DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Neighbors living near DeKalb Peachtree Airport, also known as PDK, are frustrated over plans to add new hangars.
They believe more hangars will bring larger jets, leading to more emissions and noise pollution.
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“They all make noise. It’s all disruptive,” said Jaime Dutro.
Dutro is helping organize a community meeting about the issue on Wednesday night at 7:30 at the Central Congregational United Church of Christ on Clairmont Road.
DeKalb County owns the land PDK sits on and leases it out to various companies.
If the plan is approved, Sky Harbour would be the biggest at the facility by building nearly four acres of hangar space.
PDK is in Commissioner Robert Patrick’s district.
He says more hangars will actually mean fewer flights because jets headquartered at PDK will no longer have to fly in to pick up a client and fly back to drop them off, before flying out again to another airport where the plane is based.
“If approved, those airplanes would be able to be housed here at PDK which in theory would reduce that extra level of flights,” Commissioner Patrick told Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Sophia Choi.
But neighbors like Larry Foster aren’t buying it—seeing the addition of hangars as the start of future expansions at PDK to allow bigger jets.
“This is really the opening wedge really in a much larger expansion,” Foster told Choi.
But Commissioner Patrick says the county has no room or money to lengthen the runways to allow bigger jets.
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The county collects ad valorem taxes on the planes, headquartered at PDK. But money from leasing the property goes back to maintaining the airport.
Neighbors say no amount of money should disrupt their quality of life, health and home values.
“It’s just going to be devastating to our neighborhood,” said Dutro.
Commissioners plan to do an environmental study and hold a town hall before taking a vote on the issue in late February.
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