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<br />H. L. Chalkley, Chairman
<br />J. G. Hening
<br />H. T. Goyne
<br /> ~,. A. Horner
<br />T. D. Watkins
<br />
<br />VIRGINIA: At an adjourned
<br />meeting of the Board of
<br />Supervisors of Chesterfield
<br />County, held at the Court-
<br />house, on October 2, 1945, at
<br />8:00 o'clock P.M.
<br />
<br />Absent: P. W. Covington
<br />
<br />This day the Executive Secretary again read to the Board of Supervisors an applica-
<br />tion from Sowers and Spain, Attorneys, representing the Sky Service Corporation,
<br />stating that an application had been made to the State Corporation Commission for
<br />a charter to operate an airport in Virginia, and that application having been made
<br />to thLs Board at its meeting on September ll, 1945, and that the Board of Super-
<br />visors had authorized the Executive Secretary to publish notice of this application
<br />and that the notice had been duly published in the newspapers in accordance with
<br />law, and had been posted near the property and that this adjourned meeting of the
<br />Board of Supervisors was for the purpose of hearing those who were interested in
<br />proposing or opposing the application of the establishment of an airport in ~lan-
<br />chester District, near Stop 12~, on the Petersburg Pike, on the property known as
<br />"Campfield", being the residence of Miss Caroline ~arwick.
<br />
<br />Mr. k. Pinkney Sowers, representing the firm of Spain and Sowers, Attorneys for the
<br />Sky Service Corporation, informed the Board of the exact location of the proposed
<br />airport, the runways of the airport, and the type of operation that would take
<br />place, stating that only small aircraft could be operated from the field and that
<br />no night flying would be permitted from the field, Rnd stated that since the natura
<br />boundaries of the property and the proposed zoning of same as Industrial area made
<br />it a desirable location to establish an airport.
<br />
<br />Col. Alan Perkinson, State Directo£, Civil Aeronautics, stated to the Board that
<br />when an application was made to the CAA, the counties or cities in which it was
<br />proposed to establish an airport must approve it before an application to operate
<br />an airport would be granted by the CAA; that investigation of the safety and nuisan.
<br />angles of location an airport in any given place and that all those things taken
<br />into consideration approved or disapproved application for the establishment of air-
<br />ports. He stated that transportation was the agency which had permitted the Unite~
<br />States to become a great nation and that the development of aviation was necessary
<br />in order for our country to keep pace with the rest of the world. He stated he
<br />believed the laws and regulations of the CAA were sufficient to protect surrounding
<br />communities and areas could be designated as prohibited aress over which to fly, an~
<br />that the operator of the airport had the necessary authority to enforce these laws
<br />and regulations; however, from the records it could be proven that there had never
<br />been any person other than the occupants of aircraft killed in the State of Virgini~
<br />by falling aircraft, anG that as far as he knew, only one house had been damaged by
<br />such an accident.
<br />
<br />At this time ~r. Sowers presented a petition signed by residents of the area sur-
<br />rounding the site of the proposed airport, containing seventy-three names, who
<br />stated that they were in favor of the establishment of an airport in accordance wit~
<br />the application. With the permission to take the floor at a later time in the meet-
<br />ing, ~r. Sowers then gave over to the hearing of those opposed to the establishment
<br />of this airport.
<br />
<br />Mrs. J. ~. Humphries, of Ampthill Heights, a subdivision located across the Atlantic
<br />Coast Line tracks from the proposed location, presented a petition to the Board
<br />signed by fift~-four residents of that area opposing the establishment of an airpor?
<br />in this location, stating that they had purchased homes at that point for the pur-
<br />pose of being quiet and that she felt the establishment of an airport there ~ou~.d
<br />caos~ great damage to the value of their property.
<br />
<br />~ames P. Spencer, Principal of the Colored high School, approximately one-half mile
<br />from the proposed site, objected very seriously because the safety of the children
<br />in Hickory Hill High School would be Jeopardized should this airport be established.
<br />He also stated that there were two colored churches and a number of colored residenls
<br />in Cherry Gardens and that he represented the entire citizenry in that area opposin~
<br />the establishment of this airport. He submitted a letter from Edward F. Mimms,
<br />supporting his contentions of safety and nuisance of an airport.
<br />
<br />~rs- J. ~. Hawthorne, resident of Ampthill Heights, stated that she was sure every
<br />citizen in Ampthill Heights was opposed to the establishment of this airport and
<br />hoped the Board of Supervisors would not grant permission for the establishment of
<br />the airport at this location.
<br />
<br />Mr. h. S. Morgan, also from Ampthill Heights, emphatically supported statements of
<br />Mrs. Hawthorne.
<br />
<br />Mr. L. B. Halley, who lives and is a home owner in "Scottdale", a subdivision ap-
<br />proximately one-quarter of a mile north of the proposed area, stated that as a
<br />member of the SeaBees in the South Pacific, he had helped to build many airports
<br />and had lived in tents adjacent to the airports, and while he had seen planes
<br />return to the airfield in such damaged condition that they were either wrecked
<br />while attempting to land or could not be repaired and used again, yet he had never
<br />seen one of them 2all on the area surrounding the airport, and stated he was sure
<br />that the residents adjacent to an airport would very soon get used to any noise
<br />
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