(1) REASONABLENESS.—All airport zoning regulations adopted under this chapter shall be reasonable and may not impose any requirement or restriction which is not reasonably necessary to effectuate the purposes of this chapter. In determining what regulations it may adopt, each political subdivision and joint airport zoning board shall consider, among other things, the character of the flying operations expected to be conducted at the airport, the nature of the terrain within the airport hazard area and runway protection zones, the character of the neighborhood, the uses to which the property to be zoned is put and adaptable, and the impact of any new use, activity, or construction on the airport’s operating capability and capacity.

(2) INDEPENDENT JUSTIFICATION.—The purpose of all airport zoning regulations adopted under this chapter is to provide both airspace protection and land uses compatible with airport operations. Each aspect of this purpose requires independent justification in order to promote the public interest in safety, health, and general welfare. Specifically, construction in a runway protection zone which does not exceed airspace height restrictions is not conclusive that such use, activity, or construction is compatible with airport operations.

(3) NONCONFORMING USES.—An airport protection zoning regulation adopted under this chapter may not require the removal, lowering, or other change or alteration of any obstruction not conforming to the regulation when adopted or amended, or otherwise interfere with the continuance of any nonconforming use, except as provided in s. 333.07(1) and (3).

(4) ADOPTION OF AIRPORT MASTER PLAN AND NOTICE TO AFFECTED LOCAL GOVERNMENTS.—An airport master plan shall be prepared by each public-use airport licensed by the department under chapter 330. The authorized entity having responsibility for governing the operation of the airport, when either requesting from or submitting to a state or federal governmental agency with funding or approval jurisdiction a “finding of no significant impact,” an environmental assessment, a site-selection study, an airport master plan, or any amendment to an airport master plan, shall submit simultaneously a copy of said request, submittal, assessment, study, plan, or amendments by certified mail to all affected local governments. As used in this subsection, the term “affected local government” is defined as any municipality or county having jurisdiction over the airport and any municipality or county located within 2 miles of the boundaries of the land subject to the airport master plan.

History.—s. 6, ch. 23079, 1945; s. 75, ch. 90-136; s. 76, ch. 2002-20; s. 6, ch. 2016-209; s. 26, ch. 2016-239.