MACON, Ga. — A planned solid waste transfer facility on south Macon's Mead Road looks like it's on pause.
Last month, we first reported on the more than 170-acre facility that would place the truck entrance right next to a playground. The transfer facility would act as a stopping point for trash before it's hauled off to a landfill.
People in the neighborhood and Macon Habitat for Humanity worried about the proposed facility's proximity to the Lynmore Estates playground, and the neighborhood itself. The group and its families have worked in Lynmore Estates for about 10 years.
"Hours and hours and hours of sweat equity to help this neighborhood go down the path of revitalization," said Ivey Hall, the group's executive director.
Industry is nothing new in the neighborhood. There are several commercial buildings nearby.
"It was founded in the World War II era to house families that supported the work in a munitions plant that was close by," Hall explained.
Despite the neighborhood's history, the transfer station would be different, Hall said.
"It's not something that any neighborhood should have to deal with," she said. "Knowing that that is here and the impact it could have on home values was really a big concern to us."
Tuesday, Macon-Bibb commissioners put a stop to Hall's worries, and the facility, at least for now. They placed a hold on the building and planning of all new solid waste facilities so they could plan updates to the county waste management plan.
It's a relief for Hall and many nearby homeowners.
"This is a place that they want to be able to call home, and they want it to be safe, and stable, and really a great place for not just now, but for many, many years to come," Hall said.
Mayor Lester Miller says they may decide to keep the moratorium in place indefinitely, but they can also decide to lift it before there's a new plan in place.
The county's current waste management plan was set for an update in 2021. Mayor Miller says they didn't get to it because of pandemic backups.
We reached out to the builder for comment but did not receive a response.