Area residents wondering about King County’s assertion about needing a new recycling and transfer station on the south end want answers.
So do the people concerned about potential harm to the surrounding environment.
The Solid Waste Division (SWD) of King County’s Department of Natural Resources has said is eager to provide them.
The county has scheduled a community meeting all about the proposed replacement of the aging Algona transfer station, at 7 p.m., Thursday, July 11, at the Auburn Senior Activity Center, 808 9th St. SE.
Residents, representatives of cities, King County, commercial garbage haulers the Auburn Area Chamber of Commerce may speak at the meeting.
King County’s Solid Waste Division continues to scout the county’s south end for land on which to build a new station, replacing the nearly 50-year-old transfer station in Algona. In so doing, county officials say, they are acting on a regionally-developed plan to modernize the county’s network of geezer transfer stations.
In South King County, officials are evaluating three potential sites, as follows:
• 901 C St. SW, Auburn (east of the Supermall)
• 35101 West Valley Hwy. S., Algona
• 28721 West Valley Hwy. S., Auburn
The 15-acre site at 28721 W. Valley Highway emerged last fall as the county’s surprise, preferred alternative. That possibility has been so unpopular with surrounding property owners and residents of West Hill that they have formed a group “No to Auburn Dump” to oppose the idea. The City of Auburn in large part because of the prodding of the group, recently notified the county it opposes both of the proposed sites inside its boundaries.
Medina resident Eleanor Brekka-Parks, whose family owns property adjacent to the proposed north Auburn site, wants no part of a transfer station there.
“A transfer station in North Auburn will not only have a negative economic impacts on surrounding property values, but also on surrounding businesses and the Auburn community as a whole,” Brekka Parks said Monday. “The potential siting of a transfer station in North Auburn is of highest concern to surrounding property owners, businesses and citizens.”
Brekka Parks added that the July 11 meeting was announced on too short notice, and was scheduled at a time when many families will be unable to attend.
King County will make its final decision in 2014.
King County’s solid waste division operates eight transfer stations, two drop box facilities and a regional landfill that provide for the solid waste transfer and disposal needs of 1.3 million King County residents outside the cities of Seattle and Milton.
The King County Council adopted a regionally developed plan in December 2007 that called for replacing the Algona station with a new recycling and solid waste transfer station for the south county. The SWD has completed replacement or renovation of the Vashon, Enumclaw and Shoreline stations and is close to finishing the new Bow Lake facility in Tukwila. Upgrades or replacement of the Factoria, Algona, Renton and Houghton facilities are next. The modernizations are part of the SWD capital program and are funded through the solid waste rate, not through taxes.
For more information, or to request accommodations for the community meeting, contact the Solid Waste Division at 206-296-4466, TTY Relay: 711. For more project information, visit the project website.
