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Residents praise aviation program and urge caution on recycling/chipping site; council hears mixed public comment
Summary
Public commenters supported creating a general aviation airport to benefit a local high-school aviation program and economic development; others opposed a proposed recycling/chipping operation near growing neighborhoods citing noise and environmental concerns.
Multiple residents addressed the council on separate topics: support for pursuing a general aviation airport and opposition to a proposed recycling/chipping operation.
Ray Fach, a pilot, said he supports disposing of the property to enable a future general aviation airport and urged discovery of a local champion to advance the effort. Student pilot Carson Chewy told the council an airport would help the high-school aviation program by providing nearby training and facilitating partnerships with flight schools. "An airport in Oak Ridge would be a lot easier for people to get training out of, and we could even discuss... getting instructors out at that airport to get them out there and get training there," he said.
By contrast, Mike Mahathy told the council he opposed the recycling/chipping operation under review, saying noise levels in nearby houses have reached about "50 decibels" during daytime operations and raised environmental and nuisance concerns. Councilmembers acknowledged public input will be considered by the planning commission and zoning processes; no formal council action was taken during the appearance-of-citizens segment.
