9.C.1. PRSR 10-09-2002 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Memo to the Park and Recreation Commission Landfill End Use Plan October 9, 2002 Page 2 Commission reviewed the final site plan and discussed a variety of issues to be included in this memo for consideration by the City Council. Analysis Site Issues and Constraints The landfill is located north of 221" Avenue and west of Highway 169. The current landfill area totals 140 acres. Waste Management will be submitting an application to the City to consider an expansion of the landfill south to 221` Avenue. This will add potentially another 90 acres to the landfill site. The landfill is obviously an active working landfill, however, portions of the landfill have been closed to additional waste. Located to the west of the landfill is the City's railroad trail which may be paved in the future through a Sherburne County Transportation Grant. Site Specific Constraints The Commission discussed at length a variety of site constraints and safety concerns that may be included as part of a landfill end use development. Specifically, those concerns include: site stability, methane gas collection, and phasing. As the waste decomposes the landfill area will settle over time. Therefore, development of fields requiring flatness will be difficult until such time that the landfill completes its settling process. Also, the environmental requirements limit construction of structures on the site, and to some extent, planting of materials on the site, as the permanent water impermeable cap cannot be punctured by roots or footings. There are environmental concerns related to the collection of methane gas which is currently ongoing and is used for the generation of electricity through a joint project with Elk River Municipal Utilities. As was stated earlier, the ultimate Landfill End Use Plan will be phased plan, as Waste Management intends to continue to utilize the site as an active landfill. It is anticipated that it will take approximately 5 -7 years at the current waste receipt rate to fill the existing permitted landfill and if the future expansion is approved by the City, it will take another 20- 25 years to complete the overall end use plan. Proposed Development Plan The proposed end use plan provides for a relatively passive use of the site, however, there are variety of areas that would lend themselves to active recreation. In general, the existing landfill access will be maintained, as well as the newly constructed gas to energy facility which is located in the northeast corner of the site. It is proposed that this facility would be converted to a research center. The Commission has identified the possibility for commercial development by the private market in the southeast corner of the site at the intersection of 221' Avenue and Highway 169. This, of course, is a potential future expansion area and is located where the current asphalt is now. The "top" of the landfill would be utilized for trails and lookouts and would be planted with a variety of native plant community species. Additional active areas will be kept to the perimeter of the site where the cap of the landfill is not located. S: \PLANNING \MICHMC \MEMOS \Landfill End Use.doc