Residents near DeKalb Peachtree (PDK) Airport urged the Board of Commissioners on Oct. 14 to delay approving the Sky Harbor proposal until a county-funded environmental study on PDK air and noise impacts is complete.

Larry Foster, a long-term DeKalb resident and civic activist, said the county is being asked to extend a contract with Sky Harbor while a $145 million environmental study on PDK is still underway; Foster said the study's findings should inform any decisions about allowing larger jets to be routinely based at PDK. He warned of noise, air pollution and community health consequences for the tens of thousands of residents within a three- to four-mile radius of the airport.

By contrast, Piper Burks of the Atlanta chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen and other aviation advocates described how airport-based programs build aviation career pipelines. Burks told commissioners that the Tuskegee Airmen mentoring programs helped local young people obtain aviation degrees and certifications and highlighted local pilots who advanced to major carriers; she said closer airport-based opportunities would help continue those pathways.

Planning and airport staff listed an RFP recommendation for east-side aviation development at PDK and included a long-range revenue estimate tied to the highest-scoring proposer, Sky Harbor. Multiple public commenters urged the commission to weigh the environmental study's results before approving long-term airport leases or hangar expansions that could accommodate larger jets.

Outcome/status: The Sky Harbor east-side aviation development appeared on the agenda as a staff recommendation for award; public comment urged careful review and consideration of the county's environmental study before final action on expansions that could change aircraft operations at PDK.