Residents, council raise health concerns over developer tree burning near elementary school

City officials and residents raised air-quality and child-safety concerns at the council meeting over a developer's burning of cleared trees at the Indigo 2 site.

The mayor (S1) said he had been told the burning on the first day produced thick smoke that prompted concerns about allowing children outside at the nearby elementary school. "On the 1st day, it got so bad that I am told that there were concerns about having the kids go out into the school, playground at the elementary school because the smoke down there was so thick," he said, and he advised citizens that they can contact the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) if burning resumes.

A POA representative (S8) said residents consider the burning a nuisance and reported a landowner representative had assured him "it's not gonna happen again." Alderman Davis (S3) suggested the board ask the county to consider a no-debris-burning ordinance; other members noted county commissioners have regularly heard similar requests and have been reluctant to pursue a ban.

The mayor also said he had contacted a property representative and was told the burning would pause at least through December, though he said he could not confirm what would happen after that pause. No specific enforcement action by the city was recorded during the meeting; council members said residents can call DEQ and the city could also contact the agency. No formal county or city ordinance change was decided at the meeting.

The council discussed next steps informally; Alderman Davis urged the board to leave policy questions to the incoming board for further review and public input.