Zoning board denies special exemption for solid waste transfer station in Avoca

WILKES-BARRE — The three-man Luzerne County Zoning Hearing Board unanimously voted to deny a solid waste transfer station’s special exemption request to operate in Avoca. The decision came after a heated, marathon meeting Tuesday night at the county courthouse.

“Everyone was thrilled,” Avoca Borough Council President Holly Homscheck said of the overwhelming community support for the board’s decision.

RJ Stella Mineral Realty LLC, Plains Township, owns the five-acre plot where they intended to build and operate the solid waste transfer station. Under a June sales agreement, the buyer of the land was Big Rocks LLC. Stella Mineral Realty was identified as the operator of the proposed station.

Officials from Avoca and Dupont boroughs, as well as a packed audience of citizens, crowded Tuesday night’s meeting to oppose the buyer’s proposal.

Attorney Frank Hoegen called professionals in transportation, waste, development, real estate and other relevant fields to testify on behalf of the buyer’s plans for the solid waste transfer center. Each testimonial asserted that the center’s establishment is in line with similar projects and that the local community would not be dramatically impacted by its existence.

The testimonies did little to sway public opinion. Audience members anxiously awaited their turns to speak, occasionally through audible, negative reactions to the buyers’ witnesses.

Homscheck, representing her constituents, raised several concerns about the buyers’ plan. She referenced potential environmental damage, fire concerns, a lack of transparency from the buyers’ team, and a lack of need in the community for the facility.

Homscheck said a similar waste station exists six miles away from the proposed site, presumably referring to Taylor Recycling Inc.

Homscheck’s concerns, and those of the public, were laced with suspicion of the buyer, who she compared to Kerr-McGee, a defunct energy company. Hemschock said Kerr-McGee’s prior environmental impact on the borough was disastrous, specifically to the health of the residents.

“We were always told that [Kerr-McGee] was a safe site in our neighborhoods. I mean, even in grade school, I went to field trips there. We were always told it was safe, DEP [Department of Environmental Protection] regulated” Homscheck said. “The town ended up in multiple lawsuits against [Kerr-McGee] once they proved it was actually harmful to all of our residents. Our cancer rate in this particular town is overwhelming.”

Regarding the perceived lack of transparency from Stella Mineral Realty and Big Rock LLC, Homscheck questioned why the operators’ intentions were not more actively shared with borough officials.

“I do think if it was that beneficial to our people, they would have no problem coming to us beforehand and speaking to us about how this could benefit our town,” Homscheck said. “We still had that unanswered question: What do we benefit from this?”

During the public comment portion of the meeting, residents and their own witnesses noted additional concerns regarding diminished property value and the perceived corporate disregard for the surrounding area.

Moving forward, Hemschock suspected that the buyers’ group will appeal the zoning board’s decision in court. However, she is hoping that the buyers will respect the disapproval expressed by the public.

“I would hope they just respect the people in this town and value our opinions and how we feel and just stop. Let us live and have a quality of life in our homes and neighborhoods and just acknowledge that it was not approved and just let us move on and get past this.”