Communities' residents still fighting to keep junkyard out

The fight to keep a junkyard out of Ward 5 continued Monday night during a public hearing before the Hattiesburg City Council.

Residents of Irene's Chapel and Palmer's Crossing have protested the proposed junk yard since the Hattiesburg Planning Commission approved a request on Dec. 3 for an open storage variance for David Hickman of Hattiesburg Concrete Products.

Hickman owns the nine acres of vacant property in the 100 block of Dixie Pine Road and recently sold it to developers, city officials said.

Because the property is zoned light industrial, its owners and developers told the council Monday they thought it would be the perfect location for what they call a recycling yard.

"We asked specifically for a place that was zoned for our specific kind of business (and) we thought we found it," said Jack Markowitz, a representative of the proposed facility. "It's a modern business. It's purpose is to take the scrap metal off the streets."

Monday's hearing was sparked by the appeal filed by Irene Chapel resident David Rankin and Frankie Benton of Palmer's Crossing on behalf of the residents who said no matter what it's called the facility has no place near their backyards.

"We're trying to build a community," Benton said Monday. "We don't need something to deteriorate our community. We need something to bring it up."

Rankin added, "I'm not opposed to anyone selling their property for monetary gain (but) when it comes to selling your property - which will disintegrate my neighborhood - then I have a problem with that."

Rankin said he felt if the facility is allowed, his community may be faced with similar issues the Mobile-Bouie area experienced with 100-year-old salvage yard Shemper & Sons.

"It's completely unfair to represent our organization with (Shemper's)," Markowitz said. "We will move it (scrap metal) out. It won't sit there."

Rankin and company met with Councilman Henry Naylor last month and Naylor urged other council members to oppose the facility.

Their concerns did not fall on deaf ears Monday since a majority of the council appeared cautious about adhering to the planning commission's recommendation to approve the variance.

Council President Kim Bradley said Markowitz would have to convince him the city would not experience the same problems it has had with Shemper & Sons before he would sign off on the variance.

"They are right on," Bradley said about Rankin's and Benton's concerns.

Markowitz told the council he operates similar businesses in Mobile, Ala., and in Harrison County. He promised to e-mail photos of those locations to the council before tonight's meeting.

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