Recycling bin debate highlights next door non-compliance issue

By Craig Westcott

CBS council has approved the placement of an automated recycling bin outside the Evergreen Depot in Manuels, but not without a wrangle caused by a neighboring business that has failed to comply with a council ruling in the high traffic area.
Evergreen Recycling applied to place the bin at 2678 – 2684 Topsail Road to provide an option for customers wanting to drop off recyclables after hours.
“Similar units have been installed in St. John’s and Torbay and they seem to be working out favourably,” said Ward 3 councillor Gerard Tilley. “We did have some (reaction to a) public notice with some minor concerns from nearby residents, but the Town and the applicant feel that they can mitigate those minor issues.”
Councillor-at-Large Rex Hillier wasn’t so sure.
“First let me say that in general I support anything that we can do to increase recycling,” said Hillier. “But I’ve got a concern with this application and the site and the busyness of that area in general. This site has two businesses, the recycling depot and a corner store. There’s an ownership relationship between the two businesses. Some time ago the corner store applied for a permit to rent commercial vehicles (U-Haul trucks).”
Within a quarter kilometre of each side of the site, Hillier added, there is a blind turn at Ewings Road, two private lanes, the recycling depot itself, the corner store, and entrances to Villanova and Holy Spirit schools, with some 1,500 students.
“So, we denied the permit,” Hillier recalled. “The applicant appealed our decision, and our decision was upheld during the appeal. The applicant ignored the decision and today there are eight vehicles parked in the area and a sign on the side of the corner store saying commercial vehicles for rent. So your Worship, until we get some respect for our regulations and for our decision making, I will not be voting in favour of this motion.”
That caused Mayor Darrin Bent to ask whether the owners of the recycling depot also own the corner store.
“I was under the impression that the recycling facility was bought by the bigger recycling group from St. John’s,” Bent said. “I’m not sure I know of the relationship, but I’m not going to question you if you think that’s so.”
But Bent added, allowing the bin might lessen some of the traffic, as people could use it after hours and not during the busy periods when schools are open.
“From what I understand from the meeting we held with (Evergreen) representatives some time ago, these are state-of-the-art electronic devices where you have to punch in the number, put your stuff into the bin and you get a ticket showing what you’ve put in and it’s credited to your account,” the mayor said. “So, I’m going to support it based on that. But I think being cognizant of the activity and what’s going on there is right, and I agree with the premise of your opposition. Yes, we expect these people to follow these permits and not cause trouble for residents and people in the area and exacerbate busy intersections, but my hope is something like this might relieve some of that daytime traffic back and forth there with people unloading their recycling and having to go into the building.”
Ward 1 councillor Shelley Moores said it was her impression the two businesses have separate owners.
Mayor Bent asked the Director of Planning, Corrie Davis, for clarification.
“It’s my understanding that the entire property is owned by Evergreen Recycling, who operate the recycling facility, and they rent the building on the eastern side of the property to another business owner, and that’s the convenience store operator,” Davis said. “And it’s the convenience store operator who has the commercial truck rental.”
Moors said she understands Hillier’s concerns. “It’s been an ongoing issue in our community with these vehicles,” she said. “However, I do think enhancing our green depot and our recycling abilities in our communities is also extremely important and I don’t think it’s right to hold it against something that’s not related. It’s different owners, and we need to make sure we get those (regulations regarding the truck rentals) on track, but I don’t think it should hold back this new recycling depot initiative.”
Deputy Mayor Andrea Gosse agreed. “I was on that meeting with Evergreen Recycling and this technology that they have is fabulous,” she said. “They’re interested in doing something similar in the west end of our community as well. And we thought it was great what they are proposing. I think the traffic you are going to see to this container is going to be after business hours and weekends when the depot is likely not open. I think the issue that we have, and it’s certainly one of concern, is that you’ve got a noncompliance that we have to deal with with these commercial truck rentals. That shouldn’t reflect poorly on this depot.”
Ward 4 councillor Melissa Hardy said she supported the application. “I have used these electronic recycling bins before, they are very user friendly,” she said. “But we do have a compliance issue that just happens to be in the same vicinity, the same parking lot, so I think that needs to be separated and needs to be treated different versus this application for the automatic recycling.”
Councillor-at-large Joshua Barrett said it’s “incredibly frustrating” driving by the area and seeing the trucks and knowing the business is not in compliance with the Town’s regulations. “It’s infuriating, frankly, because we’ve had that discussion what seems like years ago now,” he added. “So clearly, we need to work on our noncompliance files. But in any case, I’m 100 percent supportive of improving accessibility for residents to participate in recycling in whatever way that might look, and I’m happy to support this motion this evening.”
Summing up the arguments, Bent said the recycling bin idea is good, but the noncompliance issue with the neighboring business has to be sorted out, “and the sooner the better.”
With that, he called for the vote. The application to approve the automated recycling bin passed with all but Hillier voting in support of it.