WARREN — A yearslong study makes recommendations that could allow the Youngstown Air Reserve Station to weather proposed base closings more easily.

The Department of Defense examines possible base closings on occasion. Some concerns outlined in the YARS Joint Land Use Study are:

• Anti-terrorism / force protection: The location of utilities at YARS need to be more centralized on the installation. Additional land at the installation could help buffer these assets from the installation periphery;

• Land constraints affect capability for gate improvements: Land at YARS is constrained by existing development and wetlands. The current installation footprint does not provide sufficient land to support improvements to the existing gate configuration and lacks the land to accommodate a new gate;

• Enhanced coordination for airport safety and security: There is a need for enhanced security protocols and procedures between YARS, Trumbull County and Vienna Township to ensure a comprehensive and coordinated security and safety response across all airport areas;

• Security impact of nonaviation use of air cargo facility: The use of the vacant air cargo facility by a non-aviation tenant presents a potential security issue for the existing YARS mission, as it would provide proximity to restricted airport areas by non-credentialed tenants.

Trumbull County commissioners adopted Wednesday a resolution supporting the YARS Joint Land Use Study, said Julie Green, executive director of the Trumbull County Planning Commission.

A $200,000 grant through the Department of Defense Office of Economic Adjustment paid for the study, prepared by Matrix Design Group.

The consultants, along with a policy committee and technical committee comprised of various elected officials, community members and air base officials, studied issues surrounding the base, identifying compatibility issues between air base readiness and factors in the surrounding community.

Of the 25 compatibility factors the report authors identify for communities around military bases, only 14 were found to apply to YARS, including the effects of noise, urban growth, air space and land restrictions, endangered species, air and water quality, and energy compatibility and availability.

Green said she is working on applying for a second grant from the Office of Economic Adjustment, a grant that is due at the end of March. The grant will help implement some of the plan’s recommendations, Green said.

Because the plan makes numerous recommendations that would probably cost $700,000 or more to implement, Green said she is dividing her grant application into phases. It will take years before all of the recommendations are implemented, and it will take a lot of teamwork from various local entities to make the changes noted in the report to best support the air base, she said.

“The air base is really important to our area; it is the largest employer in Trumbull County. This should be one of our top priorities,” Green said.