Do We Need a Solid Waste Disposal Drop-Off Center in Charlotte?
by Edd Merritt
February 11, 2010, page 5

Stephen Brooks, Charlotte’s representative to the Chittenden County Solid Waste Disposal District (CSWD), invited Brian Wright, facilities manager, to describe the organization’s operations and wishes for a new drop-off center in southern Chittenden County to the Charlotte Planning Commission on February 4. The question of whether the town should investigate the issue will appear as an advisory motion on the ballot at Town Meeting. Wright noted that the district currently has seven locations for CSWD: six are full-service, and one in Hinesburg that offers limited service, is open only on Saturdays and may have to close.

When asked what a drop-off-center entails, Wright called it a “community service” and pointed to those in Williston and South Burlington as examples. He said it is an alternative to curbside pickup, a place to distribute household trash, a fully staffed facility that is secure. He was careful to point out that it is not a dump or landfill, nor is it a transfer station.

When asked for the need in this part of the county, he noted that currently all of Hinesburg and Charlotte and much of Shelburne are served by the single-day facility in Hinesburg. When asked why he sees a need for more services, he said that the Hinesburg facility is not full service, and the new one would be. That includes a reuse zone (a space for articles that may be used by others), a yard and wood waste area, tipping walls to containers that would be removed when they are full, and a center that would be open two or three days per week. Space for food wastes and organics would also be available. He said the Hinesburg facility cannot expand at this point, so CSWD is looking for a new spot. When pressed by Planning Commissioner John Owen about what inhibits expansion, one part of his answer was an economic limitation based on lack of income from users, the other a shortage of space. Wright said that if he could make Hinesburg work as a full-service site, he would.

Hinesburg has indicated it may want to use the space for its own public needs at some point. CSWD has signed a five-year lease with Hinesburg for continued use of the site, which gives ample time to locate a new one.

The question of where such a facility would go is to be determined only if voters are interested in further investigating the issue. As Brooks noted, if the vote at Town Meeting shows a strongly negative response to the idea, discussion will in all likelihood cease. If it’s positive, the process will continue.

The Planning Commission appeared pleased with waiting to see what the voters desire before taking any further action.

Updated 2/17/10 with additional information based on the CSWD presentation at the 2/8/10 Selectboard's meeting.