County Commissioners troubled by site of waste-transfer station

Orange County Commissioners discussed public opinion on the three remaining sites for a waste- transfer station at a meeting Tuesday.

But they left their time frame for making a final decision unclear.

Chairman Barry Jacobs said the board could select a site on Dec. 11" revise part of the selection process or start from scratch.

Recent efforts to site a waste- transfer station are part of a process that began last November after resident protests forced commissioners to scrap original plans.

""We were ready to go then"" Jacobs said. We started this process over again over a year ago.""

Commissioners asked staff Tuesday for clarifications on questions residents raised at a meeting Monday attended by more than 250 people.

Several board members were curious about waste-to-energy technology and the possibility of a site less than half the size of the three remaining" which are all at least 25 acres.

Alternative technologies would be excessively expensive said Bob Sallach president of Olver Inc. the consulting group the board hired to conduct the transfer station search.

Commissioners also discussed the possibility of locating the station in an industrial area possibly in Chapel Hill Carrboro or Hillsborough.

The board would have to apply to local towns for special permits if it decided to site the transfer station within town limits.

Planning Director Craig Benedict told the board that this process would take at least two years.

Hillsborough officials also have already made clear to the board that they would annex any land near their borders in order to prevent the board from putting the station nearby commissioners said.

Despite previous suggestions that a decision would be made before new commissioners join the board in December the board stressed ensuring a thorough careful process" regardless of time frame.

""You have to be fair however you end up doing it" Commissioner Alice Gordon said. If we're not going to finish" I think the new board is going to have a lot to say.""



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