Area leaders approve joint land use study Published April 25, 2007 By Airman 1st Class Brian Butkus 375th Airlift Wing Public Affairs 2007/04/26 -- Leaders from O'Fallon, Shiloh, Mascoutah, MidAmerica Airport and St. Clair County met Friday with Col. Alan Hunt, 375th Airlift Wing commander to officially sign and approve a request for a Joint Land Use Study for the area around the base. St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern, Mascoutah Mayor Jerry Daugherty, O'Fallon Mayor Gary Graham and Shiloh Mayor James Vernier signed the Joint Land Use Study document while at the top of Scott's air control tower. The study will cover a three mile radius from the base control tower, including extended crash zones from the Scott Air Force Base and the MidAmerica St. Louis Airport runways. The purpose of the study is to define community growth that supports military training and operations at Scott AFB and the MidAmerica Airport. It will clarify the compatible and incompatible land used based on both military and commercial airport needs while enhancing the commercial viability, growth and development of communities surrounding Scott and MidAmerica Airport. "We can partner as we have often done to work from the same sheet of music on this," Colonel Hunt said. Planning, zoning and development regulations are in place around the base, but most are under control of surrounding communities, not the county or the base. The signed proposal will be sent to the DoD for review. Once a contractor is selected, the study is slated to begin June 15 with a target timeline for completion of approximately eight months.