DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — DeKalb homeowners worry about safety as the county considers a major airport expansion at DeKalb Peachtree Airport.
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Residents fear that larger planes and increased traffic could heighten the risk of accidents, noise, and pollution, urging their neighbors to speak out against the proposal.
“It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when another accident is going to happen,” said Jaime Dutro, a DeKalb County resident.
Larry Foster, who leads PDK Watch, a grassroots watchdog group, expressed skepticism after a town hall meeting with the developers, saying, “It has had 103 of these near problematic incidents.”
The proposed expansion by Sky Harbour Group involves building eight new hangars totaling over 130,000 square feet, with promises of generating $500 million in revenue and taxes and creating 600 jobs.
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Kenneth Harris, another resident, described the noise level as “very high” and said, “Sounds like it’s landing on your house.”
The Federal Aviation Administration reports that Peachtree DeKalb Airport had more than 100 runway incursions between 2021 and 2024, making it one of the highest in the nation.
Sky Harbour claims that its development will reduce air traffic by allowing jets that already use PDK to be based there permanently, thus reducing empty taxiing aircraft.
Residents like Jaime Dutro are worried about the long-term impact, stating, “It’s really impacting our neighborhood. This expansion is just the first domino.”
Channel 2 Action News reached out to Sky Harbor but has not yet heard back.
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