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SAN JUAN ISLAND SOLID WASTE |
Related StoriesRelated PagesStories about San Juan Island Solid Waste transfer station EDITORIAL: Effective government crafts long-term not short-term solutions EDITORIAL: It's more than a place to dump your garbage GUEST COLUMN by Ron Shreve: The current transfer station is not the cheapest option GUEST COLUMN by Claudia Mills: Trash planning process derailing? Stories about solid waste tipping fess Septage lagoons in San Juan county Storiesa about San Juan Island Solid Waste Operations Solutions sought for solid waste death spiral Recyclables shipped to Woodinville Stories about Waste Management Contract for San Juan County Potentially explosive situation at the dump (Picric acid) Should solid waste be separate department | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Public Hearing on Solid Waste Transfer site 1:30 p.m. March 31posted 03/27/2009
The citizen Solid Waste Advisory Committee and the Public Works Department have both recommended the county-owned property on Beaverton Valley Road as the top choice for the replacement. A property on Daniel Lane was the second choice for both. The current site town-owned property at Sutton Road along with a six-acre adjacent property which is owned by the county was the third choice. The county's Web site has numerous documents available about the project including:
A video of Public Works presentation can be viewed on the Public Access WEB SITE. Strict industrial water standards
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| Criteria | Desirable Site Characteristics | Existing San Juan Island Site |
| Site size (facility, buffers, access roads, etc.) | At least 5 to 6 acres, preferably more to add recycling and add other amenities in the future | 1 acre - no room to grow or add amenities |
| Trailer Bay Dimensions (clear of columns and walls) | 55-foot minimum length 12-foot clear width |
45-feet long 10-feet wide clear of columns |
| Entry and Exit (Transfer trailer and truck are 70-feet long) | Drive through trailer bay 70 feet straight access each end (align vehicle for entry and exit without hitting building) |
Back in only trailer bay (historically have hit and damaged structurally columns) 70 feet straight length at one end |
| Building Area (bay and tipping floor) | Minimum 4,000-4,500 square feet | 1,755 square feet |
| Tipping Floor Area Depth | 40 feet for long vehicles + 20 feet for loader and waste storage=60 feet deep | 39 feet deep |
| Tipping Floor Area Width | Usable minimum width=trailer bay length (55 feet) | 30 to 35 feet of usable width |
| Tipping Floor Roof Height (clear collection trucks when unloading) | 30 feet minimum | Old building constructed to 17 feet (height variance was denied) |
| Customer Space | Minimum 5 stalls, 12 feet wide | 2 to 3 stalls, 10 to 11 feet wide |
| Customer Throughput (6-hour day) | Minimum 144-360 vehicles per day | Practical capacity 90-180 vehicles per day |
| Self-Haul and Collection Truck separation | Separate areas for each type | Tipping floor closed to self-haul when collection trucks unload |
| Access to Tipping Area | Two lanes | One lane |
| Weigh Scales | Two to expedite traffic | One without room to add a second scale and to accommodate growth |
| Room for Growth | Size for 20 year projection | No room to grow |
posted 08/09/2006
Mandatory curbside trash pickup service means every household on San Juan Island (outside of the Town of Friday Harbor) would pay whether they use the service or not. That is what is up for discussion at the Solid Waste Advisory Committee Open House from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, August 10 at the Mullis Center. If you want to express your opinion, now's the time.
SWAC is gathering public opinion on whether islanders prefer a switch to mandatory curbside pickup service or the current system where people can choose between self-haul or curbside service. The need to overhaul the present solid waste transfer station is driving the decision.
The county has held three public meetings about ways to handle the islands' trash. A smaller transfer station would be needed if self-hauling was eliminated and only commercial garbage trucks were allowed at the transfer station. Neighoring property owners of county-owned property attending the meetings said they believe this alternative would be fair.
A larger transfer station would allow residents to take their recycling and garbage and could house a reuse center similar to the Exchange on Orcas or the Take It or Leave It on Lopez Island. Siting and design to minimize impacts on neighboring properties would be a priority, according to SWAC members.
Which alternative the SWAC recommends to the county Council will depend on the feedback they receive? At the three public meetings, the majority of opinion the committe members received was positive towards mandatory curbside pickup.
More information is available on the county's Web site
If you are unable to attend the meeting, you can send comments to or contact:
San Juan County Public Works
Solid Waste Division
PO Box 729
Friday Harbor, WA 98250
Dr. Mike Kaill, SWAC Chairperson: mikek@sjcpublicworks.org
Utility Manager - Matt Zybas (360) 370-0522
posted 08/07/2006
San Juan County Solid Waste Advisory Committee will hold a public meeting from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, August 10 at the Mullis Center to gather public opinion on whether San Juan Island residents would prefer mandatory curbside trash pickup rather then have the option of hauling their own trash to the transfer station. A smaller transfer station would be required if self-haul was not allowed.
Currently if a customer pays by the can the cost is slightly less for curbside service. If the customer pays by weight, the cost is less for self-haul. There is no charge for recycling for self-haul customers. San Juan Sanitation staff has said there would likely be a $3 to 4 monthly charge for curbside pickup of recycling if mandatory curbside service is imposed.
SWAC will meet again at the end of August and will prepare a recommendation for the county council.
By George Post
posted 07/30/2006
As a long time member of our county's Solid Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC), I have been observing and trying to help guide our solid waste policy from the days of private dumps, through the sanitary landfill era and on to the haul it to the mainland present. I've witnessed aggressive attempts to privatize the entire system, inter-island battles fought over recycling schemes and a largely state funded "Trash to Treasure" project scuttled by zoning oversights and neighborhood opposition. COLUMN
posted 07/19/2006
The Solid Waste Advisory Committee wants to know which of two options San Juan Island residents prefer:
SWAC has been holding a series of meetings with a consultant to find a solution to the inadequate transfer station on San Juan Island. SWAC will hold an open house in early August to gather public opinion on the two choices. More information about the whole process is available on the COUNTY's WEB SITE
During the Monday, July 17 meeting, the cost difference between curbside pickup and self-haul was discussed. When the comparision is between the price per 32-gallon can, curbside pick-up is cheaper. It costs $6 per can at the solid waste transfer station and $5.53 per can for curbside pick-up. However, many self-haul customers don't pay a per can fee but rather pay by weight which ends up being less. Under the mandatory pick-up scenario, curbside recycling would be available for a small fee. The fee wouldn't be based on volume but rather on time, according to San Juan Sanitation staff.
posted 06/15/2006
The next meeting of the Solid Waste Advisory Committee will from noon to 2 p.m. Monday, June 19 at the Mullis Avenue Fire Station. The pros and cons of different ways to take care of the garbage and recycling generated on San Juan Island will be discussed.
The county Council was updated on the subject at their June 13 meeting. Councilmember Kevin Ranker said the island's waste should be dealt with on San Juan Island and not transported to Orcas Island. The waste ultimately ends up in Oregon at a site belonging to Waste Managemnent Corporation.
One of the first decisions to be made is whether the garbage and recycling is handled at a transfer station on San Juan Island or sent to Orcas Island's transfer station. The latter choice could be done if San Juan Sanitation collects curb side pickup for 90 percent of the residents on the island. San Juan Transfer station would be closed to self-haulers. San Juan Island residents could take their own garage to Orcas Island if they preferred to self-haul, according to county Utility Manager Matt Zybas.
Councilmember Kevin Ranker did not favor shipping the garbage and recycling to the Orcas transfer station. He brought up the "elephant" in the room - the siting of the transfer facility on San Juan Island.
SWAC committee members are encouraging community members to attend the SWAC meetings or to email them with comments. The committee will be putting together, in the next few months, a recommendation for the council on how solid waste should be handled on San Juan Island.
posted 06/08/2006
San Juan County Solid Waste Advisory Committee is asking for input about what the community wants in the solid waste management system on San Juan Island.
"Our community is facing a challenge with what to do with the solid waste we generate here on San Juan Island," said SWAC member Bob Freeauf. "We need to take care of our solid waste in a way that protects public health and the environment."
According to members of the Advisory Committee, the current solid waste transfer station is inadequate to handle the number of customers that use the site and the ever-increasing amount of waste and recyclables taken to the site. It suffers from traffic congestion because the entrance to the site is too small. The processing area and the tipping floor are also too small to handle the waste efficiently and safely.
"We need to manage our solid waste cost effectively while providing a safe area for the public and county employees at our solid waste handling facility," said Freeauf.
During the last four years several alternative sites have been considered as locations for handling the island's solid waste and each has been controversial. Another possible option is curbside pickup of everyone's waste for off-island consolidation at the transfer station on Orcas Island. All the options for collecting, handling and transferring waste have different costs and constraints as well as offering different opportunities for waste reduction, reuse and recycling.
Some of the options were presented at the last SWAC meeting on May 15, 2006 and the desirability of the options will be discussed at the next meeting at noon on June 19 at the Mullis Street Fire Station, 1101 Mullis Street in Friday Harbor. At this meeting the public is invited to look at the options with the Advisory Committee and help develop recommendations for the county council.
"It's critical the community is heard on these issues," said SWAC member Tom Munsey. "We all need to be involved in figuring out how to manage our waste."
Solid Waste Advisory Committee members available to take comment via email include:
posted 05/16/2006
The county Solid Waste Advisory Committee wants the public to get involved with the effort to figure out how to handle garbage and recycling on San Juan Island. The county won't be able to continue operating its existing solid waste transfer facility (SWF) on Sutton Road much longer due to its unsafe condition and inefficient setup, according to county Solid Waste Manager Matt Zybas. SWAC is working with Zybas and consultants to figure out what the community wants and what is most cost-effective. They hope to find a solution before the site is shut down by the health dept.
Should the San Juan Island transfer facility be closed down and trash picked up curbside by San Juan Sanitation and trucked to Orcas Island? Or should a new facility be built on a new site? Or should some other solution be found?
The first of a series of six meetings took place Monday, May 15 at Islanders Bank administration building. The majority of time was spent discussing how to communicate the urgency of the situation to the general public and how to get them involved. The few people in attendance were mostly property owners, who lived next to property the county owns, which had previously been identified as potential sites for transfer stations.
Expanding the participants to more people is one of the SWAC's goals. The next meeting will be held June 19. Before then, detailed information explaining how the present situation developed will be posted on the county's web site. A series of questions and answers will also be posted to separate fact from fiction. The process being undertaken is designed to take a fresh look at the the options is cost-effective, meets the community's needs and public health regulations.
posted 04/04/2006
The county Solid Waste Advisory Committee will tackle the issue of how to deal with solid waste on San Juan Island with a new team of consultants and a tight timeline. The current facility won't last much longer according to Interim County Administrator Pro Tem David Goldsmith. The state Dept of Ecology is working with the county Public Works Dept. to find a solution and is helping fund the consultants.
SWAC will start working on the project either April 17 or May 15 and is expected to finish in three months. Goldsmith said there will be a great deal of public input and notice during the process. The county Council will receive regular updates.
"These will be tough choices the community will have to make," Goldsmith said. Options include not having a transfer station on San Juan Island and hauling everything to Orcas Island instead. Building a new transfer site on land the county has purchased is a possibility if siting issues can be overcome. The county owns 6.6 acres on Sutton Road and property off of Beaverton Valley Road. Goldsmith said neighbors do not want transfer stations located near them.
The Town of Friday Harbor owns the site where the current transfer station is located. Most of the 26 acre site is taken up by the town's closed landfill. The town was recently ordered to install more monitoring wells for the landfill. The town leases a portion of the site for $10 a year to the county so it can operate the solid waste transfer station. The state Labor and Industries Agency recently ordered the county to tear down the building which covered the tipping floor due to safety concerns.
Goldsmith said, "The status quo is on a very short leash."
posted 11/17/05
PRESS RELEASE: At 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, November 16, the San Juan Island transfer station was closed to public use due to unsafe building conditions. The refuse tipping area building was declared unsafe by the Town Building Official and the area shall remain closed to public use until the building is taken down and removed or made safe. The County is currently evaluating options for removal of the steel structure that covers the tipping floor.
In order to continue to accept waste from the public some operational changes will be made to utilize a portion of the recycling area to accept solid waste. Individuals bringing small amounts of refuse will be directed to the current steel, and overflow recycling area for unloading. Larger deliveries will be unloaded on the paved area outside the transfer station metal structure and pushed into trailers by County staff.
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY:
As work on the building progresses there may be other changes to operations including short term closures of the site. The Public Works Department asks that the public please be patient and communicate with site staff regarding where to place solid waste and recyclable materials.
TO: Jon Shannon
County Public Works Director
RE: 1330 Sutton Road, Friday Harbor, WA 98250
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY the San Juan County Transfer Station Refuse Building SHALL BE CLOSED due to unsafe building conditions determined on Nov. 16, 2005 by the Town of Friday Harbor's Building Inspector Gary Hanson.
Per International Building Code Section 115 - UNSAFE STRUCTURES AND EQUIPMENT. Unsafe structures shall be taken down and removed or made safe, as the building official deems necessary and as provided for in this said section.
If there are any questions, please do not hesitate to contact this office.
Michael Bertrand
Building Official
posted 05/18/04
San Juan County Commissioner John Evans proposed turning over the county's San Juan Island recycling/reuse program to a non-profit organization. He shared his idea with the county Solid Waste Advisory Committee during their May 17, 2004 meeting. The SWAC members did not think the idea was financially viable and didn't think any organization would want to handle the recycling program.
Evans is concerned about the time lag before the county can build the San Juan Island Trash to Treasure project. The project is stalled while the county deals with zoning issues. A $436,000 grant from the state Dept. of Ecology has been lost because of the delay.
Evans said, "We've lost a lost a half million dollar grant to help build a build a state of the art facility and we have and lost a whole lot of time. To put the project back together will take years." He suggested moving recycling/reuse off of the current site and onto Port of Friday Harbor property or property in the Town of Friday Harbor limits. He said such a move would eliminate the zoning issue. He said Browne Lumber's building on Spring Street might be a good location.
Under the town's land use regulations, a recycling facility is not a permitted use in a commercial area. Conditional uses include: public and private utility structures, automotive or other machinery repair services contained within an enclosed building; self-storage rental units.
Evans thought a non-profit could count on volunteers to help run the operation and would be eligible for grants. Construction material and other items which could be reused could be sold to bring in revenue. Some arrangement could be made with the county to cover some of the cost of transporting the recycling to the mainland. Customers would need to pay for recycling for the model to work, he said.
SWAC member George Post has run the Exchange on Orcas Island for more than 20 years doubted a non-profit would want to take on the administrative headache of handling all the recyclables. At the Exchange, people drop off items which can be reused and purchase (through donations) items they want. People take other recyclables to the recycling bins. The Exchange does not handle those items. "I don't think it will work with volunteers or a non-profit," he said. "I'm telling you what I learned in 25 years."
Helen Venada thought the process of finding a suitable location would run into the same siting issues the county did with its recently purchased Roche Harbor Road property. The purchase, design and building could take as long as following through on the current Trash to Treasure project, other SWAC members said.
Evans said something needed to be done, the current facility is overcrowded and dangerous. SWAC was the first group to hear his idea. "This is where I am starting ," he said. "This is not where I am going to finish. I don't think I would be doing my job. I don't think SWAC is doing its job if it allows it (current situation) to exist."
SWAC members took exception to SWAC being blamed for the inadequate facility. SWAC Chair Tom Munsey pointed out the committee has repeatedly asked the BOCC to provide a source of capital funding for the solid waste infrastructure. The zoning problem is another issue that can only be solved by the Board of County Commissionersnot by SWAC. The committee is an advisory group to the BOCC .
posted 04/05/04
San Juan County Solid Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC) invites the public to a tour of the proposed site for a new transfer station from noon to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 7. The site is located at Sutton Road and Roche Harbor Road, next to the current transfer station.
SWAC reviewed five alternate sites before voting last year to recommend the county place the recycling plaza and transfer station on this six acre parcel.
The first stage of the project focuses on recycling with the aim of diverting waste from ending up in landfills. Construction material would be available at the builders exchange instead of being thrown away. A thrift store and recycling plaza are also included in the project.
Work has stopped on the project because the conditional use permit was pulled after a Skagit County Superior Court Judge ruled the hearing examiner erred when he granted the permit. The Board of County Commissioners will discuss the county's next step in executive session Tuesday, April 6, 2004.
updated 04/05/04 posted 04/02/04
Claudia Mills won her suit April 1, 2004 in Skagit County Superior Court against San Juan County. Judge Michael Rickert issued a summary judgment, ruling the hearing examiner erred when he granted a conditional use permit for the recycling center on Roche Harbor Road. As a result of the ruling, the permit has been pulled and it is likely the county will lose a $436,000 grant, said San Juan County Prosecutor Randy Gaylord.
The state Dept. of Ecology awarded the grant last year and has extended the deadline several times. The final deadline is June 30, 2004.
Mills won on every ground, Gaylord said. The 6 acre property, the county purchased for the project, is zoned agricultural. Under that land use designation no more than 20 percent of the property can be developed. The county had argued the state law and county regulations could not preclude the siting of an essential public facility. The judge said the Growth Management Act says the county cannot pass regulations precluding the siting of facilities but that doesn't mean essential public facilities are allowed in every area.
Mills also argued the the pick up and drop off area of the recycling center was not an essential public facility. Gaylord said it was an essential part of the project which was supposed to be a model for others in the state.
The judge found the county permit center erred in processing the permit. The application was not complete when it was submitted, according to the suit.
The county could redesignate the property to another land classification which would allow more development. A conditional use permit would still be needed. Gaylord said the court's ruling did not present any obstacle the county could not overcome but the redesignating and permitting process could not be done in time to meet the grant deadline.
Gaylord noted a study showed the soil was not suitable for agriculture. The topography and rock outcroppings also make it an unlikely site for agriculture.
The county commissioners will discuss the ruling in executive session Tuesday, April 6, 2004.
Mills believes it would be wrong for the county to change the land designation. "The thought of them spot-zoning like that, because a piece of ag land - a little tail of a real farm - doesn't have ag soils, is scary," she said. "Most farms have small bits that are not useful, and if the BOCC starts a process of pulling these bits out of the ag resource category, we will be going down a bad road."
Mills wonders why the county wants to site the facility on the parcel. "I don't understand why they are stuck on this site. Why this one was chosen is unclear to me," she said in a phone interview Sunday evening. She doesn't think the project can fit on the parcel. "I don't think they can put the drainage on the parcel and they don't have water," she said.
She questions why the county Land Bank would spend $850,000 to preserve farmland across the road from the project when building the project would ruin the views. "This is the last unspoiled area of Roche Harbor Road," she said. The three buildings planned for the Trash to Treasure project plus the incinerator on the old transfer station site would be visible from Roche Harbor Road according to Mills.
She plans to continue to fight the county. "I do think I know what's wrong, but I don't know what's right," she said.
posted 03/05/04
Tipping fees for refuse collection will increase beginning April 1, 2004. Friday Harbor Town Council is unsure how to deal with the estimated $30,000 increase in its annual bill. Thursday afternoon, the council listened to a presentation from SCS engineering firm regarding what it would take for the town to run its own garbage collection system. During their evening session, the council went into executive (closed door) session at the request of Mayor Gary Boothman. After the session they decided to offer to sell to the county the 26-acre solid waste transfer station for $650,000. The county would also have to agree to not increase the rates charged to the town for the next 20 years except for a cost-of-living increase.
Last year, the town had negotiated unsuccessfully to sell the property for $750,000 to the county. The county preferred to purchase only part of the property, but the town said it was all or nothing.
Boothman said the lower cost and the fact that the county needs water may make the deal more acceptable to the county now.
The county purchased a six acre property next to the town's site for $150,000 and is moving ahead with plans to build a recycling plaza there. The county received a $436,000 grant to build the facility. The grant is in jeopardy because of appeals filed by Claudia Mills.
Earlier this month, Town Attorney Don Eaton sent a letter to county Prosecutor Randy Gaylord offering to deal with half of the fee increase by increasing the lease amount the town charges the county by $15,000. The county leases approximately one acre of the town-owned property. The county has two leases, one which runs through 2012 covers the area used for the tipping floors. The county pays $10 per year for that lease which cannot be terminated without consent from both parties. The other lease which can be terminated with 30 days notice is for the shelf area of the transfer station property. It is being used as the recycling area now. That lease costs $10 per month.
Gaylord suggested the county might accept the increase if the town allowed the county to hook up to its water system. The council's offer to sell the property is in response to the Gaylord letter (which is posted below this article).
Another solution to the fee increase would be to increase the per can fee charged to town residents. An increase of $1 per can would bring in more than enough money to cover the increase, according to town staff. Councilmembers are reluctant to approve an increase.
No decision was made on whether to hire SCS to compile a report on the feasibility of the town operating its own separate refuse system. Town Administrator King Fitch suggested the council have a discussion on its basic philosophy regarding solid waste prior to making a decision.
Fitch wonders if the town's residents wouldn't be better off with a more bare bones system rather than the "elaborate" system the county provides.
Prepared by Randall K. Gaylord San Juan County Prosecuting Attorney
A. Water for San Juan County
San Juan County has obtained permits to build the "Trash to Treasures" recycling and solid waste transfer station at the corner of Sutton Road and Roche Harbor Road. This facility adjoins the Town of Friday Harbor former landfill and the current location for a transfer station and recycling. Representatives of the Town and the County joined together under the "essential public facilities" provisions of the county code to site the facility.
A condition of approval for the Conditional Use Permit is that the County show an adequate supply of water to be used for drinking, fire protection and facility wash down. The Town of Friday Harbor has a four-inch water main at the property boundary which serves the existing transfer station and recycling facility.
The County desires to hook up to the water main under terms of an inter-local agreement. San Juan County will pay all of the usual charges for a hook up and additional transactional charges, including reasonable attorney fees that may be incurred to review the proposal.
B. Waste Fees for the Town of Friday Harbor
Recently, the County increased the tipping fees at the County transfer station, which increase is estimated to cost the Town of Friday Harbor citizens (collectively) an additional $30,000 for refuse collected by the town for its residents. While the Town could pass all of this cost onto its residents, it feels that it needs to consider other options including enhancing revenues.
The Town rents the recycled areas at the landfill site to the County at the rate of $10.00 per month in consideration for the service provided to Town Residents for recycling service. The recycling service is in the best interest of the town because it is provided at no cost to the town residents and provides a substantial diversion of waste that would otherwise be sent to a landfill. C. Proposal
The Town of Friday Harbor will:
San Juan County will:
D. Discussion
This is a win-win situation for the Town of Friday Harbor and San Juan County. Each party gets what it wants.
It is in the best interest of the citizens of the Town of Friday Harbor to encourage the prompt construction of the Trash to Treasures Essential Public Facility. The facility will provide a safe efficient means for disposing of solid waste and provide a location for disposing of mixed recyclables and a “Trash to Treasures” exchange for building materials and household goods. The facility will be open to the citizens of the Town and they will be able to dispose of unwanted items the same as county residents.
A resolution of the issue regarding the provision of water at the solid waste facility will allow the Trash to Treasures project to proceed promptly. Such prompt resolution permit condition is essential for the County to receive a one-half million-dollar grant from the Department of Ecology.
We recognize the Town's desire to limit new water hookups. Here the proposal is to move an existing hookup to an adjoining property. Upon completion, new facility will replace the service currently being served by the water line. The services should not create any significant increase in water use.
The hook up for the Trash to Treasures Facility will not impair the Town's ability to deny service to others who request it because (1) this is an inter-local agreement; (2) the Town participated in siting this essential public facility; (3) the facility is for the benefit of the Town residents and the county residents; and (4) this is a relocation of a currently allowed use.
This proposal eliminates the need for the Town Council to adopt a resolution that it is in the public interest to terminate the rental agreement. Moreover it retains recycling for all the residents of San Juan Island until the new facility is constructed by the County.
posted 12/17/03
A difference in interpretation of grading regulations and a mixup in issuance of a permit is costing county taxpayers $75,000. The Public Works Director Jon Shannon's interpretation differs from Community Development and Planning Dept. (CDPD) Director Joseph McKenna's take on the issue.
Commissioner Rhea Miller called McKenna-Smith "one of the gutsiest people" in the county. He ordered the grading at the San Juan Island transfer station site stopped until a permit could be issued.
Commissioner John Evans said, "It is astonishing to me the lack of clarity from the permit center for their procedures." He agreed with Shannon that "if you are not hitting the threshold for clearing and grading you don't require a permit."
According to the county code, all grading of 500 cubic yards or more is subject to a clearing and grading permit. There are exceptions for driveways, ponds, etc. Public Works Director Jon Shannon believes grading of less than 500 cubic yards could be done at the new transfer station site while the permit issue is being straightened out.
McKenna-Smith said there is no exemption for grading under 500 cubic yards in this case because the cumulative amount would be more than 500 cubic yards. No grading can be done until a grading permit is issued, according to him.
According to records from the Community Development and Planning Department, the Public Works Department submitted a complete application for the Conditional Use Permit for the Trash to Treasure project as of July 29, 2003. According to San Juan County Prosecutor Randy Gaylord the normal procedure is to issue the pemit once a completed application is received. McKenna-Smith would not comment on why the permit wasn't issued.
Asked if a grading permit was included in the CUP, McKenna-Smith said in this case a grading permit and the CUP were separated at some point.
A 21-day comment period for a separate grading permit ended Dec. 11, 2003. McKenna-Smith said he is waiting for more information from the Public Works Department before he will issue the grading permit. Once he issues the permit there is another 21-day appeal period.
Shannon said all the information has been provided. A sticking point seems to be the restoration plan called for in the CUP. Shannon said there is no restoration plan to submit because everything that is excavated will be paved or built on and therefore there is nothing to be restored. A document stating that has been submitted.
The losers in this whole scenario are the taxpayers, according to Evans. A $75,000 which was being used for some of the grading work expires on Dec. 31, 2003. Since the work was stopped and apparently will not be resumed soon enough, the work will have to be paid for with tax dollars.
posted 12/16/03
Grading has been stopped at the site of the county's new San Juan Island transfer station and as a result the county has lost a $75,000 grant, according to Public Works Director Jon Shannon.
Community Development and Planning Dept. (CDPD) Director Joseph McKenna-Smith said, "All work has stopped until permit issues are resolved."
Public work staff began work on the site Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2003. According to McKenna-Smith a grading and clearing permit had not been issued. The comment period for the permit ended Dec. 11. Once the permit is issued there will be another 21-day comment period. The CDPD is waiting for more information from the Public Works Dept. before the permit can be issued, according to McKenna-Smith.
The county has received two grants for its new recycling plaza. A $75,000 grant had to be used by December 31, 2003. The grant will have to be forfeited.
The deadline for the other grant, $436,000 from the Dept of Ecology, has been extended. It had been May 2003 and was extended to Dec. 31, 2003. A pending lawsuit against the county, may mean the loss of that grant, according to Shannon.
1. Project or building permits which involve grading of 100 or more cubic yards are subject to environmental review under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) (see SJCC 18.80.050) unless the grading is SEPA-exempt under WAC 197-11-800.
(Note: this does not apply when grading is associated with a development or activity which is categorically exempt from SEPA review requirements. Most minor new construction, including construction of a single-family house and related outbuildings, is exempt from SEPA review; see WAC 197-11-800.)
2. Clearing and Grading Permit. The clearing and grading permit is a development permit that is processed using the procedures under the Uniform Building Code, adopted as the San Juan County building code, Chapter 15.04 SJCC.
a. All grading of 500 cubic yards or more is subject to a clearing and grading permit, except grading associated with the following:
i. Maintenance of gravel roads;
ii. A SEPA-exempt (cf. WAC 197-11-800(2)(d)) residential driveway;
iii. Construction of a Class I – III logging road (per RCW 76.09.050 and WAC Title 222);
iv. Drainage improvements constructed in accordance with SJCC 18.60.060(B) and 18.60.070; or
v. Construction of a pond of one-half acre or less which is not in a regulated wetland (cf. SJCC 18.30.150).
b. Applications for projects which require a clearing and grading permit shall include the following information:
i. Source of fill material and deposition of excess material;
ii. Physical characteristics of fill material;
iii. Proposed methods of placement and compaction;
iv. Proposed surfacing material;
v. Proposed method(s) of drainage and erosion control;
vi. Methods for restoration of the site;
vii. Demonstration that instream flow of water will remain unobstructed;
viii. Demonstration that erosion and sedimentation from outflow channels will be minimized by vegetation or other means; and
ix. Demonstration that pond runoff will be controlled to protect adjacent property from damage. (Ord. 12-2001 § 6; Ord. 2-1998 Exh. B § 6.6)
posted 12/02/03
San Juan Island resident Claudia Mills filed a Land Use Petition in Skagit County Superior Court November 26, 2003 against the Board of County Commissioners ruling regarding the Trash to Treasure Conditional Use Permit (CUP).
The county's Solid Waste Division has received a $436,000 grant to build a recycling plaza. A hearing examiner issued a CUP for the project in September. Mills appealed the CUP and a closed record hearing was held last month. The BOCC voted two to one to uphold the hearing examiner's decision.
Attorneys Peter Eglick and Michael Witek of Seattle's Helsell Fetterman law firm are representing Mills in her suit against the county.
posted 11/17/03
In a split vote, the Board of County Commissioners upheld the hearings examiner's decision granting a conditional use permit for the San Juan Island transfer station. Commissioner Rhea Miller supports the Trash to Treasure project but strongly opposed the permit. "I am
so embarrassed by this application I can hardly stand it," she said during the Nov. 10, 2003 closed record appeal.
San Juan Island resident Claudia Mills appealed the hearings examiner's opinion. She objected to the "choice of the Sundstrom parcel and the grandiosity of the plan." She called the application incomplete and was concerned about environmental impacts of the proposed facility. The existing vegetation serves as a biofilter according to her. "There is a big sponge there right now, that won't be there at the end of the project," she said.
San Juan County Land Use Manager Francine Shaw responded to the nine points Mills brought up in her appeal. Shaw recommended the addition of three more conditions on top of the original 24 imposed by the hearings examiner.
The first added condition prohibits retail sales until the recycling center is in operation. New items will not be allowed to be sold at any time at the site.
The second condition required wastewater from holding tanks to be disposed of off-site. If in the future the site can handle the wastewater, the condition will be lifted.
The third condition originally required a hydrology study. Commissioner John Evans was leery of the idea. "We need to discuss and refine what we mean by hydrology test. They are very expensive and not conclusive when dealing with wells that are primarily rock structure." He suggested the condition be written to address mitigating measures regarding contamination of ground water.
Commissioners Darcie Nielsen and Evans agreed to add wording: a monitioning and mitigation program shall be put in place to prevent contamination of ground and surface water resources. An annual report will be filed with the county Environmental Health Department.
Miller believed the application was incomplete and should not be approved. "The cost of things like water, sewage, drainage are very much unknown. None of these questions are not adequately answered," she said. "The only recourse is the county will have is paying for mitigation." She said, "The only reason we are approving this is because we have a half a million dollar grant and a December deadline," she said. "This is unbelievably tragic."
Commissioners Nielsen and Evans voted to uphold the hearing examiner's appeal. Miller explained her vote against the measure. "I love the trash to treasure project," she said. "My vote today is strictly based on conditions of the apllication."
Asked Nov. 16 whether she planned to file an appeal of the BOCC's decision in Superior Court, Mills said she was considering it.
posted 09/30/03
San Juan Island resident Claudia Mills filed an appeal of the conditional use permit obtained by the county for the Trash to Treasure project. The appeal was filed one day before the 21 day deadline expired. The appeal means the county will likely lose a $436,000 grant from the state according to members of the county Solid Waste Advisory Committee.
The county was awarded the grant by the Department of Ecology (DOE) in the spring of 2002 to build a state-of-the-art recycling center. The deadline for the use of the funds was extended after negotiations between the town and county for purchase of property for the facility dragged on for more than a year.
After negotiations broke off, the county purchased 6.8 acres on Sutton and Roche Harbor Roads for use as a recycling center and transfer station. The hearing examiner approved a CUP for the project Sept. 4, 2003.
DOE has extended the deadline for the money to be used to December 31, 2003. DOE staff has told Shannon, it cannot be extended again. The next step in the appeal process is a hearing before the Board of County Commissioners. A notice must be run for two weeks in the newspaper of record. Then the hearing can be held. If the BOCC upholds the hearing examiner's decision, an appeal can be filed with Superior Court within 21 days of that decision.
Mills lives on Big Foot Road which is off of Sutton Road. In her 19-page appeal, she writes:
If this project is allowed to proceed it will have an economic impact on the value of my property, it will effect the scenic rural values on the drive to my property, it will effect the quiet, privacy and sense of place both in the daytime and at night at my property by means of noise and lights. As a professional biologist who works in the field of marine conservation biology, I believe that this project threatens to pollute a very large wetland near my property that is connected to a shoreline ..."
County Public Works Director Jon Shannon addressed issues of drainage during the Sept. 4 hearing. Mills does not feel the questions were adequately answered. She also says the property is needed as a buffer because of an uncapped portion of the town-owned county landfill. The town property is adjacent to the Sundstrom property purchased by the county.
According to Town Administrator King Fitch, there is no uncapped portion of the landfill. The area Mills refers to, has to be regraded because of recent use. The town let the county move its recycling bins up to the shelf area.
Mills suggests the county use the Browne Lumber property for part of the Trash to Treasure project. The builders exchange where used windows, doors, appliances and left over building material would be resold and the thrift house could be sited there, she says. The town has been in negotiations to purchase the Browne property for more than two years. The asking price is more than a million dollars. In her appeal she states an in town facility would be advantageous:
"If this project is as good as it intends to be, it will be written up in every guidebook about the area and will be a magnet for visitors, including those arriving without cars. Many/most male tourists and some percentage of women tourists would rather visit a builders exchange than shop."
posted 09/08/03
Hearing Examiner Rodney Kerslake approved a conditional use permit for the new San Juan County Transfer Station on San Juan Island. The county wants to build its Trash to Treasure project on the 6.84 acre site on the corner of Sutton and Roche Harbor Roads. Opponents have 21 days to file an appeal of Kerslake's decision.
One of the issues raised at the August 22, 2003 hearing concerned restrictions on the land due to its classification as agricultural resource land. The amount of land which can be developed in that classification would rule out the siting of the facility. The county argued that under state law, nothing could preclude the siting of an essential public facility.
The hearing examiner ruled:
After a careful reading of the County's UDC, the Hearing Examiner is satisfied that the maximum land conversion and maximum impervious surface coverage requirements were not designed or intended to address the development of an essential public facility such as the one hear proposed that is industrial in nature. The Hearing Examiner is also satisfied that the application of these two requirements to the proposal would preclude its development, in that there is no reasonable and practicable way to satisfy these requirements. Thus, under the prohibition set forth in RCW 36.70A.200(5), these regulations cannot be applied to this essential public facility. This does not mean that the County can waive any regulation under the guise of siting of an essential public facility, and it has not been so suggested in these proceedings.
The CUP is approved subject to the following restrictions:
The Trash to Treasure part of the facility will be built using a $436,000 grant from the state Dept. of Ecology. If an appeal is filed, Public Works Director Jon Shannon has warned, the county will lose the grant which must be spent by December 31, 2003.
posted 08/26/03
The fate of the county's proposed transfer station is in the hands of the hearings examiner (HEX). At an August 22, 2003 hearing for a conditional use permit (CUP)for the facility, several residents raised questions about noise, water runoff and the process the county used in selecting the site. The HEX will issue a ruling regarding the CUP within 21 days.
The county wants to locate the facility on a 6.84 acre site on Sutton and Roche Harbor Roads. The current county facility is located on one acre of land at the town-owned 26 acre landfill site.
Deputy Permit Center Director Francine Shaw summed up the permit center's report. She noted the concerns regarding traffic had been dealt with. A just completed drainage plan dealt with issues regarding runoff. The gray water from the restroom sink and runoff from hosing down the tipping floor will be diverted into holding tanks and treated. The restroom will have a composting toilet.
The plan for the storm water runoff meets the Dept. of Ecology stringent standards according to consultant Kathy Robinson. The county will have to apply for two National Discharge Pollutant System permits. One during construction and a permanent one afterwards, she said.
San Juan Island resident Claudia Mills who owns property adjacent to the site questioned the effect the runoff will have on the extensive wetlands across Roche Harbor Road from the site. She also raised questions about the loss of the rural character and the lack of an environmental impact statement (EIS).
The county issued a Determination of Non-significance (DNS) regarding the need for an EIS. No one appealed that decision. Mills said she didn't know about it in a timely manner. She also commented on the last minute inclusion of a drainage plan.
Public Works Director Jon Shannon believed the CUP process was more general in nature and didn't include all the details. "I think this is as good of a site as you'll find anywhere in the state," he said. The county has received a $436,000 grant to build part of the facility. The funds will be lost to the county if they are not spent by December 31, 2003.
The property for the facility is classified as agricultural resource land. The designation has limitations for impervious surfaces and building area which the transfer station project cannot meet. A legal opinion by the county's prosecutor's office stated the rules would not apply because this is an essential public facility. According to Civil Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Alan Marriner nothing in the county code can preclude the siting of an essential public facility. The siting of such facilities is complicated in San Juan County because the county Comprehensive Plan does not have regulations allowing for the siting of such facilities.
Several residents questioned Marriner's reasoning. Chris Clarke said, "Following Marriner's argument none of the other parcels (the county looked at five) should have been excluded."
Carolyn DeRoos, a member of the county's Solid Waste Advisory Committee, supported the site. She noted the transfer station is an essential public facility and the county had considered other locations.
Jack Cory and Mary Ann Anderson brought up past examples of what they considered the county's poor track record regarding environmental concerns. Anderson cited a proposed slaughter house and the proposed aquatic septage lagoons as two examples.
"The county, particularly the public works department, has a regrettable sad history of adhering to its regulations. According to this memo we (the BOCC) are above the regulations." Cory said. "If we allow this particular proposal to go through and override the regulations the county will suffer. The fact that there is a grant out there shouldn't affect our decision.
Jeff Webster, the former head of the Hillview Terrace homeowner's association, said, "In terms of Hillview Terrace, this is a beneficial thing. There are 26 acres in between (the facility and the neighborhood). It is a nice buffer." The neighborhood abuts the current town-owned facility.
Ron Shreve raised questions about noise. He said often he hears back up beeps and scraping sounds as early as 5:30 a.m.
The HEX asked if the design of the facility would mitigate the noise. Shannon said, "Yes, we are aware we hadn't been as good neighbors as we could have been. We currently have a straight unbuffered shot to neighborhood." According to Shannon the present facility has "every single thing you would never do." Because the facilities aren't covered there is an abundance of rats, crows, bald eagles, sea gulls and raccoons.
"A wildlife habitat," joked the HEX, in one of the few light-hearted moments of the hearing..
The new facility with its enclosed facilities should help contain the vermin problem. The traffic pattern which allows the transfer trucks to pull in straight should help minimize the noise, according to Shannon. Currently the trucks back up uphill to hook up to the refuse trailers. The resulting backup beeps and revving of engines would be minimized under the new traffic flow.
Shannon said, "The grant money is a good thing, we may very well lose it. Most of the people in the room haven't objected to nature of what we are trying to do. We are urging on behalf of the citizens and the BOCC we find a way to make this facility happen."
The hearings examiner said, "I will attempt to issue an early decision. I know you might not be happy with all of it." While he would not be able to resolve all the issues, he believed he could resolve those necessary for him to address the CUP issue.
A hearing regarding the conditional use permit (CUP) for the new San Juan Island transfer station will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, August 22, 2003 in KeyBank in Friday Harbor. The 6.84 acre site is classified as agricultural resource land. County development regulations for that land use designation would prohibit a solid waste transfer site there. According to a legal opinion from the county's Prosecutor's office the "applicable regulations for the project are those that deal with mitigation of the impacts of the Project and not those that would preclude the siting of the Project."
According to the opinion released August 13, 2003, "state law prohibits San Juan County's comprehensive plan or development regulations from precluding the siting of essential public services." The county went through a process to find a suitable site for the facility. Five parcels were looked at. The BOCC agreed the Roche Harbor Road parcel was the only viable option.
The county received a $436,000 grant from the state Dept. of Ecology to build a recycling plaza. Those funds will be taken away if they are not spent by December 31, 2003. If the hearing examiner approves the CUP and the decision does not get bogged down in appeals, Public Works Director Jon Shannon believes the deadline can be met. "I hope one citizen (filing an appeal) doesn't cause the community to lose these funds," he said.
Letter from Claudia Mills regarding site of proposed transfer station
posted 07/30/03
The new recycling facility and land for the transfer station on San Juan Island will cost an estimated $1.3 million. The original plans called for $750,000 to be spent on land. Instead the county was able to purchase property for $135,000 which freed up the rest of the funds for infrastructure. The change surprised Commissioner Rhea Miller.
She said, "I wasn't aware we were looking at a two story closed facility,"she said. "This has changed dramatically."
The county received a $436,000 grant from the state Dept. of Ecology towards a builder exchange and thrift store concept. Another $100,000 grant was received for a recycling plaza. The county has until December 31 to use or lose the DOE grant money. A bond for $985,000 finances the rest of the project.
The county and town spent months trying to negotiate a purchase of the current town-owned county-run transfer station on Sutton Road. Negotiations ceased after the county determined the area under consideration was on top of garbage. The county then purchased property adjacent to the site.
Commissioner Darcie Nielsen said the original plan called for a long narrow building on the shelf area of the town's landfill site. The plans called for the old incinerator building to be used for part of the project. "The architect designed a new building, which is so much better designed. It fits in the surrounding area quite well. This will be a state of the art building. It will be functional and safe." she said.
The two story building includes a thrift store on the top floor and a builders' exchange below. Currently a lot of useful construction material is thrown out, according to Public Works Director Jon Shannon. Citizens will be able to make use of the material through the builders exchange. See the stories below for more details on the reuse concepts.
Because of the slope of the site, both the top floor and bottom floor of the building will open onto ground level. One opens to the east, one to the west. A tipping floor for recycling will also be built on the site. Residents will be able to just drop their recycling directly on the tipping floor.
Commissioner John Evans said, "I think this will be very beneficial to San Juan Island. For the same amount of money we would have spent, we are getting a state of the art, high quality user friendly, environmentally friendly property. The goal of recycling is to recycle. The easier we can make that for the public the better the opportunity to keep things out of the landfills. I hope we make it through the permitting process. I hope we don't have one or two people who cause us to lose a half million dollar grant."
The plans will be on display during the San Juan County Fair. A hearing on the conditional use permit for the project will be held August 22, 2003.
posted 04/16/03
San Juan County's offer of $150,000 for 6.6 acres on Roche Harbor was accepted by the Sundstrom family. Public Works Director Jon Shannon said the purchase will be closed by May 15, 2003. Construction of a new recycling plaza, thrift store, builders exchange could begin July 1, 2003.
The design allows for 300-feet of buffer space from Roche Harbor Road and 80 to 100 feet from Sutton Road. Entry would be from Roche Harbor Road and Sutton Road.
Shannon said the new site allows for a 4,800 square foot thrift store which is almost double the size in the original plan. That plan called for the Trash to Treasure Initiative buildings to be built on the current transfer station site. The plan fell though after the county decided it wouldn't purchase the town-owned site for $750,000.
The $150,000 purchase of the Sundstrom property is split between the county Road Department and Solid Works Division. Solid Works will pay approximately $130,000 for 5.4 acres. The road fund will be used to purchase 1.2 acres of roadway.
posted 04/08/03
San Juan County Commissioners will finish up a public hearing continued from April 1, 2003 today. The board will meet at 10 a.m. to select a site for the relocation of the San Juan Island transfer station. The meeting was continued due to problems with the publication of the legal notice for the SEPA process.
posted 03/28/03
A six acre property bordered by Sutton Road and Roche Harbor Road was
selected March 26, 2003 by a county/town task force for the relocation of the San Juan
Island Transfer Station. The Board of County Commissioners will hold a
public hearing about the proposed purchase of the property at 2 p.m. Tuesday, April 1, 2003 in the county
Courthouse.
The site borders the current location of the transfer station. The county plans to build a new recycling plaza as part of its Trash to Treasure initiative. Plans to build on the current site were abandoned after testing revealed the county would be building on top of garbage.
"We looked at engineering around the problem," Public Works Director Jon Shannon said. "But it would raise the cost of the project five to 10-fold."
The town owns the 26-acre site where the county-run transfer station is located. Town Administrator King Fitch said the town looked at the cost of removing the garbage but it was cost prohibitive. He said there are other areas of the property where the county could build the Trash to Treasure project. The county would have to buy the entire 26-acre parcel according to Fitch. "The town's position is we don't want to partition it off," he said. The price for the site was $750,000.
The county wasn't willing to buy the entire property so the task force met to consider other sites. Five were listed. Three were dropped due to concerns about proximity to airports or airstrips. Birds could present a problem.
The task force held a public meeting March 26, 2003 to discuss the final two sites. Besides the Sundstrom property, the other site was part of a 40-acre property owned by Steve Hudson on Douglas Road.
Neighbors of the Sundstrom property expressed concerns. Claudia Mills mentioned the importance of the watershed across the road from the property. Noise, traffic safety and animals were also concerns. "Lighting is my biggest concern," she said. "In terms of view corridor, that part of Roche Harbor Road is completely dark at night. I am really concerned that big stretch of road stays dark."
Shannon said the current facility is lit because it is used at night. "That practice will stop starting March 31, (2003)," he said. Lighting at the new site will be designed to have a very minimal impact, he said.
Traffic flow will be improved at the new site by entering off of Sutton Road and exiting onto Roche Harbor Road. Problems with rats, crows and raccoons should be less at the new facility because the garbage and recycling will be enclosed.
Commissioner Darcie Nielsen said, "A lot of the issues raised relate to design. Part of the reason San Juan Island was chosen to receive the grant ($436,000 from the state Dept. of Ecology) was the hope the site will become a model for the state."
Matt Pranger photos
A pair of eagles kept a watchful eye over activities at the San Juan Transfer station earlier this month.
posted 03/18/03
If all goes as planned San Juan Island residents will have a new solid waste transfer station. Public Works Director Jon Shannon explained the plan to the Solid Waste Advisory Committee Monday, March 17, 2003. The county intends to purchase the six-acre Sundstrom property at Roche Harbor and Sutton Road. The site is south of the town-owned transfer station.
A public hearing regarding the site selection will be held at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 26, 2003 at the Mullis Center in Friday Harbor. The Board of County Commissioners will discuss the purchase during their April 1, 2003 meeting.
The county attempted to negotiate the purchase of part of the town's site but was unsuccessful. The town wanted to sell the entire 26-acre site for $.75 million.
The new site will be designed to accommodate both recycling and garbage. The recycling plaza will be built first. The Solid Waste Division is under a December 2003 deadline to use a $435,985 grant from the state Department of Ecology (DOE). The grant is for the county's Trash to Treasure Initiative.
A Z-wall will be built to accommodate the recycling. Residents will deposit their recyclables on the floor and it will be pushed into a trailer. Construction of a facility to handle garbage is farther down the road. Shannon said the county has a lease with the town which runs through 2014. He believes the garbage handling facility on the new site will be up and running long before the lease expires.
Shannon said the site will include technology pads - areas set aside for future projects such as production of biodiesel fuel. Used vegetable oil could be converted into biodiesel fuel and used to run the county's backhoe. The county would be open to leasing some of the pads to entrepreneurs who would reuse materials, he said.
By Sharon Kivisto
posted 03/12/03
San Juan County Public Works Department investigated five alternative sites for relocation of the San Juan Island solid waste facility. Three were eliminated from further consideration because of proximity to air traffic. A public meeting about the two remaining sites will be held at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 26, 2003 at the Mullis Center in Friday Harbor.
The two properties under consideration are the Hudson property on Douglas Road and the Sundstrom property on Roche Harbor Road near Sutton Road. The three properties which were dropped from the list were: the Durhack property on Cattle Point and Golf Course Road, the Williams property at the end of the Friday Harbor airport and the Olerin property on Beaverton Valley Road. Birds attracted to the transfer site would present safety problems for the air traffic near the three rejected properties according to Planning Director Laura Arnold.
The state Department of Ecology awarded a $435,985 grant in 2002 to the county to build a recycling and reuse area. The county has been looking for a site for its Trash to Treasure initiative. Plans to purchase part of the town-owned transfer station site on Sutton Road fell apart after the town insisted on an all-or-nothing purchase.
Originally the county was to complete the project by May 2003. Public Works Director Jon Shannon said that while DOE has been understanding of the problems the county has run into and has granted an extension,it is essential to move forward quickly on the project.
As part of the process, a task force of town and county representatives will hold the public meeting to hear comments on the alternatives and to answer questions about the process of selecting and evaluating alternatives. An environmental review has been completed by the Planning Department and copies of the SEPA determination and environmental checklist are available on request by calling 360.378.2393; or e-mail planning@co.san-juan.wa.us
The task force will make its recommendation for site selection to the Board of County Commissioners on April 1, 2003.
posted 02/12/03
The county has dropped plans to purchase the Town of Friday Harbor's Sutton Road property. According to San Juan County Commissioner Rhea Miller the county is looking for other property for the "Trash to Treasure" project. The town was willing to sell the county the entire 26-acre site for $750,000.
The county wanted to purchase part of the site in order to build a recycling and reuse area. The state Department of Ecology (DOE) awarded a $435,985 grant to the county for the project. There was a May 2003 deadline for completion. According to Public Works Director Jon Shannon the DOE has so far been understanding of the delays.
Negotiations went on for several months between the county and the town. Problems developed when the county discovered the area the new thrift house was to be built on was unsuitable. Test holes indicated the area - where recycling is currently done - was on top of a former dump area.
During the Board of County Commissioner's meeting on February 11, 2003, Planning Director Laura Arnold reviewed the steps the county needs to take to acquire an alternative location for the San Juan Island transfer station. Part of the process is an evaluation of alternatives by a joint town/county task force. She believed the best case scenario would be a decision by the BOCC in early April 2003.
County Commissioner John Evans said, "The concern I have is, it would be unconscionable of us to lose the support of $500,000 for this public facility." He suggested the task force meet several times a week if necessary to speed up the process. "Dragging this out is not good public policy," he said."We can't let inertia on our part be a factor in this. We have a responsibility as the Board of Public Health. That facility is totally inadequate. We've talked about it for years."
Commissioner Rhea Miller also wanted to push forward on the Trash to Treasure project. "The public really wants to do it," she said. "But if we don't do it by the book, a small minority can derail this project.We need to do it as correctly as possible."
Arnold said county staff would work as expeditiously as possible. Selection of a representative from the county planning commission for the task force was a first step. Commissioner Darcie Nielsen nominated Steve Hudson. Evans and Miller agreed.
posted 08/02/02
After year's of leasing a small portion of the town-owned Sutton Road transfer station, the county can now purchase most of the 26 acre property for $750,000. Town Councilmembers directed Town Attorney Don Eaton to send a letter to county Prosecutor Randy Gaylord spelling out conditions of the sale.
The county wants to make improvements to the San Juan Island transfer station and has a $500,000 grant from the state Department of Ecology for a Trash to Treasure initiative. The grant must be used by May 2003.
Negotiations for the sale have gone on for months. The conditions spelled out in the August 1, 2002 letter relate to financing - the town does not want to finance any portion of the price - and easements, water, indemification, de-annexation, etc.
Eaton writes:
The Town is prepared to move forward on an expedited basis to bring this matter to a close. It now appears that a mutually acceptable arrangement is well within reach and that both the Town and the County would be best served by finalizing the details for a binding agreement as soon as possible. I would recommend that, if the counter proposal on payment terms is acceptable to the Board of County Commissioners, staff representatives from the County and Town meet to work out the finer issues raised by this response, after which a formal agreement can be promptly drafted and presented to the two legislative bodies for approval.
07/16/02
San Juan Island is closer to having a thrift shop large enough to carry furniture, a place to pick up usable construction material that presently ends up in the landfill. According to county Solid Waste Manager Jon Shannon, the county and town have settled on a price for the Sutton Road transfer station property where the new reuse center/thrift shop/senior workshop/builders exchange/medium-risk waste facility would be located.
The town owns the 26-acre property and leases a small portion to the county. The two government agencies have been in talks about a sale or land swap for years. Details of the transaction have not been released.
Design work on the multi-use project began July 15, 2002. A group of citizens representing building contractors, senior citizens, the thrift store, the town, the county, and the port met with Shannon and consultants to begin assessing the space needs of each part of the project.
The participants were excited about the opportunities the new facility will provide. The Friday Thrift Store would like to have 4 to 5,000 square feet. The thrift store will temporarily relocate to Airport Center Drive beginning August 1, 2002 while the new facility is being developed.
Building contractors cited numerous examples of waste of usable construction materials because there is no place or economical way to recycle them now. Gary Miller suggested the county work crew (people performing community service in lieu of jail time) could salvage some good construction material by removing nails. "We can't afford to pay someone to pull nails," he said.
While the participants at the meeting focused on the positive impact the new facility, most of which is funded by a $435,985 grant from the state Dept. of Ecology, a red flag in term of the neighboring property owners was raised.
Solid Waste Committee member and Hillview Terrace resident Jean Shreve said, "Personally I am super excited about the project." But as a representative of the neighborhood she said,"A lot of people in the neighborhood are concerned about noise and traffic. When they hear about things like the thrift store (relocating there), they go berserk."
Peter Risser who represented the Thrift House suggested the landscape architect visit the site at 6 a.m. to see what is actually happening in order to find ways to provide a buffer. The county does not being work before 7 a.m. unless absolutely necessary according to Terry Pascoe, transfer station supervisor. San Juan Sanitation and the Town do begin driving their garbage trucks before 7 a.m. SJS driver needs to cover his route and the town crew wants to service the downtown area prior to businesses opening.
Mitzi Johson who is the other representative for the neighborhood was not able to attend the meeting. Susan Risser representing the Thrift House said, "This is exactly why we all need to get together now in order to make this work for everybody."
The grant from the state requires the work be completed in one year.
posted 5:15 p.m. 05/07/02
The state Dept. of Ecology awarded a $435,985 grant to San Juan County for a proposed Trash to Treasure project. Solid Waste Manager Jon Shannon applied for the grant through a $2 million state pilot program which uses funds from a wholesale tax on hazardous materials and petroleum projects.
Commissioner John Evans announced the news during the BOCC's May 7, 2002 meeting. "The efforts of Jon Shannon have been tremendously successful," he said. "The award to San Juan County represents almost a quarter of the money available statewide. It is an exciting opportunity."
The grant will cover 75 percent of the cost to build a new recycling center at the San Juan Island transfer station on Sutton Road. The Friday Harbor Thrift Store which is looking for a new home due to the expansion of the town's waste water treatment plant may be located on the site.
"Island communities are ideal laboratories for sustainable resource management," said George Sidles of the DOE solid waste and financial management assistance program. "Islanders feel the pinch when it comes to solid waste; Trash to Treasure will show how communities can create ways to keep these problems in check."
Commissioner Darcie Nielsen said the project was a personal favorite. It was ranked number one out of 85 applications statewide.
Commissioner Rhea Miller said there was county wide support for the project which was an idea she presented to the Solid Waste Advisory Committee in August 2001.
posted 04/22/02
A proposal written by Solid Waste Manager Jon Shannon is number one on a list for grants froma state Dept. of Ecology pilot program. The county may receive $500,000 for its Trash to Treasure initiative. DOE has $2 million for the pilot program.
Shannon told the county's Solid Waste Advisory Committee the proposal was expanded based on input from DOE. The plans include new storage for household hazardous waste, disposal plan for electronic waste, waste oil used to heat the building, senior workshop, and a sustainability "store."
"We'll hear about funding on May 2," Shannon said. "We'll immediately get all stakeholders involved and start in on a design. We'll turn that group loose so this becomes a real community project."
posted 03/19/02
An application from the county's Solid Waste Division for funds from a Dept. of Ecology pilot program passed the first hurdle. Solid Waste Manager Jon Shannon received the news Monday, March 18 and now has until April 12 to submit a more detailed application. The Trash to Treasure Initiative includes plans to:
If the county's grant application is successful, the facility will be placed at the transfer station on Sutton Road on San Juan Island. DOE will award the grants in May 2002 and they must be spent by April 2003.
posted 02/11/02
The Friday Harbor Thrift House needs a new home, construction material is being thrown away, and the San Juan Island transfer station is unsafe. County Solid Waste Manager Jon Shannon believes he has found a way to solve all three problems through a grant from a state pilot program. "This is a completely conceptual idea," he told the Friday Harbor Town Council at their Feb. 7, 2002 meeting. The grant application is due March 1.
"The program is geared toward sustainability in solid waste. It is for reuse, recycling or other innovative ways of diverting waste from landfills, it can't be used for garbage," he said. Money for the pilot program comes from taxes paid on hazardous waste in the state. In the past the Department of Ecology has allocated the money to counties based on population. Thirty-four counties split 15 percent of the funds. The five largest counties received 85 percent. Legislators, wanting to see the money spent in a way to get the best return for the state, have developed the $2 million pilot program. Shannon said six to eight projects will be funded.
He noted Orcas and Lopez islands have had reuse programs for years. "At the San Juan Transfer station there is no opportunity to do anything with reuse. It's ironic because most waste is generated on San Juan Island,"he said. "We hate to see perfectly good building material being buried in landfill."
If the grant is awarded, the state would pay for lion's share of construction project he said. There would be a local match of 25 percent which would come from solid waste. A facility that could be used as the reuse facility and a single stream recycling facility could be constructed in the shelf area of the site.
The town recently leased the shelf area to the county to use for recycling. The lease does not allow for subleasing the site. Town Councilmember Vonda Sheiman asked Shannon who would run the thrift house.
Shannon emphasized the ideas were in a very preliminary stage. "The details of how it would be operated are wide open," he said. He expected the county would want a non-profit to run it.
Town Councilmember David Jones asked if the Friday Harbor Firefighters Association which runs the Friday Harbor Thrift House had been consulted. Shannon said, "I talked to them, they thought it was a great idea. They thought there was a lot of utility in having that kind of structure at the dump." He said they felt being in town was important but realized this would give them more square footage. A satellite facility with higher end items in town might be an option the firefighters would pursue he said.
Because of the time constraints, Shannon presented the idea to the town before he spoke to the county commissioners. Councilmember Bill LaPorte asked Shannon what he needed from the council.
"I'd like you to consider the idea today, no commitment. If the state makes us an offer, at that point you would be asked to make decision. There would be no financial committment on the part of the town," he said.
The county and town have been in negotiations for the last few years on selling or swapping the Sutton Road site. Shannon noted that issue will not be resolved before this project is done. The money would be available in May if the grant application is successful. He noted in the worst case scenario the town would end up with $400,000 worth of improvements to the site if the sale doesn't go through.
Sheiman said, "This ties into the whole discussion about a public works yard. We need to find someplace where we are going to put that stuff."
Under the plan, the county may need more space than it is currently leasing from the town. A retaining wall would probably be necessary. Shannon said the plans could be scaled back to fit on the present site.
Councilmembers Howie Rosenfeld, Carrie Brooks, Jones and LaPorte agreed they did not object to Shannon proceeding with his grant application. "I think we can give our go ahead with the caveat that operational issues exist," LaPorte said."
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