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10-02-1945 MinutesPre sent ~ H. L. Chalkley, Chairman J. G. Hening H. T. Goyne ~,. A. Horner T. D. Watkins VIRGINIA: At an adjourned meeting of the Board of Supervisors of Chesterfield County, held at the Court- house, on October 2, 1945, at 8:00 o'clock P.M. Absent: P. W. Covington This day the Executive Secretary again read to the Board of Supervisors an applica- tion from Sowers and Spain, Attorneys, representing the Sky Service Corporation, stating that an application had been made to the State Corporation Commission for a charter to operate an airport in Virginia, and that application having been made to thLs Board at its meeting on September ll, 1945, and that the Board of Super- visors had authorized the Executive Secretary to publish notice of this application and that the notice had been duly published in the newspapers in accordance with law, and had been posted near the property and that this adjourned meeting of the Board of Supervisors was for the purpose of hearing those who were interested in proposing or opposing the application of the establishment of an airport in ~lan- chester District, near Stop 12~, on the Petersburg Pike, on the property known as "Campfield", being the residence of Miss Caroline ~arwick. Mr. k. Pinkney Sowers, representing the firm of Spain and Sowers, Attorneys for the Sky Service Corporation, informed the Board of the exact location of the proposed airport, the runways of the airport, and the type of operation that would take place, stating that only small aircraft could be operated from the field and that no night flying would be permitted from the field, Rnd stated that since the natura boundaries of the property and the proposed zoning of same as Industrial area made it a desirable location to establish an airport. Col. Alan Perkinson, State Directo£, Civil Aeronautics, stated to the Board that when an application was made to the CAA, the counties or cities in which it was proposed to establish an airport must approve it before an application to operate an airport would be granted by the CAA; that investigation of the safety and nuisan. angles of location an airport in any given place and that all those things taken into consideration approved or disapproved application for the establishment of air- ports. He stated that transportation was the agency which had permitted the Unite~ States to become a great nation and that the development of aviation was necessary in order for our country to keep pace with the rest of the world. He stated he believed the laws and regulations of the CAA were sufficient to protect surrounding communities and areas could be designated as prohibited aress over which to fly, an~ that the operator of the airport had the necessary authority to enforce these laws and regulations; however, from the records it could be proven that there had never been any person other than the occupants of aircraft killed in the State of Virgini~ by falling aircraft, anG that as far as he knew, only one house had been damaged by such an accident. At this time ~r. Sowers presented a petition signed by residents of the area sur- rounding the site of the proposed airport, containing seventy-three names, who stated that they were in favor of the establishment of an airport in accordance wit~ the application. With the permission to take the floor at a later time in the meet- ing, ~r. Sowers then gave over to the hearing of those opposed to the establishment of this airport. Mrs. J. ~. Humphries, of Ampthill Heights, a subdivision located across the Atlantic Coast Line tracks from the proposed location, presented a petition to the Board signed by fift~-four residents of that area opposing the establishment of an airpor? in this location, stating that they had purchased homes at that point for the pur- pose of being quiet and that she felt the establishment of an airport there ~ou~.d caos~ great damage to the value of their property. ~ames P. Spencer, Principal of the Colored high School, approximately one-half mile from the proposed site, objected very seriously because the safety of the children in Hickory Hill High School would be Jeopardized should this airport be established. He also stated that there were two colored churches and a number of colored residenls in Cherry Gardens and that he represented the entire citizenry in that area opposin~ the establishment of this airport. He submitted a letter from Edward F. Mimms, supporting his contentions of safety and nuisance of an airport. ~rs- J. ~. Hawthorne, resident of Ampthill Heights, stated that she was sure every citizen in Ampthill Heights was opposed to the establishment of this airport and hoped the Board of Supervisors would not grant permission for the establishment of the airport at this location. Mr. h. S. Morgan, also from Ampthill Heights, emphatically supported statements of Mrs. Hawthorne. Mr. L. B. Halley, who lives and is a home owner in "Scottdale", a subdivision ap- proximately one-quarter of a mile north of the proposed area, stated that as a member of the SeaBees in the South Pacific, he had helped to build many airports and had lived in tents adjacent to the airports, and while he had seen planes return to the airfield in such damaged condition that they were either wrecked while attempting to land or could not be repaired and used again, yet he had never seen one of them 2all on the area surrounding the airport, and stated he was sure that the residents adjacent to an airport would very soon get used to any noise from the airplanes operating from that airport, and that he hoped the Board of Supervisors would permit this airfield to be established as he believed it ~ould be an asset to the surrounding territory. Mr. Rudolph Tench stated that he owned twelve pieces of property in "Scottdale" and while he did not live in that subdivision, yet he felt that the establishment of the proposed airport would not have any ill effects upon the value of his property. This view was also held by Mr. ~. P. Oliver, who lives in "Scottdale", and he hoped the Board of Supervisors would grant permission to establish this airport. Mr. W. M. Miller stated that he had owned a lot on the Petersburg Pike near the site of the proposed airport and had attempted to sell it for the past twelve years but had had no results. The day it was announced that application had been made for the establishment of an airport at this location he had had the first inquiry for the purchase of his lot and he had sold, and since has had at least twenty purchasers for the lot. Mr. C. A~new Swineford and ~. Jo T. Moore, residents of the area adjacent to the site of the proposed airport, stated that they felt the airport would have no ad- verse results on the property~ in that area. At this time, Mr. Sowers stated that the E. I. DuPont de Nemours Company had con- tacted him and had raised some objections to the establishment of an airport at thi~ site, whereupon he presented a copy of a letter written to the DuPont Company assur- ing them that their objections would be properly taken care of. Whereupon, Mr. A.K Missimer, from the DuPont Company, stated he was fully satisfied with the assurance given by Mr. Sowers, and that the E. I. DuPont de Nemours Company was withdrawing all objections te the establishment of an airport in this area. At this time and on motion of Mr. W. A. Horner, it is resolved that the Chairman appoint the entire Board as a committee and that a recess of ten minutes be declare, for the Committee to consider this application. Whereupon the Chairman appointed the entire Board as a Committee and they recessed for ten minutes. The meeting having reconvened, the Committee reported that it was the opinion that no injustice or injury would be caused to the residents of the surrounding area if an airport should be established at the location proposed by the application from the Sky Service Corporation. Upon consideration whereof, and on motion of ~r. W.A. Homer, it is resolved that the application for the establishment of an airport by the Sky Service Corporation on the property known as "Campfield" being the residence of Miss Caroline. Warwick in Manchester ~iagisterial District, near StOp 12~ on the Petersburg Pike, be and it is hereby granted by the Board of Supervisors of Chester- field County. On this matter Mr. J. G. Hening and ~. H. T. Goyne voted "No" and asked that their votes be so recorded. at a previous meeting of the Board of Supervisors there was presented an applicatio~ from the Wright Lumber Company, requesting the Board not to accept for public use a road dedicated from the Belt Boulevard in Manchester District, to the Atlantic Coast Line ~ailroad old Belt Line as shown on an accompanying plat, at which time the Commonwealth's Attorney was instructed to investigate the same and report to the Board, and~a report was made as follows: This day the attention of this Board was called to a dedication of a roadway leadin from Belt Boulevard in Manchester District to the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad(old Belt Line), as~is set out in deed dated July 28, 1936, recorded in Deed Book 2~0, page Z21 of the Clerk's Office of Chesterfield County, between Margaret R. Robertsc and husband, and Virgil R. Goode, Special Commissioner, and John H. Barker, Executo~ of ~illiam H. Adamson, and others, and WHEREAS, in said dedication it was provided "until such time as the foregoing dedi- cation is accepted and the land so dedicated becomes e public road", and WHEREAS, this Board does not desire to accept said dedication; NOW, THE~EFORE, on motion of ,,. ~. Horner, it is resolved that acceptance of the dedication of the roadway mentioned in the preamble above and recorded ih Deed Book 230, pag~ 321 of the Clerk's Office of the County of Chesterfield, Virginia, be, and the same is hereby denied and declined. And the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Chesterfield County is requested to record a copy of this resolution upon the deed books in his office. Ordered that the meeting be now adjourned until October 9, 194~, at 10:00 ~ C hal rman ' ~ · Exe cdbive Secretary