City prepares to kick waste facility to the curb
Middlebury residents might soon be free of a nearby trash facility, pending a hearing before Akron's Planning Commission.
In a release Friday, the city announced that Waste Management, which contracts with Akron for waste transfer services, is pursuing the development of a state-of-the-art waste transfer facility at 1400 East Archwood Avenue that would replace both the waste transfer station at 389 Fountain Street in Middlebury and the WM Akron Recycling (formerly Akron Greenstar Recycling) facility.
The city said the age of the Fountain Street facility, the limited size of the parcel and its proximity to Middlebury residents' homes has long been a critical concern for the neighborhood.
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, a waste transfer station is "a facility where solid waste is unloaded from smaller trucks and reloaded into larger vehicles for transport to a final disposal site."
The more modern facility that Waste Management is pursuing on East Archwood Avenue would be further from residents' homes, within an industrial and commercial zone and on a much larger parcel of land.
The city administration has been engaging with members of the Middlebury community about Waste Management's plans for this new waste transfer station to supplant the Fountain Street facility.
City representatives have met with members of Families Against City Transfer Stations (FACTS), The Well Community Development Corporation, Neighborhood Network and the residents of Bettie Street who have been involved and active for many years in advocating for relocation of the Fountain Street facility.
Akron and Waste Management are working together to give residents opportunities to hear about these plans, ask questions and offer input ahead of a required zoning review and approval by Akron. Two sessions were held Tuesday at the Goodyear Branch Library.
Residents can attend these additional engagement sessions:
6 p.m. Thursday at the Robert J. Otterman Ellet Community Center, 2449 Wedgewood Drive, hosted by Ward 6 Councilman Brad McKitrick and Ward 5 City Councilman Johnnie Hannah.
9 a.m. July 12, Planning Commission meeting, Akron Municipal Building, 166 South High Street, 3rd Floor.
In addition, the city and Waste Management have coordinated some site tours for the public. The next opportunity, on July 9, will provide a glimpse of what a modern waste transfer station looks like at Waste Management's Oakwood facility and answer residents' questions. Those interested in attending can reach out to mayor@akronohio.gov to sign up.
In a news release, the city said that the age of the Fountain Street facility, the limited size of the parcel, and its proximity to Middlebury residents' homes has long been a critical concern for the neighborhood.
The currently facility was built in the 1970s approximately 50 feet away from the nearest residential homes.
“Determining the future of the Middlebury Waste Transfer Station has been a priority for my administration, and I'm pleased to work with Waste Management as we engage our residents on the future plans,” said Akron Mayor Shammas Malik in a release. “This is a process happening hand in hand with the communities most impacted, and we are taking our time and listening to our residents. I look forward to the conversations to come with all those involved.”
Comments, feedback, and questions can be sent to zoning@akronohio.gov, or to Mayor Malik at mayor@akronohio.gov and to our Director of Sustainability and Resiliency, Casey Shevlin, at cshevlin@akronohio.gov.