A Joint Land Use Study (JLUS) is a tool funded and used by the Department of Defense (DoD) to evaluate the synergy between military installations and the neighboring civilian communities that host them. The study focused on an evaluation of the compatibility of land use and development activity in civilian communities with air and ground operations, training, testing and power projection missions conducted at Fort Hood. The goal of this study was to identify ways that Fort Hood and the neighboring civilian communities could work together cooperatively to encourage compatible growth and help to ensure the long term viability and sustainability of Fort Hood’s mission.

The City of Killeen served as the sponsor for the JLUS. As the study’s sponsor, city staff coordinated the project with DoD’s Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA), the study partners and the consultant selected to develop the study.  OEA is DoD’s executive agent for the study and provides 90% of the funding for the project, while the City of Killeen provided a 10% match through in-kind staff support and services.  Local government partners in the JLUS included the cities of Killeen, Belton, Brownwood, Copperas Cove, Gatesville, Harker Heights, and Temple, as well as Bell County and Coryell County. Other partners in the study included Fort Hood, the Central Texas Council of Governments (CTCOG), the Heart of Texas Defense Alliance (HOTDA), along with numerous state and federal agencies.

With the City of Killeen serving as the study sponsor, representatives from the partner local governments and agencies were appointed to serve on the two committees that provided oversight and technical support during the process. The Policy Committee was comprised of elected officials who were given the charge to guide the overall direction of the process and to approve the final report once completed.  The Policy Committee was supported by the Technical Committee, whose membership was comprised of city managers and planning staff, Fort Hood staff, and representatives from other local and regional organizations. The Technical Committee provided direct input to the consulting team and assisted in coordinating the project with their local governments and agencies. CLICK HERE to see a list of the policy and technical committee members.  CLICK HERE to see the project meetings and major milestones.

Goals & Objectives

• Identify and mitigate compatibility and encroachment issues that may impact training, operations, testing and power projection missions at Fort Hood

• Enhance regional collaboration between local governments and Fort Hood

• Raise public awareness and understanding of compatible growth issues.

Study Findings

• There is a long history of coordination and collaboration between Fort Hood and local governments to address issues of mutual importance and concern.

• Encroachment from external land use and development patterns do not currently impact or limit military operations at Fort Hood.

• Local governments in the region, particularly cities, have the tools available to facilitate compatible growth, but fewer options are available in ETJs and unincorporated areas due to current statutory limits.

• Trends identified in the study indicate that the region is poised to experience significant growth well into the future (as well as Central Texas as a whole).

• Encroachment by civilian development into areas that experience impacts from military training has the potential to limit or impact certain training activities in the future if compatible growth policies are not implemented.

• Local governments in the region are committed to implementing the appropriate policies and programs to support Fort Hood’s operational, training and testing missions and facilitate compatible growth.

Study Recommendations

The Joint Land Use Study includes a total of 34 recommendations in four categories that the study partners will consider, based on each jurisdiction or agencies needs and preferences, as the region embarks on the process of implementing the JLUS. The four categories of recommendations are briefly discussed below. The full set of recommendations are availble in Section 6 of the JLUS.

• Regional Coordination in Support of Compatible Growth:  This category of recommendations focus on the designation of an organziation to lead regional coordination efforts and establishing a formal agreement for cooperation between local governments and Fort Hood.

• Planning for Compatible Growth: Recommendations in this category focus on the adoption of amendments to local plans and the coordination of future planning efforts between Fort Hood and local governments in the region.

• Regulatory Support of Compatible Growth Strategies: These recommendations focus on adopting and amending local regulations to support compatibile growth in the region, as statutorily permissible and as deemed necessary by each local government.

• Supplemental Strategies: The final set of recommendations is intended to address broader issues that are related to, but outside the scope of, the Joint Land Use Study.