ATLANTA — DeKalb County residents living around DeKalb-Peachtree Airport are concerned about some proposed changes there.
“We are currently looking at the expansion of 40 acres and eight airport hangars currently that would house one to two airplanes depending on size," said District 7 Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson.
Cochran-Johnson said commissioners are considering a 50-year deal that could bring in over $500 million over the length of the deal -- if approved.
However, community activist Larry Foster, who has lived in the area for almost 50 years, said it's not sitting right with many residents.
“The major thing that we’re concerned about is that many of the jets being proposed to be brought in as regular users of PDK airport are much larger, much more polluting and much noisier on their glide into the airport," Foster said.
Some residents in the neighborhoods that surround PDK say the noise from the planes impacts their quality of life, and they think this proposal would create an even bigger nuisance.
Commissioner Cochran-Johnson says the expansion would have the opposite effect.
“That means there are two to three trips taking place when if we expand, potentially it could increase capacity and allow those airplanes to remain here at PDK, thereby reducing emissions and reducing airport traffic and noises," said Cochran-Johnson.
Foster says there are other ways the airport could be used that would be helpful to the community and the environment.
“We think that using this area, for example, in part at least for generating clean energy would be a very good idea,' Foster said.
A community meeting on the proposal is planned for Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. at Central Congregational United Church of God at 2676 Clairmont Road in Atlanta.