A three-year study on land use compatibility between the region’s military bases and their surrounding communities is nearing completion by the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments.

The study examines military operations, transportation, wildfires and airspace, among other issues, aiming to make recommendations to reduce conflicts while promoting growth and public safety.

It focuses on areas around the Air Force Academy, Fort Carson, Peterson and Schriever Air Force bases and Cheyenne Mountain Air Station, said Program Manager Brian Potts.

The meat of the study has yet to be released, but a broad overview of the results was provided to the public at several meetings throughout the region this week.

“It is important to balance the interest of the military and community through collaboration,” said Potts, “because we have such a large component of our economy based on the military and because many of the people who work on these installations are also residents in these communities.”

It is an enormous land use study, encompassing 6,600 square miles and examining issues affecting more than 900,000 residents.

Congress authorized the Defense Department-funded project in 2015, kicking off a study with a $1.3 million budget that puts public engagement at the forefront of its research. The outreach included telephone town hall meetings reaching more than 23,000 area residents.

Noise is a major issue in the study.

“We know that noise was a very prominent concern for residents around the United States Air Force Academy,” said Potts. “So we hired a sound consultant.”

Using recording equipment, the consultant discerned exactly how much noise is made by planes used by Academy cadets. The results were unexpected.

“Aircraft were loud, but the wind and other vehicles were louder,” Potts said. “It wasn’t the decibel level; it was the tone that was bothering people.”

But the results haven’t changed residents’ attitudes. At a meeting in April, Potts collected written comments from residents living near the Air Force Academy. Nearly half expressed frustration with the noise, frequent flights and early morning flying.

Some people even suggested planes should be rerouted around neighborhoods. The study aims to bring those concerns to policymakers for consideration.

A rough draft of the study will be available in August, followed by a final version delivered to policymakers in October, Potts said.

The last of three meetings will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the Fountain Fire Station, 811 N. Santa Fe Ave.