Trash transfer station nixed

Adrienne Packer

Friday, June 26, 1998 | 11:26 a.m.

After weeks of facing crowds angered by a proposed transfer station in their Blue Diamond neighborhood, Republic Silver State Disposal announced Thursday it is withdrawing its application.

"After meeting with County Commissioner Erin Kenny and hearing the objections of some of the residents, it became clear that this site is not going to work," said Stephen Kalish, president of Silver State.

While the announcement was good news for neighbors of the proposed Gary Avenue site, it was also met with some uneasiness.

"It sounds like a sure thing, but it might come up again later," said Randy Grigg, who spent two hours a day gathering information about the proposal and rallying his neighbors.

"We're keeping our guns loaded, we're just setting them in the corner for now. But we'll be ready to fire."

It's doubtful the residents will have to go back to warring with Silver State. In a prepared statement, Kalish said his company wants to be good neighbors and will look for a new location for the $5 million facility.

"In the spirit of cooperation, we are happy to look for an alternative site that is conducive to our needs and the needs of those property owners in proximity to the proposed site," he said.

For months Silver State has been scouring the valley for a transfer station site to replace the Cheyenne facility, which has reached its capacity. When a site off Spring Mountain Road near Spanish Trail was rejected by neighbors, the company looked toward Blue Diamond.

Silver State needs a parcel that is close to residences so its drivers can scoop up garbage and make a short trip back to the transfer station. The trash is then loaded into a tractor-trailer and hauled to the Apex landfill.

The neighborhood transfer stations save Silver State money on gasoline costs, allowing the company to offer customers lower rates.

"In order to provide both the highest level of solid waste service to our customers and maintain rates which are among the lowest in the industry, these types of facilities become a crucial component of our operations," Kalish said.

The residents' protest was enhanced by the fact that Teller, of the famous Penn and Teller duo, volunteered to be a spokesman. Teller recently built a multi-million dollar home just blocks from the proposed transfer station.

Teller was unavailable for comment Thursday.

Some neighbors of Silver State's Blue Diamond parcel vowed to come to the rescue if the disposal company takes its plans to a location that would impact other neighborhoods.

Richard Swearingen said he hopes next time Silver State chooses a transfer station site, it will hold workshops with residents before the application process begins.

"It tickles me to death it's not going to be here," Swearingen said. "We've been absolved, but what about the poor saps somewhere else?"