Metro Recycling has decided not to add a facility in the North Judson Industrial Park, after all. Complaints raised by a number of residents during last week’s North Judson Town Council meeting appear to have been successful in causing the company to reconsider its proposal to add a recycling transfer station, just outside the town limits.
Metro Recycling CEO Neil Samahon says that while the company attended the meeting to provide information, they also went to take input. “We heard what the folks were saying and assessed the situation and decided to cancel the project as it stands,” he says. “We’ll take a look and see in the future if we’ll remain looking within Starke County. We like that area, as far as what we’re looking to do. But right now, there’s no firm plans and there isn’t another site per se that we’ve identified, but we’ll continue to review that.”
While he believes the actual facility would have eliminated the concerns residents had, he conceded they raised some important questions. “Certainly, some of the truck traffic, if that was a concern. I mean, yeah, we’ve got to get the garbage out of there, and that might have been more than what they wanted,” Samahon says. “Honestly, it is an industrial park and to think whether it’s us or someone else, that isn’t going to require to go in and out of there with truck traffic, then I question why is there an industrial park there. But that’s not for me to assess or try to determine.”
The cancellation of the project also raises the question of what happens to the piece of land in the North Judson Industrial Park that Metro Recycling already purchased. Samahon says the company plans to work with the Starke County Economic Development Foundation to find a potential buyer, but he also doesn’t rule out keeping the property and using it for other purposes. “I mean, the reality is we have the ability to put in a recycling yard, just as we do at any of our other facilities, non-garbage. For us to have a transfer station there, that requires an [Indiana Department of Environmental Management] permit,” he explains. “But as far as putting in a retail buyback center that would handle metal or put in a facility that recycles cars or trucks or whatever the case may be, that does not require any additional permitting.” However, he acknowledges that it would be difficult to add any operation there without the community’s support.
Starke County Economic Development Foundation Executive Director Charlie Weaver says the organization is saddened by Metro Recycling’s decision not to proceed with the transfer station. “We understand why they did that, and they heard what the people had to say. It’s just unfortunate because this is a needed facility for this community, this county community,” he says. “There were several benefits not only because of the recycling and the transfer station, but with the transfer station, we could have generated enough money to the Environmental Management to do curbside recycling out in the county.”
As for the future of the North Judson Industrial Park, Weaver says area roads are sufficient to handle the weight of the trucks. He adds that the site of the park was chosen by North Judson officials, and that the area has been industrial for over 100 years.
We will air the public comment portion from last week’s North Judson Town Council meeting this Sunday at noon on Kankakee Valley Viewpoints.
