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Thursday, January 4

Check Jacksonville GIS To See If You Live In A Regulation or Hazard Zone

COJ's GIS has all kinds of incomprehensible new features in its new Civil Planning Map. I'll focus on only a few right now, since I'm sure they might be related in some way. At least they are all in the same "Government" layer: CIV School Regulation Zone, MI School Regulation Zones, Civilian Height and Hazard Zones, and Military Height and Hazard Zones. What are they? Beats me, but I live in several, so it would be nice if I did know.


Basically, if you search for these zones, it often leads to a COJ website, which to me means that COJ made these specific zones up. At least the specific wording. The COJ website also suggests clicking on links to find out more, but those links are to huge databases of related and unrelated information that isn't easy to search. All this means is that the idea is to keep the public in the dark as to what these zones really are, either because they don't really matter or because of something more sinister. I assume it's because they don't really matter.

Civ and MI School Regulation Zones
Our house is located in a Civilian School Regulation Zone. At least it's right on the border of it. Based on these zones' relationships to airports, I assume the area within the zone cannot have a civilian school because there's a chance an airplane will crash on top of the school. Or because airplanes are annoying when someone is trying to teach. Or sleep. The Military School Regulation Zone has to do with military airfields rather than military schools. One military zone goes several miles out into the ocean. I assume there are no civilian or military schools on or below the surface of the Atlantic, so I do not claim to understand this particular zone.

Civilian and Military Height and Hazard Zones
The height and hazard zones seem to also be related to the airports or airfields, and my house is lucky enough to be within two height and hazard zones. We are in the 150' Height zone within the Civilian Height and Hazard Zone related to Craig. We are also in the HORIZONTAL SURFACE ELEV 300' within the Military Height and Hazard Zone emanating from Mayport.

I wonder if this means that I have to watch out for airplanes within the height parameters. Like if I'm flying a kite or operating one of my many drones? Or shooting my firearm into the air in celebration. Maybe even fireworks...in fact, it appears that 2-3 inch fireworks would explode within those height and hazard zones, so does that mean it's illegal for me to put on a fireworks show for my neighbors? Or is it illegal for the airplanes to fly close enough to ruin my show? Maybe there are no legal ramifications, and these are simply suggestions? And who has the right of way if an F-14 meets a Gulfstream G550.

So...
Now that I know, based on the GIS map, that I am located in these heretofore unknown zones, what should I do? Should I add a beacon light to the top of my house? Avoid homeschooling my kids? Move to Nocatee? I hope COJ comes out with a pamphlet explaining what all this means, even if it means nothing at all.