WILKES-BARRE – After more than five hours of debate, the Luzerne County Zoning Hearing Board on Tuesday night rejected a proposed solid waste transfer station in Avoca.
Hundreds of people from in and around Avoca packed the Luzerne County Courthouse for the hearing about a proposed facility that would separate construction material and decide what could be recycled and what would be transferred to a landfill.
Valley Recycling LLC sought a special exception to open a solid waste transfer station off Pittston Avenue and Main Street, in a light industrial zoning district.
“It’s a huge win for the town. They have 30 days to appeal. I expect the will,” said Avoca Council President Holly Homschek.
She said Avoca plans to fight the proposal to the end because people in the borough and surrounding municipalities are adamantly against the facility that would be so close to residential neighborhoods.
“We have to represent the people,” she said.
Officials with Valley Recycling LLC, the operator of the proposed facility and Big Rocks LLC, which would be the real estate owner, did not immediately comment after the decision.
The Luzerne County Zoning Hearing Board heard the matter because Avoca is among the municipalities in Luzerne County that doesn’t have its own zoning hearing board.
Board members Leon Shuster and Bill Harris voted no on the proposal after a 30-minute executive session, announcing their decision about 11:10 p.m. Tuesday.
Prior to their session, Attorney Frank Hoegen, who represented the applicant, argued the company satisfied all elements to obtain a special exception.
“Well, it’s been a long night. Clearly there is a lot of emotion, but we as an applicant and you as a board have an obligation to follow the zoning code. We satisfied all the elements for a special exception,” Hoegen said.
Jack Varaly, the project’s zoning consultant, said the term “special exception” has a negative connotation when someone is seeking zoning approval.
“That’s a grave mischaracterization. It’s neither special, nor an exception. It’s a use Luzerne County’s zoning ordinance allows,” Varaly said.
Brent Berger, the project engineer from Quad 3 in Wilkes-Barre, said the federal Environmental Protection Agency encourages waste transfer stations because they allow construction materials to be recycled and less materials end up in landfills.
Homschek noted there already is such a facility just up the road in Taylor.
“That’s one of our arguments. There’s not a need in the community based on the fact we have one six miles away,” Homschek said.
Various others in the crowd spoke out in opposition. The board was presented with resolutions by the Pittston Area School Board and the Pittston Twp. Board of Supervisors in opposition.
Attorney Jason Mattioli, who lives nearby the proposed site, ended up being the de facto spokesman to give the closing argument.
“Everyone here is putting their differences aside to protect our community. We are here to beg you to put a stop to this profits-over-people operation,” Mattioli said. “Deny this crap right now and let us go in peace.”
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Avoca residents hold signs in opposition to a waste transfer facility
Bob Kalinowski / Staff Photographer
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Avoca residents hold signs in opposition to a waste transfer facility
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