LOWELL -- Residents anxious about the possibility of a recycling center can breathe easier.
The City Council upheld the Planning Commission's denial of a permit for E3 Lowell Convenience Center, 705 S. Lincoln Street.
How they voted
To uphold the Lowell Planning Commission decision:
• Thomas Evers
• Lonnie Jones
• Linda Vannoy
• Delia Ingle
To overturn:
• Kendell Stucki
• Dean Bitner
• David Adams
Source: Staff report
The business was to have a recycling center in front, a transfer station on the rear side of the property, which would handle bulky cleanup items, such as furniture. It was projected to move 800 tons of material per month, which would benefit the city at 50 cents per ton or about $400 monthly.
Residents mentioned ongoing problems of terrible odors, littered roads and intrusive noise coming from USA Metal, a similar business nearby. Others were concerned about litter and fly-off debris from customers, as well as the traffic and unseemly sights near their neighborhood.
Ed Mill of E3 Lowell Convenience Center tried to assuage those concerns by saying all operations would be done indoors. The location would be a collection center, while another building would be dedicated for processing material.
"This operation is inside a building and has a big fence around it," Mill said. "As far as smell and odors, it would be sanitized and emptied every day. A machine and a forklift, that's the only noise you'll hear."
The center would draw less traffic than the current business, which is leasing to three trucking companies, he said. Allowing the center would put an end to the semitrailer traffic. Mill said employees would monitor the streets and clear litter. He reminded the council the operation would be regulated by the state and the waste district also, with inspections done at least two or three times a year.
"The neighborhood been through so much from the last permit, we're still dealing with issues of banging metal crashing metal and explosions" from USA Metal, said Christy Gann. "The neighborhood can't withstand another conditional use permit" like this.
Resident Amanda Litzman couldn't see any way the project could avoid being an eyesore and bringing odors with it.
"This is our home, our neighborhood and there's nothing that divides E3 and our neighborhood aside from a train track," Litzman said. "There's nothing in the proposal that says make it beautiful."
Resident Ron Mead said the situation was all too familiar and if the city wanted to keep its residents, they'd be wise to deny the development.
"I pay my taxes and your job as councilmen is to protect us," Mead said. "EPA says this is one of the stinkiest places you can have, you need to take this thing and have it somewhere won't affect other people's lives."
Alderman Dean Bitner took care to ask the E3 representatives all questions that audience members and the council had. Once those were addressed, Alderman Thomas Evers said he would like more solid answers. Alderman Todd Fenix said E3's proposal failed to list the conditions the permit would have the center abide by.
"There are a lot of unanswered questions here," Bitner said. "I would like to see more in black and white."
NW News on 03/22/2017