With Demolition of Randolph-Area Homes, Air Force Wins Skirmish in Long War on 'Encroachment'
Nov. 10—UNIVERSAL CITY — The Air Force has long fought a losing battle against real estate development near its runways on Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, but the demolition of old homes in an area that should be clear of them allowed officials to claim a victory of sorts Tuesday.
The homes were in one of Randolph's "clear zones," areas 3,000 feet by 3,000 feet at the end of runways that — ideally — are free of structures or places where people are likely to gather in large numbers.
In all, 10 homes in Universal City and Cibolo were razed last week. The lots will have grass placed on them and remain vacant.
But many more buildings remain in the base's clear zones and Accident Potential Zones, or APZs, which are intended to provide a safety buffer between air traffic at the base and homes and businesses in nearby heavily populated communities.
It was the first action taken by Air Force and area leaders to remove homes too close to its twin runways, each 8,300 feet long, where the risk of deadly accidents during takeoffs and landings is highest.
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The Air Force and others say demolition of the homes in the clear zone will contribute to flight training safety, enhance the 12th Flying Training Wing's mission, act as an upgrade for safety in the neighborhood itself and improve the quality of life for neighbors.
A unique "intergovernmental support agreement" between the Defense Department and the Alamo Area Council of Governments gave Universal City the green light to raze homes on East Lindbergh and East Langley boulevards on the southern edge of town.
Kim Turner, Universal City's city manager, said AACOG allowed the city to bid for demolition contracts on its behalf to cut the project's costs, which amounted to $207,596.
" Universal City signed an agreement that basically says we're the project manager," Turner said. "Regardless of the location of the property, Universal City is the project manager."
Yellow crime scene tape ringed the perimeter of the area, with a large John Deere backhoe and large chunks of concrete rubble in the yard.
Still within the clear zone are 14 modest one-story homes on the stretch of East Lindbergh running west to Trudy Lane, along with other decades-old structures within walking distance, including two big apartment complexes, Falcon Ridge and Aviation Place, as well as small businesses.
Many were built between the 1950s and 1970s, well before the zones were drawn. Universal City grew up with Randolph after the base opened in 1930.
Subdivision encroachment is part of a larger problem for the armed services, where civilization surrounds installations. Randolph itself was created because it would be far from San Antonio, which was growing too close to a pair of other bases, Brooks and Kelly Fields.
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In time, the growth caught up with Randolph, home to instructor pilot training and some basic pilot training.
Besides safety, there's another reason commanders worry about incompatible development in their APZs — it will inevitably factor into decisions made by any future base closure commission.
It's been 15 years since the last commission ordered billions in construction that expanded the footprint of JBSA-Fort Sam Houston and JBSA-Lackland, as well as the Camp Bullis training range in Northwest Bexar County. However, the Alamo City has suffered in other closure rounds, losing Kelly and Brooks and, along with them, thousands of jobs.
Once called the " West Point of the Air," Randolph not only remains a major Air Force training base, it also is home to the Air Education and Training Command, 19th Air Force, Air Force Recruiting Service, Air Force Personnel Center, 12th Flying Training Wing, and a school that provides instruction to remotely piloted aircraft crews.
Randolph aviators made 212,600 takeoffs and landings in 2019 — more than San Antonio International Airport.
Bexar County leaders, aware of the military's economic impact here — $28.8 billion a year — have tried to limit encroachment around Randolph, Lackland, Fort Sam and Camp Bullis. They're aware that the Air Force, from the top down, wants another top Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission, commonly called BRAC, to reduce excess capacity.
While there has been no appetite for another BRAC round in Congress, the future is uncertain. President-elect Joe Biden will bring a new set of priorities to Capitol Hill, some of which could involve belt tightening among the armed services. For a military continuing to procure complex, expensive weapons systems, the drive to cut costs and run bases more efficiently will grow stronger.
In recent years, Bexar County has bought land near Randolph and plans to acquire more, perhaps by striking deals with developers to blunt growth in the APZs.
Encroachment problems also include light pollution near Camp Bullis, where combat medics undergo field training at night.
Universal City, Converse and Schertz, all towns close to Randolph, are still growing, and some buildings within the APZs were allowed to go up despite Air Force guidelines for what it considers compatible.
Sig Christenson covers the military and its impact in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Sig, become a subscriber. [email protected] — Twitter: @saddamscribe
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