Return to Panama Section

GENERAL PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS

The territorial arrangement took into consideration Howard Air Force Base's potential to become a center for the generation of employment and for significant industrial development. Its undeveloped surrounding areas for the development of new communities mainly for residential use and for the establishment of an "urban center" (see Map 2.1).

The concepts were projected to capitalize on the frame of urban design established within each of the most important installations and for the incorporation of characteristic scenery and natural resources. Additionally, reserve lands were identified for the construction of the third set of locks and the uses of the land adapted according to a temporary use.

POTENTIAL USES

The analyses indicate that there is a potential for air transport projects related to Howard's airport which could offer a primary economical focus for the development of the area. This possibility needs to be thoroughly investigated in the future, taking in account the potential participants and the physical and financial feasibility. Potential activities on this area, such as.dry load in bulk, frozen load and port facilities for fuel, require to be evaluated in connection with the proposals of development for other ports, to identify in a better way the most appropriate niches for the activities on this facility.

There are several possibilities for commercial and retail sales projects within the area under survey, particularly on Howard's "urban center", that could be of service to regional, community and local markets. The potential institutional uses that could avail of the advantages represented by the existing installations or new sites include those of educational, cultural, governmental and development type, of research and development, as well as private premises.

Because of the excellent access to transportation, the proximity to the Canal, tile existing installations and the adaptability of the land, there are several possible industrial uses, especially related to Howard's airport. These include warehousing and distribution, light manufacturing, transportation, as well as maintenance installations.

There is also a significant potential for residential development due to its location, to its pleasantness, and to the excellent housing estates in Howard. The possible residential projects include houses for retired persons, private houses (new and existing), great residential communities for people with different income levels and opportunities for the development of the land. Furthermore, depending on the nature of the uses or the educational type developed on the area, opportunities arise for low-income level housing and to accommodate students and teaching staff

Areas and sub-areas of planning:

For the purposes of the analysis, the area under survey was outlined in a total of 3 main planning areas, as follows:

These areas reflect the different physical characteristics, such as topography, natural characteristics, infrastructure, use of the land and the development.

ROAD SYSTEM

The road system developed in Howard (see Map 3.1) includes the road system of Farfan and Kobbe. The road system of these sectors was structured to provide internal services and they use the Bruja road as the centerline for common interconnection. These two areas are separated by the Inter- American highway where an interchange is located which gives continuity to the alignment of the road and allows a fluid communication between both sectors.

AIR TRANSPORT SYSTEM

Howard's airport is another component of the transportation located within the special area of the survey. It counts with a landing strip of a length of approximately 2,591 m., and a width of 46 meters. This airport counts with a wide infrastructure of buildings among which stand 4 hangars with a combined area of 37,100 M2 , a passenger terminal, and facilities for fuel supply. The locations of the naval station of Rodman and the airport of Howard are shown on Map 3.1.

WATER SYSTEM

The water system is served by the potable water treatment and distribution plant of Miraflores located in the surroundings of Clayton on the Pacific East sub-region. The conduction line that reaches the area under survey from the plant of Miraflores is a 12 inches diameter line with a length of about 20 km. which passes by the Canal through a tunnel to feed the water storage tanks located in Cocoli on the West bank of the Canal, with a rated capacity of 737,500 gallons from which Rodman, the base of Howard and Palo Seco are supplied. The potable water is pumped up to Howard by two pumps of 3,000 gallons per minute each (GPM) located in Miraflores waterworks.

SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM

The systems of recollection, treatment and final disposal of sewage in Howard has sli-nilar characteristics with the rest of the sanitary sewer systems in the Area of the Canal. They operate on a separate way by inhabited areas, their mechanism is by gravity, but unlike the rest of the other sectors, in Howard a secondary treatment is applied to the sewage in some sectors before its final disposal. The sanitary sewer system operates mainly by gravity (see Map 3.3).

The conditions of the sanitary sewer system of Howard are acceptable for its operation under the present use. The treatment plants operate correctly but they should be included on a maintenance program once they are reverted to the government of Panama in order to guarantee its operation and to extend its useful life.

STORM-WATER SEWER SYSTEM

The storm-water sewer system includes all the structures and the storm-water waste pipes within which all the buried pipes, paved ditches, sewers and inlets are contemplated.

The storm-water sewer system operates separately on each one of them, describing a natural drainage area that is caused by the topography of each area. Like the rest of the storm-water sewer systems of the Area of the Canal, the open paved conducts that lead the storm-water to the nearest brooks and rivers prevail.

The storm-water sewer systems of the area under survey operate with relative efficiency. However, as there are about 10km. of pipelines with diameters of less than 12 inches, the element of a thorough maintenance is essential since the rainfall on this area is very frequent and the conduction lines get obstructed with sediments washed out.

ELECTRICITY SYSTEM

The areas of Howard are served from the thermoelectric plant of Miraflores. A double circuit of 44 kV that comes from Miraflores feeds Dugan sub-station located in Howard's air base.

Another important component of the electricity system is constituted by different sub-stations located in buildings No. 269 (3,000 kW), No. 585 (3,750 kW) and No. 846 (3,750 kW). The area of Howard additionally has more than 28km. of buried distribution lines, of which 12km. belong to the area of Howard. (see Map 3.4).

TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM

The USARSO has its own telephone system that interconnects all military facilities, as is Howard. This sector, including Farfan and Kobbe, has fiber optic phone system installations.

COLD WATER SYSTEM

Fourteen buildings in the area of Howard have air conditioning individual plants for the cooling of water. These plants have approximate capacities between 100 and 250 tons, with cooling towers of up to 1,800 GPM.

AF = Cool water system
n.e. System not specified
DX = Direct expansion system

Building No. 214 had four air conditioning systems that are at present out of order and that, according to information gathered from the personnel in charge, these plants are going to be removed and discarded.

DEVELOPMENT OUTLINE

A summary of the concepts of development and recommendations on the use of the land from the plan of the use of the land are presented following the description of the planning areas.

Community Services

The chart that follows presents a summary of the community services available at the present moment in Howard, including a description of the facilities, areas and buildings, in terms of their size, location, present use and condition. Many recreational facilities and areas, as well as those of community type, are located in the Administrative Area (planning area A) where they seem convenient for rooms, premises, retail stores and warehouses. Recreational areas such as the baseball field, the tennis court, the swimming pool, the gymnasium and the bowling alley are included in here. Community facilities include the theater, the post office, and the community club. In general, these facilities serve to a population larger than the one residing in Howard, so they must be accessible to other neighbor communities.

Buildings

There are a total of 609 buildings in the survey area of Howard. These include 149 non-residential buildings (with a total area of 115,000 M2) and 460 residential buildings (with a total area of 188,000 M2) . The areas with the greatest number of buildings is the planning area A (3323 buildings with a total area of 209,000 M2), planning area D (71 buildings with a total area of 30,000 M2).

Type of Buildings, Description

Family Housing:  706 units, including 25 six-family units, 20 four-family units, 210 two-family units and 53 one-family units (111 of four bedrooms, 239 of three bedrooms, and 200 of two bedrooms).

Dormitories:  Buildings for 927 persons.

School:  Buildings No. 61 and 962 (elementary school - 31 classrooms with capacity for 400 students).

Hangars:  Enclosed area of 18,101 square meters.

Airport: The airport consists of the hangars, a passenger terminal, installations for fuel supply and a landing strip.

Community Services:  Two community clubs (Building No. 720 with a capacity for 350 persons and Building No. 113 with a capacity for 250 persons), bowling alley (10 lanes), swimming pool (50 m.), chapel, post office, stores, coffee shop with capacity for 128 people, gymnasium, recreation center, theater with capacity for 1,189 people, veterinarian clinic, gas station, fire station and horse-back riding center.

DEVELOPMENT CONCEPTS

General concepts

To use the existing airport and the aviation operations associated to international freight and regional air service for passengers, as a catalyst for the expanding commerce and the industrial growth of the area. Developed as an airport, Albrook will be kept as a small scale for civil aviation and a facility for passenger service, with a level appropriate to the investment in accordance with its operation. To preserve the industrial areas surrounding the landing strip for activities related with the airport or the industry and the use.

* To re-develop the inner core of the area to serve as the "urban center" of tile community and as a commercial sector. The use on this area shall include the continued operation of the airport and the activities related with the industry, as well as other kind of administrative, commercial, cultural and recreational activities.

* To preserve the existing green areas and the structure of open space for the protection of the areas sensitive to the environment, separate non-compatible uses of the land and provide the singular representative character of the "garden city".

* To re-utilize the existing buildings in a way that its urban and architectural character is preserved; to preserve patrimonial and architectural monuments, buildings, as well as the urban design and scale.

* To promote new and compatible uses in those areas on which the structures are appropriate for its re-utilization, or make an effort so the new structures may be considered as "filling" in places within the existing areas already developed. To design new building to "fill in" places, giving consideration to the present densities, as well as to the architectural, urban character and the scale of the area.

* To authorize the development of the undeveloped areas that have been identified for the new development, in accordance with principles that will assure that the environmental quality shall be maintained.

Recommended uses of the land

The development of the principal communities planned on a great scale, such as the conversion of the military bases to a civilian character, requires the provision of a wide rang-e on the type and intensity of the use of the land, in order to accommodate the demand for alternate actions, to allow the development of an integrated community that will promote and offer employment, along with residential, cultural, and commercial opportunities. The ability to develop the military bases towards greater uses and densities of the land than those originally foreseen will depend not only on the demands of the market, but also on the condition and capacity of the existing infrastructure and the feasibility to improve or increase this infrastructure. The kinds of use of the land that follow already exist within the air base of Howard, and it is recommended that these ones be offered for the re-development of the bases and to define the frame for the future growth.

Commercial and institutional uses

As an "autonomous community", the re-development of Howard shall require a wide range of uses and services to sustain a permanent labor and residing population. These shall include commercial activities as restaurants, banks, gas stations, laundries, etc., as well as public services like libraries, governmental services and other related activities. These kind of uses must be concentrated in the "urban center" (proposed for planning area A) where the adequate facilities already exist and where more intense activities could be accommodated. Specifically, the buildings from 707 to 717 must be contemplated for a mixture of this kind of uses (including the consideration for residential use).

Industrial uses

The appropriate areas for industrial development within Howard's facilities are considerable. since they refer to lands under the influence of airfield operations and the airport. Significant han(Tar spaces, maintenance facilities and other unique facilities related to the aviation, will be transferred. Surveys indicate that the continued use of these facilities for airport purposes shall constitute the major and better use. Typically, the residential use of this land does not seem appropriate for these areas, because of security matters and noise impact. The industrial uses, consequently, are considered ideal since the areas are not inhabited.

The areas identified for industrial uses on the surroundings of the urban center shall be limited to light industry uses, including those of premises, research and development, administration and other "clean" uses of the land. On the areas to the West of the landing strip, a more intense industrial development may be considered. Without the designation of Howard as a primary national and regional aviation facility by the government of Panama, maybe the total use of these industrial facilities (and the use of the areas proposed for expanded industrial purposes) will not occur in a fast way.

Residential uses

Howard also includes different kinds of accommodation, located within the neighborhoods at the base. All the residences are located East of Andrews Boulevard except for a small group of duplex type one-family units, to the South of the proposed urban center.

This area may easily satisfy the provision for residences for different income levels, by the re-utilization of existing residential units (singles and families), the re-development of existing buildings (such as the barracks), and new developments (including parcel packages, served lots and new buildings). The provision of popular residences may be reached without affecting negatively the values of the properties on the surroundings, if it is made within the concept of an integrated development. Popular residences could include the development of served lots, one-family or multiple-family housing or few story apartments.

Outdoors and Recreation

Similar to other bases on the reverted areas, in all the community there are offered pleasant recreations and generous outdoors opportunities. Howard's facilities include a community swimming pool, a horse-back riding club, social clubs, a theater, a youth center, and a variety of facilities to practice softball, as well as other fields and sport courts. Additionally, there is a primary system of outdoor space that serves as an informal recreational area for the community, as well as for the handling of rainfall. Efforts should be made for the maintenance of significant green areas (developed or undeveloped) to assure the appropriate separations on the uses of the land, and to offer crosswalk connections between the different areas, keeping the environmental character of quality that is typical of a "garden city", that is found in all Howard.

SITE EVALUATION AND RECOMMENDATION

On planning area A, that constitutes the heart of Howard, the more compatible primary uses represent a considerably wide range. With the presence of the landing strip and of the hangars, this zone is ideal for air transportation and its complimentary activities. In the same way, the administrative, commercial and residential activities are clearly compatible and suitable for this area.

On planning area D, West of Howard, the most appropriate uses include housing of medium and low density, industrial uses, as well as areas that should be protected by means of a forest for protection or reforestation areas.

Planning area E, Northwest of Howard, is an area that is under the takeoff zone of the landing strip and contains the tank fields, therefore it is oriented to non-residential uses, such as light industrial and administrative institutional uses. The school should be re-utilized with an educational use.

Land use recommendations

The importance of Howard's airfield as catalyst for the generation of employment and economical activities cannot be over-emphasized. This installation offers the potential for creating a regional center for transportation (including sea/land, sea/air and land/air connections) for Latin America and the Caribbean, including links with global networks for the transportation of airfreight. If it is successful, such inter-modal facility could result on a new and significant economical activity in Panama, and the location for freight, manufacture, aviation industries, services, and other complimentary industries in Howard and neighboring areas.

Planning area D shares its proximity to the airstrip, making that the recommendation for industrial uses be the most appropriate. The areas adjacent to Veracruz have been recommended for residential use of low and middle density, with the possibility of turning to social interest housing.

IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

Infrastructure Needs

The short-term projects recommended for the water system include improvements to the conduction and distribution lines of Howard. Additionally, a primary line of water conduction parallel to Veracruz highway was identified as important for serving the new development areas and for improving the existing systems in Howard.

The improvements to the sanitary sewer system include the construction of new treati-nent plants, improvements to the existing installations that serve Howard.

The projects for the storm-water sewer system recommended for the military bases include the rehabilitation of the present system'of collection.

Electric power projects were not recommended, considering, that IRHE has no planned projects for the military bases and assuming that the electric service will be supplied by the Panama Canal Commission. The service needed by the new residential areas on the West side is assumed to be supplied by IRHE.

The telecommunication projects assume that there will be a complete transference of the present telephone system of the Southern Command of the United States in Howard to the government of Panama. This will make a primary program necessary, including the replacement of central breakers, ducts and lines. Such projects, in particular, will require a survey of the demands and the requirements to replace the existing equipment.

Taking into consideration a long-term need for handling the residual solids to the West of the Canal in a better way, it is recommended a station for the transference of residual solids in the area of Howard.

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES

Even though the military bases to the West of the Canal such as Howard will not revert to Panama until November 1999 one of the most challenging commitments, for ARI and for the government of Panama, is to identify the main users of the structures already existing and of the facilities that will remain, and this must have priority over the development demands of the new areas.. The expenses associated with the maintenance and conservation of the structures, as well as the daily preservation of the related lands and the open spaces, may be prevented by planning the reversion of these facilities, prior to their reversion. According to recent proven experiences, the expenses for the management, promotion, and administration of these installations may be considerable and should be taken into consideration since the beginning.

On the other hand, the virgin land on an undeveloped state requires small managing expenses and/or only a minimum level of administration. Besides, as a successful development goes on, the value of the undeveloped land suitable for a future development increases. This is especially important for Howard and Rodman, due to the vast areas that are suitable for development, but have no infrastructure at the present moment.

This section reviews subjects and makes recommendations related to the implementation of the conceptual planning that have been prepared for Howard.

* The identification of the development zones that easily link the opportunities for development and the policies of the plan for the use of the land, of the buildings and of the infrastructure.

* The means to promote as a priority the acquisition and re-utilization of the existing buildings.

* The presentation, as packages, of several types of opportunities for development, in order to increase the efficiency of the market and to attract the interest of the private sector, local as well as international, so they invest on the reverted areas.

Although this approach has been developed for the area under survey, the principles presented herein might have a wider applicability in other military bases of the reverted areas.

Development Zones

The identification of the development zones is conceived to facilitate the disposition of the military bases and to create opportunities for development according to the policies of the Plan of the Use of the Land, of the buildings, and of the infrastructure. This allows the classification of the areas into zones, based on five different stages for development. They reflect the condition and availability of the infrastructure and the character of the existing areas, the level of retention and use of the buildings promoted by the plan, and the relation with the economic potential. Following are the descriptions of the categories related with the subject.

* Retention Zones. Are those in which the existing buildings and/or the scenery represent an asset and the loss of these will reduce the integral value of the sector. They have a substantial number of buildings of excellent quality and character, concentrated on areas clearly identifiable with attractive scenery that posses consistency of character and suitable infrastructure to sustain the existing level of development. To intensify those areas may be generally inappropriate, since this will despoil them from their character and will lessen their real estate value.

* Refill Zones. Are areas in which there is a concentration of good quality constructions with certain consistency of character, but with considerable sectors of undeveloped lands, that may sustain an additional development towards the aim of greater and better uses, without jeopardizing the integral character. The infrastructure is in satisfactory conditions for a continued use, or may be easily rehabilitated.

* Re-development Zones. They have infrastructure available, but generally lack of a significant number of good quality constructions, and have no particular positive character. Greater and better uses of these areas may be reached, which due to their character, location and conditions, guarantee a substantial re-development.

* Development of the Land Zones. Are the "green areas" existing on a large scale, which due to their location and the proximity to the existing infrastructure, may be adapted to a future development. However, ne improvements to the infrastructure may be initiated on these areas on the treasurv s account, rather this could be the responsibility of the ones in charge of the development of the land.

* Deficient Infrastructure Zones. These are areas which may be physically adapted to a future development, but that require a greater public investment in new infrastructure in order to be useful to it.

* Conservation of Nature Zone. These are areas with great scenic and environmental value, but that are also inadequate for development. These areas. include crests and high sides of the hills, areas with steep slopes, areas of dense vegetation and those brooks necessary to maintain the natural drainage of the region. Also included in this zone are non-natural areas such as cemeteries and parade fields.

 

Map 6.1 shows the location of the zones of development and the scale of the different types of opportunities for development that are inherent to the outlines for the development of Howard. It is important to point out that the greater part of the area to be developed in a certain way falls within the zones with deficient infrastructure, which reflects the prevalence of undeveloped lands that do not count with basic services.

ANNEX - FUEL DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

On the area of Howard, most of the fuel storage tanks are used to give service to the airport. On the area of the Inter American highway near the trailer houses there is building No. 15-14 where the installations for pumping the fuel used in the past to pump the fuel from the East coast of the Canal are located. This pumping station was closed when the pipelines that ran through the Canal were eliminated. On this site still remain the pumping installations and two buried fuel storage tanks with a capacity of 2, 100 gallons each one.

To the East of Bruja highway on Cerro San Juan 1, three buried fuel storage tanks are located with a capacity of approximately 27,000 barrels each one. At the moment these tanks are abandoned. Over highway 5 , storage tanks called "hillside storage area" are located. There is also a battery of 43 buried tanks with a rated capacity of 15,000 gallons each one, which shall amount a total storage capacity of around 15 thousand barrels of fuel, these tanks at the moment are out of use.

West to the entrance gate of Howard's base and from the Inter American highway a tank field is located with four buried tanks with a capacity of 27,000 barrels each one for a total storage capacity of 108,000 barrels, these tanks are in use at the moment. South to this tanks field there is another tanks field in front of the "temporary lodging facilities" complex,'where there are ten tanks with a capacity of 13,500 barrels of fuel each one. It is used mainly to store gasoline for air crafts and engines. This tanks field has a storage capacity of around 135,000 barrels. In front of buildings No. 924 and 925 there is a 15,000 gallons capacity tank used for storing kerosene (see Map 3.5).

Southeast to Howard's airstrip near Hendrickson highway there are four fuel storave tanks that we have referred to the nearest buildings to have a better location. The characteristics of these tanks are shown in the following chart.

The Howard system of tanks for fuel storage of Howard is connected by a layout piping of approximately 20 kilometers.

Primary Uses XX (bold)
Secondary Uses XX

Primary Uses XX (bold)
Secondary Uses XX

ANNEX A
RECOMMENDED USES

Current Uses

This is a summary of each recommended use that was utilized in the inventory of the uses of the land that includes a description of activities and types of development presented with the respective maps for the use of the land.

Recommended groups and uses and concepts

Group I. Rural areas

1. Agricultural.  Includes the development of agricultural activities, its use, infrastructure, fittings, structures, works, technological systems, water retaining systems and their concessions and all types of agricultural development.

2. Forest.  Includes the development of forest activities and lands with limitations for agricultural use and infrastructure, fittings, structures, works, constructions, water retaining systems and their concessions.
Activities according with general or particular forest exploitation for the protection of forests and reforestation

3. Livestock.  Includes livestock development on rural and suburban areas, The different types of areas and constructions, facilities, infrastructure, fittings and civil works used on livestock activity for research, reproduction, conservation, trading, restocking of species, inputs, equipment, maintenance and treatment materials.

4. Mining.  Includes the development of mining in rural, suburban and urban areas according to the type of mineral and the extraction area.
Activities according to the typologies of mining constructions, infrastructure, fittings, civil works, lodging, education, social services and environmental security.

5. Fishing.  Includes the development of fishing in rural, suburban and urban areas of public and private use and the different typologies of areas and fishing constructions that serve as support for this activity.

Group II. Green Areas

6. Protected Areas.  Includes the uses of the land, the land covered by water, the subsoil, and the atmosphere;
Rural and urban areas that due to their values and attributes are necessary in order to maintain the balance of the systems that determine the quality of life of a human being and of nature in general;
Forest infrastructures, -fittings, structures, works, constructions, technological systems, water retention systems and their concessions according to the general and the particular use for the protection of the environment and promotion of a sustained development.

7. Green areas and public use.  Includes the development of green areas, the typologies of areas of land, constructions, infrastructures, structures, fittings, technological systems, water retention systems and their concessions, civil, scenic, and environmental works that are usually destined for public use.

8. Undeveloped lands-pasture.  Includes lands that have not been developed yet or that are covered by grass known as pasture.

Group III. Industrial

9. Light Industrial.  Includes the development of industrial or clean activities without harmful risks for the environment that operate without causing any harm to the use of nearby land and without the application of special controls.

10. Middle Industrial.  Includes the development of industrial activities with harmful risks to the environment that operate causing harm to the use of nearby lands, and which require special controls.

11. Heavy Industrial.  Includes the development of industrial activities that bear great harmful risks to the environment that operate subject to special controls in order not to cause harm to the uses of nearby lands.

12. Commercial-Exposition Industrial.  Includes all type of urban-industrial infrastructure for show expositions, display of goods, services, processes, equipment, tools, and systems of different industrial technology, diffusion, education, and trading on a local and international level.

Group IV. Commercial

13. Commercial-banking-finance.  Includes the development of commercial activities and complementary uses such as low, middle and high density housing on neighborhood or urban areas; infrastructures, fittings, structures, works, technological systems and constructions for commercial typology.

14. Tourism.  Includes the development for tourism activities and their complementary uses such as low, middle and high density housing on neighbor and urban areas; infrastructures, fittings, structures, works, technological systems and constructions for different tourist typology.

Group V. Housing

15. Division into Lots-vacant served -urban.  Includes the lot with no defined use, nor edification or typology built on the site that is vacant, in rural parcels or in urban lots;
It may occur that the property of the land by the State or by a private party in lots served with improvements on basic or complimentary infrastructure or completely built-up without constructions or that the area where the lot is located has not been divided into zones, nor assigned any use.

16. Low density housing.  Includes the development of housing in rural, suburban and urban areas of houses with a population density around 50 to 200 persons per hectare;
Special residential type, one-family, two-family, in rows or in apartments of one or more stories, according to the construction typology, with lots with different area sizes and different densities.

17. Medium density housing.  Includes housing development in rural and urban areas whose density fluctuates between 300 to 600 persons per hectars. Residential housing of one/two families in rows or apartments
Accordingly to construction typology with lots with different prices and densities.

18. High density housing.  Includes the housing development in urban areas with a population density between 600 and 1,500 persons per hectare;
Residential housing of one-family or two-family types, in rows or in apartments or one or more stories, according to the construction typology, with lots with different area sizes and different densities.

19. Sports.  Includes the collectively or individually use of the land for sporting activities;
The infrastructure, civil works, constructions, sports accessories for any sport specialty or related community activity.

Group VI. Institutional

20. Institutional-Administrative.  Includes the development of activities in urban and rural areas for public, autonomous, semi-autonomous institutions, international organizations foundations, nonprofit NGO's, and professional and commercial offices, in rural and urban areas;
Different lots sizes and different densities.

21. Institutional-Health.  Includes the development of activities in urban and rural areas for public, autonomous, semi-autonomous institutions, international organizations, foundations, offices nonprofit NGO's, and professional and commercial premises, in rural and urban areas dedicated to medicine and health related services;
Different lots sizes and different densities.

22. Institutional-Education.  Includes the development in rural and urban areas of educational activities of public, autonomous, semi-autonomous institutions, international organisms, foundations, nonprofit NGO's, and professional, associations, and commercial offices, dedicated to formal and informal education, and educational services;
Different lots sizes and different densities.

23. Institutional-security; civic; cultural; religion.  Includes the institutional development in rural and urban areas of activities for public, autonomous, semi-autonomous institutions, international organizations, foundations, nonprofit NGO's, and professional and commercial offices dedicated to offer security services such as police station, penitentiary, community boards, or civic associations; cultural like centers for exhibitions, crafts, historical, or religious like chapels, seminars or monasteries;
Different lots sizes and different densities.

Group VII. Transport

24. Land transport.  Includes the development of areas for land transportation for rural, suburban and urban areas, for an international, interregional, interurban, circuit level, for terminal areas and parking lots of every architectural typology for public as well as private or a mixture.
Different lots sizes and different densities.

25. Railroad transport.  Includes rural, suburban, urban areas with railroad transportation services, terminals, maintenance and parking lot installations for public as well as private use.

26. Sea transport.  Includes sea transport in rural, suburban and urban areas, for ports (coastal traffic, transhipment, processing of marine products, for public as well as shipbuilders, ramps, docks, containers' yards), private, or mixed use.

27. Air transport.  Includes air transportation in rural, suburban and urban areas with international, national, regional, rural airports, local runaways or terminals, hangars, aeronautic administration for public or private use.

Group VIII. Infrastructure

28. Energy sources and plants, water and communications.  Includes rural, suburban and urban areas, energy sources and supply plants, processing, storage, deposits, waterworks, desalination, and any other energy source; production, storage, supply or distribution of energy or communication systems, public as well as private.

29. Liquid and solid waste treatment plants.  Includes rural, suburban and urban areas, treatment plants for organic, industrial, toxic, explosives, solid as well as liquid wastes, sanitary filling, oxidation ponds, percolation areas, garbage deposit areas, dangerous loads, incinerators, compactors for public or private use.

Group IX. Historical Heritage

30. Historical patrimonies.  Includes rural and urban areas of historical patrimony, historical and architectural or urban monumental complex, monuments, historical center, ruins, archeological zones and sites, cultural scenery and folklore zones, of public or private use.

31. Cemeteries - undertakers.  Include rural, suburban and urban areas, human and animal cemeteries, crypts, cremation, vigil, prayers' houses, mausoleums, for public or private use.

Group X. Areas for Differed Uses

32. Areas with non-detonated explosives.  Includes restricted areas - contaminated - dangerous rural, suburban and urban military areas for explosive device usage, chemical biochemical, bacteriological contamination, toxic wastes, radioactive, solid or liquid, for public or private use.

Group XI. Canal

33. Lands covered by water.  Includes lands cover areas by water in rural, suburban and for urban areas with flooded for aquiferous purposes, of lakes, rivers, reservoirs, swamps, estuaries, for public of private use.

34. Dredging deposits.  Includes areas dedicated to receive the materials extracted from the dredging processes of the Canal, from lakes, lagoons and the sea.
Includes also the residues from maintenance or improvement excavations of the Canal

Additional uses permitted for the development outlines of the military bases

One of the purposes of the specific studies was to make recommendations for the military bases with a more detailed level that the Plan of the Uses of the Land, in order to provide a more specific guideline for the marketing and development of such areas. Having this in mind, tile permitted recommended uses for the inventory of the present uses of the land were also used for development schemes since they specify a greater level of details than the "permitted recommended uses" proposed in the Plan of the Use of the Land. However, due to the nature of the development schemes additional permitted uses were required in some cases for the desianation of "combined uses" and "alternative uses". These designations use the same permitted uses, but with different combinations. Hereafter it is presented a summarized description of the permitted uses of "combined uses" and "alternative uses" used on the development schemes of the bases.

It is important to emphasize that the arrangement systems of the General Plan and the permitted uses recommended on the development outlines for the military bases are compatible, but the development schemes represent a major schemes adjustment on the concepts, For example, areas designated in the schemes General Plan as "combined general use - urban center" may be shown on the development schemes as smaller different areas with different designations as "commercial - urban - administrative" and/or "residential - middle density housing". This point of view also allows more specific recommendations in the "employment" category of the General Plan that may describe more specifically the terms commercial, industrial, institutional and other uses.

Another concept that was presented in the General Plan is the concept of "superimposed uses", win order to take into consideration special conditions of a place that require controls and special requirements for development. In the case of the development schemes outlines the -superimposed uses" refer to special uses that must stand out on a designated area for a primarx,, specific use, that could be different. Examples of this application of "superimposed uses" are tounsm on a protected green area, and port and maritime activities on an area designated for industrial development.

Additional permitted uses for development outlines

Permitted uses, Concepts

Combined uses:

General combined uses.  The development on this category is intended to reflect the mixed nature of the existing facilities on the central area of some bases and the potential for the development of activity nodes surrounding these installations - with emphasis on employment and residential. The potential activities could include different uses on a relatively small area: commercial facilfties on an urban or local scale, middle density housing development, premises and schools and other educational facilities, cultural facilities such as chapels, theaters and public activities such as police and fire stations. It also has potential for the development of light industrial activities.

Urban commercial and institutional - administrative.  The proposed development on this category also intends to reflect the variety of the existing facilities - with emphasis on employment and residential use. It could include commercial uses on an urban scale as well as offices and related uses.

Local commercial and institutional - administrative.  The proposed development on this category also intends to reflect the variety of the existing facilities - with emphasis on employment and residential use. It could include commercial uses on a local scale as well as premises and related uses.

Urban commercial and industrial.  The proposed development on this category reflects a kind of use of potential employment. It includes commercial development on a more intense urban scale as well as a compatible light industrial development.

Tourism and low and middle density residential.  The proposed development is predominantly of a residential nature, consisting of country houses and condominiums, designated with tourist topics and facilities (such as recreational, cultural, and commercial facilities).

Tourism and urban and local commercial and sea transport.  The development foreseen on this category could include a greater concept of tourist facilities that will possibly include a hotel and other recreational facilities, retail commerce and facilities for driving boats - planned and designated as a well integrated complex.

Employment and services area.  Includes the development for economic and employment activities without harmful risks to the environment that operate without causing harm to the uses of nearby lands.

Alternative uses:

Middle or low density housing.  The physical and market conditions suggest that a combination of low density housing are potentially appropriate for the place. The development could be presented for the development of employment and residences, as well as wide green areas to create "accurate developments". However, an area designated as "low density" on the General Plan cannot be developed as middle density.

Middle density housing or administrative institutional.  Suggest that some of these uses individually are appropriate for the place. However, when the development is presented, only one of the uses should be chosen or selected as a primary use and the other eliminated since it is not compatible.

Superimposed uses:

Protected green area's and tourism.  On a protected area, tourist activities may be presented and promoted as such since they fulfill all the requirements and restrictions related to a protected area.

Green area and for public use and tourism.  A green area that may be important due to the existing physical conditions such as slopes and complimentary for the maintenance of the green areas.

Middle industrial and port.  An area designated for general industrial but due to its location and facilities is recommended for maritime and port activities.

Other categories:

Area for the operation of the Canal (land).  The areas of the land for the present and future operation of the Canal that include undeveloped industrial areas, dredging fillings, etc.

MAPS CONVENTIONS

General Plan for the Use, Conservation and Development for the Area of the Canal

Return to Panama Section