Guam - A guide of actions and strategies was officially unveiled today to help the Government of Guam and the military with future compatibility efforts. The Office of the Governor held a kick-off workshop today revealing details regarding the Draft Compatibility Sustainability Study and opening up the 30-day comment period.

CSS program manager and vice president of the Matrix Design Group Celeste Werner says the main purpose of the study is to foster collaboration between the different stakeholders from GovGuam, businesses, the Department of Defense and the people of Guam. "It's really to coexist and work as partners to make sure that new growth on the island is captured and can happen," she explained. "And there's a sustainability of economic development as well as sustaining military readiness."

The Guam CSS was undertaken as a proactive effort to ensure that mutually beneficial growth and development occurs in the villages surrounding the military installations and use areas while at the same time allowing the military to conduct its necessary activities and continue to provide economic benefit to Guam. However, Werner says the military buildup is not just the strict focus of the study.

"It is something that communities that have military installations in their backyard across the U.S.  and other territories develop a CSS in order to make sure that you deal with issue or potential issues of current and future missions," she added.

The study provides strategies and recommendations on issues from communications, housing availability, infrastructure and noise. Matrix Design Group senior associate Rick Rust says the issue of land use important as it heavily influenced and affected by an ongoing military presence. He hopes to incorporate compatibility planning principles into updating and modernizing versions of the Guam Islandwide Master Land Use Plan, zoning ordinance and official zoning map. "So they're a little out of date, as far as what they provide for guidance, they also don't provide any consistency with the compatibility ideals so how can we bring that together," he shared.

Werner hopes the public workshops will bring awareness for stakeholders to make informed decisions. The public comment period will end December 9 with two more workshops set for this week. Also, a workshop is scheduled for this evening at the Sinajana Senior Center until 8 this evening with the last on November 3 at the Dededo Senior Center from 6-8 in the evening.