The Jefferson County Council will reconsider a petition for the development of a solid waste transfer station off Old Hwy. 21 in the Otto area.
On May 22, the county’s Planning and Zoning Commission recommended denial of the facility, to be called the Jeff County Industrial Court. Then, on June 9, the County Council, which has the sole authority over rezoning, reviewed the commission’s recommendation and decided to ask for some changes to the plan and take another look at it later.
The site is currently used for the transfer of clean fill.
Kevin Duggins, with Duggins Holding LLC, owns the 8-acre property where the waste transfer station would be built. It is near the retail complexes that house a Save A Lot grocery store and Dollar General in Council District 7. He said he submitted the request to rezone the property from planned commercial to planned industrial to accommodate the station. The development plan submitted with the petition showed a 100-by-60-foot metal building with a concrete floor for waste storage, pull-through lanes with scales and parking spaces. Duggins said during the May 22 P & Z commission meeting that the site would mostly be used for the temporary holding of household materials and construction waste.
Right now, Duggins uses the property as a temporary holding center for clean fill.
Several people who live or own businesses near the property brought concerns to the commission, including the possibility of noxious odors, vermin and a loss of property value. Commissioner Jeffrey Spraul, who made the motion to deny the petition, said he voted against the waste transfer station largely due to those concerns.
Councilman Billy Crow (District 2, Arnold) introduced a motion to reject the commission’s recommendation and approve the petition with new stipulations put in place.
The council voted 6-1 to draft a new resolution for the petition with the additional conditions, which Duggins will have to follow to operate the waste transfer station. Councilman Bob Tullock (District 7, House Springs) abstained from the vote and later said he could possibly have a personal conflict of interest regarding the petition but did not specify what it was.
Tullock went on to say in a written statement that he spoke with some of the nearby business owners and residents who oppose the waste transfer station.
“The businesses are telling me that they cannot do business near a waste transfer station due to the smell, dust and other problems associated with a waste transfer station,” he said. “If they move, their county could lose these sales tax dollars and receive nothing in return. That’s a bad deal for Jefferson County as a community.”
Crow said County Services Director Mitch Bair had made recommendations to the P&Z commission during the May 22 meeting that would have limited the impact of the Jeff County Industrial Court. However, the commission decided not to include Bair’s conditions in its final vote.
The stipulations included: all waste stored at the facility should be removed at the end of each operating day; floors and surge pits should be frequently washed down; a misting system with deodorants will be installed to mask and neutralize odor; plastic curtains will be installed on all doors to contain odors; and operating hours will be limited to avoid disturbing neighbors with large vehicle traffic and noises.
Crow said he wants those conditions added to the petition to be reconsidered.
“I believe these (conditions) will allow the operator to run his business while also mitigating the effects on the surrounding areas, so the neighbors are not overburdened by things like stench and trash and rodents,” he said. “Without these recommendations here, I wouldn’t want this next to my house either.”
Crow’s motion with added conditions for the Jeff County Industrial Court will appear on a future County Council agenda in the form of a resolution for approval. The council is expected to meet next at 6:30 p.m., Monday, June 23, at the Administration Center Assembly Room in Hillsboro, 729 Maple St.