By Ashley Ball
News 3 On Your Side
The company is called the Graal Group. They want to build a multi million dollar facility off Doctor Brooks Road. News 3 On Your Side
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Stumble It!The Graal Group specializes in training security personnel for multi-national corporations. Their grounds would take up over 1,700 acres.
On Tuesday the Marion County Commission will look at a vote to rezone the property specifically for this business. Saturday many neighbors on Doctor Brooks Road protested the proposal.
Neighbors told News Three they are not happy about a security training facility coming to their neck of the woods. One of their biggest concerns is noise.
The security training facility would have several firing ranges and a driving track to help train its students.
Residents on Doctor Brooks Road know rezoning is the first step, and that's why they are fighting so hard to stop it.
Many of these folks are worried that the training facility could spoil the peace on their property. Johannah Ippolto has lived in Marion County since 2002. She has 50 acres near the proposed site. Ippolto says, “Its one thing to hear Fort Benning. I know that when I moved here, I don't want something that's going be next door to me and disrupting my life.”
Guy Irvin is the CEO of the Grall Group. He says the noise won't be comparable to Fort Benning. Irvin says he understand neighbors concerns, but he believes the facility will not affect their lifestyles.
Residents told News Three they don''t want this kind of business next door, but the Marion County Zoning Administration says its hard to attract new business to the area.
Ippolto says, “Most people have jobs elsewhere, they live out here for the peace and quiet, they didn't move here for jobs.”
And it will bring jobs. The Grall Group estimates it will have roughly 40 jobs for locals.
But today the mission was simple- raise public awareness.
Gloria Herrington lives close to the proposed site. She has been helping rally neighbors together. Herrington says, “We want show our commissioners that it is not just one or two families opposed to this.”
County Commissioners tell News Three their keeping an open mind, waiting until to the vote to make a decision.
The Marion County Commission will meet on Tuesday night, July 8th at the Marion County Extension Office. The meeting is open to the public, and neighbors say they expect a large turnout.
