PDK WATCH NEWSLETTER
JUNE 1997
PDK
Watch’s purpose is to protect and assure the future of our
established residential neighborhoods and quality of life in the
area affected by PDK Airport.
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Next Meeting
PDK Watch will meet
Thursday, June 5, at 7:30 P.M. at Shallowford Presbyterian Church
on Shallowford Road between I-85 and Briarcliff Road. Mr.
Ray Kemper of the Chamber of Commerce will give a status report
on the International Village adjacent to PDK Airport.
Wake Up Call
Several activities
are underway that should cause homeowners to pause, reflect and
take action now before rezonings and airport expansion impact
residential areas.
At the January 1997
airport advisory board meeting CEO Levetan adamantly stated the
Commission policy that there will be no expansion of PDK Airport.
She further stated that PDK is not a commercial airport. The
acting airport director indicated he gets two or three requests a
month from people wanting to bring in large charter type
airplanes for regional commuters. (This is why PDK Watch
has requested the Commission to adopt an ordinance clearly
stating that PDK will not become a commercial airport. CEO
Levetan and her staff have successfully stalled the request to
codify the policy she publicly proclaims.)
A further look at
the facts indicates there is reason to be wary. More than
three years ago our county officials purchased land next to the
airport to build a health facility. The wisdom of building
a health facility in the middle of property known to be heavily
impacted by the airport noise, which certainly adds to the
taxpayer cost in noise proofing, seemed strange, but a health
facility was better than more PDK expansion. Construction
on this facility has yet to begin.
In Spring 1996 when
the Comprehensive Land Use Map was being reviewed prior to its
adoption, one citizen noted that residential property along
Clairmont Road adjacent to PDK Airport had been given an
industrial designation. This change was pointed out to
Commissioners Scott and Yates, and the land use designation was
restored to residential. This was clearly an attempt to
usher in airport expansion without the usual request for land use
change and public notice.
A couple of months
later some elected and appointed county officials tried to rush a
rezoning request through our Board of Commissioners that would
have given Beverly Lance, a private developer, use of airport
property along Clairmont Road. This land is inside the back
yards of a block of existing homes. Chamblee’s City
Manager and a council member strongly supported this use as good
for the community even though the property is outside their city
boundary.
In Fall 1996 it
became known that Beverly Lance was attempting a buy out of
residential property along Clairmont Road adjacent to PDK
Airport. This property is also adjacent to the property
purchased for the health facility and is the same property on
which the attempt to quietly change the land use designation had
been made earlier. When one airport advisory board member
expressed concern to the airport director that this proposed
purchase would result in this land being converted to airport use
(expansion) and become a “foot in the door” for
commercial airport service, the director indicated he did not
think this would happen. He did not say this could not
happen.
At the January 1997
airport advisory board meeting when a neighbor asked what Mr.
Lance was planning for this property, the acting airport director
stated that Mr. Lance is an investor and a developer and what he
does within the law is his prerogative, and it is no business of
the airport -- he does not have to tell us what he plans to do.
He further stated that Mr. Lance could request a
through-the-fence operation for airport activity. When
asked if this expansion of the airport would be in violation of
the long standing policy about airport expansion, the response
was to ask the Commissioners.
Subsequently, under
the open records act of Georgia, a letter dated July 1996 from
DeKalb County’s planning department to the airport director
concerning the rezoning of the property was obtained. It
stated that Mr. Lance is securing the land for storing, fueling,
and maintaining aircraft and indicated that the FAA has already
granted access to the airport. Remember that this is the
same FAA that pays for airport expansion at PDK in the name of
safety.
Ever since the 1988
airport expansion that encouraged more jet traffic at PDK, we
have feared commercial passenger and freight service because of
what it has done to established communities. All we want to
do is protect our investment through honest discussions of
airport expansion plans. When the County and the FAA are
out to expand, we recall that PDK is already larger than
LaGuardia in New York City and think it is wise for neighborhoods
to be involved now.
Task List for PDK Watch
PDK Watch is
forming a list which identifies its areas of concern. A
final task list will be developed and adopted at the June 5
meeting. Please review the following list and bring your
comments/suggestions to the June meeting or send them to David
Green, 2627 Varner Drive, Atlanta GA 30345.
1. Hold the line on
airport expansion.
2. Keep the airport
noncommercial.
3. Institute and
implement an
effective
noise abatement policy.
4. Institute and
implement effective
neighborhood
participation in
airport
activities.
5. Insure that PDK
Airport honors its
mission
statement.
Citizen Opportunity
The Airport
Advisory Board will meet at 6:30 P.M. Wednesday, May 28, at PDK
Airport. Citizens are allowed to make comments at the end
of the meeting. On the agenda is the “Good Neighbor
Policy,” which gives citizens information on airport
matters.
Support PDK Watch
To support the
printing and mailing of the PDK Watch Newsletter send your check
payable to Sven O. Lovegren (indicate it is for PDK Watch) to:
PDK Watch
c/o Sven Lovegren
2331 Annapolis
Court
Atlanta GA 30345
For information
contact David Green, PDK Watch Coordinator, at 770-908-1954.
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