The Orange County Solid Waste Management Department has submitted a Non-Residential Zoning Compliance Permit application for site plan review of six acres on Orange Grove Road for a new Waste and Recycling Center.
The site is currently owned by OWASA. The new facility will replace the Bradshaw Quarry Road and Ferguson Road Waste and Recycling Centers.
“The county has been working on upgrading the Waste and Recycling Centers as part of a long-range plan,” said Robert Williams, Orange County Solid Waste Director. “Bradshaw and Ferguson are the final centers to be upgraded. When evaluating the sites for upgrades, it was determined that due to size limitations and impervious surface rules, the sites cannot be effectively upgraded. Therefore, the County’s current Capital Improvement Plan project contemplates consolidating the facilities.”
Williams said the current locations can’t be expanded due to size limitations and their locations within a protected watershed.
The Solid Waste Department has created a page on its website with information about the project. The department also held two neighborhood information meetings to answer questions from residents.
A set of FAQs to address the issues raised during these meetings can be found in English and Spanish on the Orange County website.
According to Williams, the goal of the center is to provide an environmentally friendly site for disposal of wastes and recyclables for rural residents who do not have curbside trash collection. Yard waste and tires can also be disposed of at the centers.
“These convenience centers help reduce improper disposal of materials, such as illegal dumping or burning of materials, which can have significant impacts on a community,” said Williams.
The project’s estimated cost is $1.5 million, which will come from solid waste programs fees and revenues from operation of the Construction and Demolition landfill, sale of recyclables, and sale of mulch.