Poplar Bluff City Council members had a number of questions Monday for the owner of a proposed trash transfer station that would be constructed on the edge of the Poplar Bluff Industrial Park, near Ozark Ridge Golf Course.
Chad and Sara Henson of Piedmont have requested the property be rezoned from C-2 general commercial to M-2 general industrial. The item will be on the voting agenda July 2.
The transfer station would be heavily regulated by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, according to Henson. Rezoning is among the first steps to getting DNR approval, which could take two years or more, he said.
The location would be open to the public, as well as trash haulers and contractors, Henson said in answer to questions from the council. Members of the public could drop off items based on a minimum weight, while loads from area trash haulers could be consolidated at the location before going on to a landfill.
The transfer station would include an 8-foot permitter fence, under a recommendation from the planning and zoning commission.
Ward 5 council member Robert Smith was concerned about how long trash would be held at the facility.
"We don't want it to become a temporary landfill," he said.
That can't happen, said city planner Matt Winters.
DNR requires trash be stored at the location for no more than 24 hours, Billy Cobb of Smith & Co. Engineers later explained.
Trash storage areas must be entirely enclosed by a building, Cobb said. The business owner is also required to get a bond that would pay for future clean up of the property, if that were to be necessary.
The facility will initially take up approximately 1 1/2 to 2 acres of the 8.6-acre property, Henson said. A number of surrounding communities, including, Cape Girardeau, Sikeston and Kennett, have transfer stations, he continued.
DNR also requires drains be placed in the floor of the facility that capture any water it uses, according to the discussion. The water is then held in tanks until it can be transferred to a water treatment facility.
The transfer station will also be required to keep recycling containers on site.
"DNR has got their thumb on it, which is good," Henson said, adding later, "I want you to feel comfortable knowing we will be a clean operation."
Smith asked if there had been any opposition to the project.
The planning department has not been contacted with complaints and no one attended the planning and zoning commission in opposition of the project, Winters said.
This could be an asset to the community, said Mayor Susan McVey and council member at-large Ron Black. The transfer station has been discussed as a way to help clean up residential areas of the city, Black said.
The location is west of Cravens Road and north of Industrial Park Road, on currently vacant property. The city-owned golf course is to the north and west, with general industrial zoning to the east and county property to the south.
In other business, the council discussed vacating a portion of abandoned right-of-way for First Community Bank. The city agreed in 2012 to return any excess property following improvements to Oak Grove Road, said Winters. The city would maintain a permanent easement for utility services. This will also be a voting item July 2.