MACON, Ga. — People in Macon's Lynmore Estates neighborhood are worried their playground could soon be dealing with a smelly situation.
The Macon-Bibb Planning and Zoning Commission is scheduled to hear a proposal for a waste transfer facility later this month, very close to the park.
The nearly 171-acre facility would span the east side of Mead Road, and it would stretch from the end of the road all the way to Broadway. It's also directly across the street from the Lynmore Estates playground.
The swing set there is the happy place for Sharletha Rooks and her son, Armond. It's become a favorite in the last few weeks.
"Just me and my son, talking with God. I just love it," Rooks said. "We're having fun!"
Armond keeps her busy, but the park keeps Rooks at peace.
"I like quietness and peaceful," she said.
If the zoning board approves the transfer station later this month, the park could get a bit less peaceful.
It would act as a central location for trash collection before it goes to the landfill.
The application from Eberhardt Industries says it would only accept construction waste and no chemicals.
"That would be a tragedy, really. Children are already curious as it is," said Samara Holmes, who often visits after work. "They're already curious as it is. So if they put a dump over here, it would only encourage the curiosity more."
She says the park helps clear her mind, and the proposal worries her.
"It's too much. It'll be too much for this area," Holmes said.
It has Rooks questioning if Armond's days on the swing set are numbered.
"Nobody don't want to smell that," she said.
The zoning board is set to consider the proposal again Aug. 28. It would be open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. It would also be open on Saturdays from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m.