5.3. SR 06-21-2010 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Case File: CU 10-08 Ems- ~~' Page 5 Ciryof E1kRiver southern edge of the Landfill. The existing buffer consists of a mostly native, undisturbed area with an elevated topographic terrain. The existing terrain, which is covered by several hundred native, mature trees, acts as a visual screen of the Landfill. If the fill area of the landfill stays within its currently permitted area, this visual screen and buffer will remain in place and will screen landfill operations from adjoining properties during the remaining life of the Landfill. On the other hand, if solid waste were to be deposited in the buffer area, all of the existing trees would be removed and the existing elevated terrain reduced and excavated to accommodate the deposit of solid waste. Removal of the existing trees and buffer would have a substantial impact on the visibility of the Landfill, making landfill operations clearly visible from 221st Avenue and, potentially, the residential areas to the west, for an extended period of time while the existing buffer area is filled with solid waste and a new buffer is established to the south, on the adjoining property. The plans indicate that a new berm and screen would not be installed until at or near the end of landfill operations in the expansion area, meaning that operations in the expansion area would be visible throughout the additional 4-7 years that the landfill would remain open as the result of an expansion, as well as 2-3 years until operations move into the expansion area. It will be many years after that before new trees reach maturity and provide a screen comparable to the existing mature, native trees. Visibility of the Landfill is an item of importance that was studied as part of the Hoisington Koegler Group, Inc. (HKGi) studies previously completed to evaluate the impact of various development scenarios in this area. The visual impact of the landfill operations, currently blocked by the existing buffer, would be vastly changed with the removal of the present mature buffer. The HKGI studies offer analysis of view sheds. Those studies are attached for the City Council's review. (4) Offsite Infrastructure. Expanding the area allowed for the deposit of solid waste to the southern property line of the Landfill will, according to the plans submitted by the Landfill with their Application for this expansion, result in significant portions of the Landfill's infrastructure moving off of the Landfill's property and out of the Solid Waste Facilities Cwerlay Zoning District. Infrastructure which would be moved off-site includes groundwater monitoring wells, landfill gas monitoring probes, a service road around the southern boundary of the Landfill and, potentially, storm water management facilities. Although it is true the Landfill has installed several groundwater monitoring wells outside of its boundaries and the Solid Waste Facilities Zoning District in the past, these facilities have been installed for the purpose of investigating the nature and extent of contaminant migration associated with the unlined portions of the Landfill. Lined expansions of the Landfill, including the lined expansions of the Landfill to date, typically require that all monitoring wells and gas probes be located within the Landfill Property and the Solid Waste Facilities District. Similarly, storm water management facilities are an integral part of the Landfill's operation and are specifically required by City Code to be located in the SWF District. Finally, the service road around the southern boundary of the Landfill is clearly a part of the Landfill operation and clearly a part of the Solid Waste Facility which is the Landfill operation as that term is defined in the City Code, and must be located on the Landfill's property and within the Solid Waste Facilities Zoning District. (5) Alternative Expansion C-pportunities. The landfill has insisted throughout the process of seeking approvals to expand to the south, and in the litigation, that expansion to the south onto new property and or into the existing buffer zone is the only option for increasing the capacity of the landfill. To address this issue staff asked Mr. Ledvina to investigate alternative expansion Z:\CommuniryDevelopmern\Planning Main\Case Files\CUP\CU 10-08 Waste Managemern\Staff report to CGCU 10-08 - peter.doc