Board of Adjustments nixes plan

Friday, June 24, 2005

A proposed construction demolition debris landfill was unanimously rejected by the Board of Adjustments of Warren County on Thursday night.

Residents of north Warren County packed the fiscal court room to oppose the site, which would have been located near the corner of Harry Cherry and Willis roads.

I dont know how, in any way, this site would not constitute a nuisance, Jerry Johnson said. If you put those trucks on that road, somebodys gonna get injured or killed. It could be your daughter; it could be mine. I just dont want to see that happen.

Johnson gave the last testimony of the night shortly after 1 a.m. He recalled how his father had once driven dump trucks for Scottys and struck a vehicle driven by a young girl, killing her. He faulted the nature of young drivers, the road conditions and the large truck.

I dont want anyone to ever have to go through that, he said.

Lawrence White, general manager of Contractors Waste, the company seeking the landfill, had agreed during the meeting to 17 restrictions governing the use of the site, including who uses it, alternative fire prevention and control measures and road signage, plus a $36,000 road bond in the event of road damage.

Board members all concurred the site would compromise safety on the roads in and out of the site.

Resident Elise Talmage Lieb called White a serpent in their garden of Eden.

Board member Alex Nottmeier voted against the landfill, but acknowledged the public need for such sites.

There is a need for these sites, he said. We need our own affordable services for (White) and his customers. But I just feel like they would be better suited for a less populated area and perhaps in more of an industrial zone.

State Rep. Jim DeCesare, R-Bowling Green, represents an area that includes the Richardsville/Harry Cherry roads. He spoke with support and applause of opposing residents to the site.

A dump is a dump is a dump, he said. I dont care what you call it. Ive received numerous calls in opposition to this site and not one in favor of it. I felt compelled to let the board know that.

Later DeCesare said the effort by residents to oppose the site collectively was inspiring.

The people that live up there should have the right to say whether or not they have a dump in their community, he said. They did, and they prevailed.

Stan Reagan, Warren Countys coordinator of Environmental Planning and Assistance, said the citizens benefited from an ordinance passed in the late 90s restricting sites like the proposed landfills to conditional use permits.

Another CDD landfill on Fred Madison Road was used before such permits were necessary. That site was repeatedly used to compare the aesthetic nature of CDD landfills in residential areas.

Reagan agreed with Nottmeier, however, that such sites were necessary.

What will eventually happen is these sites will dry up and that debris will have to be put somewhere, he said. Now they will have to be hauled even further and further away, which will increase the cost for debris removal.

Reagan said the suggestion of moving these sites to industrial areas could pose its own set of problems.

Heavy industrial areas are where you want a Magna or International Paper, he said. The property is much more valuable in those areas and they are set up with infrastructure for those businesses.

Reagan said the move was a wake-up call to Kentuckys government that a comprehensive recycling initiative is in order.

Most of the stuff that goes in there is rock or metal or paper, he said. These are all materials that can be reused in some fashion.

Reagan said that DeCesare was in a good position to make suggestions in the legislature regarding a statewide recycling initiative.

We are well behind our goals set forth regarding our percentage of recycling, he said. Id be happy to work with (DeCesare) on emphasizing a recycling program.

DeCesare said he would be happy to pursue such action.

He said LaJuana Wilcher, secretary of the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet, has been in town talking about recycling. Id be more than happy to go back to Frankfort and work on legislation or recycling incentives for Kentucky.

DeCesare said there was a need to get rid of construction waste, but that in this case it was private interest driving the application. He said private construction waste sites did not constitute the public need that municipal waste sites did.

In other action:

The board denied a request by Fred and June Alcott to establish a grass landing strip on 22 acres on Woodburn-Allen Springs Road with a 4-1 decision.

Board member David Coverdale said he opposed the strip because it would restrict future use of property owned by neighbor Meddi Fisher. Fischer, who lives in New Jersey, said she only visits her 160-acre property while on vacation. A house on Fischers land is not occupied, but she said she wanted to build additional living areas on the land for her children and grandchildren and the prime location would be in the take-off and landing path of Alcotts proposed runway.

Also, the board unanimously approved a conditional use permit for New Beginnings Therapeutic Riding. The non-profit organization wants to construct an indoor/outdoor riding arena sometime between now and 2015.

The organization is designed to provide a recreational outlet that has therapeutic benefits to people with disabilities through the use of equestrian activities.  Daily News ·813 College St. ·PO Box 90012 ·Bowling Green, KY ·42102 ·270-781-1700