. How significant is WARB and its operations to the regional economy?

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* 5. Which of the following do you see as the most important issue(s) to communities adjacent to Westover? Please rank your top 3:

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* 6. Do you consider military operations at Westover to have negative effects?

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* 7. If yes, how negative do you consider the effects of military operations to be?

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* 8. If you perceive positive effects from operations at Westover, please list them:

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* 9. What is your impression of the relationship between WARB and surrounding:

  Very Positive Positive Neutral  Negative Very Negative I don't know/ No Opinion
Landowners
Businesses
Residential Neighborhoods
Local Governments

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* 10. What is your impression of the impact of WARB on local real estate values?

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* 11. Does WARB have an impact on local zoning regulations?

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* 12. If yes, what do you believe these impacts to be?

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* 13. What do you feel should be prioritized around WARB for land use zoning? Please rank in order of importance:

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* 14. If you are a landowner or developer, to what degree do you think zoning in the vicinity of the WARB is restricted:

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* 15. How compatible is WARB and its ongoing operations with the surrounding community?

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* 16.  Are you aware that there are civilian aircraft operations at Westover, handled by a not-for-profit Westover Metropolitan Development Corporation (WMDC) these services include; charter flights to Atlantic City, business and general aviation aircraft handling.  Also home to the Massachusetts State Police Air Wing?

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* 17. Are you aware that WMDC is responsible for mitigating noise impacts eligible under the FAA Noise Program in the adjacent communities to Westover?  (Recent investments were in excess of $28mil purchasing 55 properties, 218 acres and relocating the families whom voluntarily moved.)  

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* 18. Do you consider civilian operations at Westover Air Reserve Base such as airplane landings and take offs to be:

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* 19. According to WMDC, the civilian aircraft operations at Westover Air Reserve Base generate approximately 155 direct/indirect jobs with an economic output of approximately $22M per year.  An opportunity exists for WMDC to increase economic activity and output by allowing limited (6-8 flights) aircraft operations between the hours of 11:00PM and 7:00AM. Would you be comfortable with WMDC pursuing this opportunity?

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* 20. What are the most important aspects of this JLUS process? Rank in order of importance:

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* 21. Please list the 3 issues that you consider to be most important for the JLUS to address:

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* 22. Please add any other comments that you wish to share with the JLUS planning team:

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* 23. Please indicate which community you live in:

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* 24. Please indicate which community you work in:

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* 25. If you would like to be kept informed of future JLUS public outreach efforts (public informational meetings and forums) please provide your email address:

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