The North Transfer Station Stakeholders Group is recommending the Concept C design (see below) for the reconstruction of the Seattle Public Utilities’ North Recycling and Disposal Station (1350 N. 34th St.)
Concept C design chosen for the reconstruction of the transfer station in Wallingford. A larger image can be found here (.pdf).
The group met 13 times to go over more than a dozen program options and ultimately came to the unanimous decision to go with this option. “The stakeholder group has done a superb job of studying the alternatives, asking for data, listening to each other, and creatively establishing a win-win solution that optimizes community and environmental protection with solid waste and recycling function,” Seattle Public Utilities Director Ray Hoffman said.
From Seattle Public Utilities:
The Option C plan includes:
Extensive setbacks and about an acre of landscaped and publicly-accessible open space. Preservation of priority views. Reduced noise, dust, odors from current levels. A great reduction of customer vehicle backups onto the public street. Increased traffic safety inside the station. Expanded recycling. More flexibility to address an evolving solid waste future. A facility that will meet the LEED Gold standard. Additional public benefits such as crosswalk improvements, pedestrian amenities, and an educational viewing room. High-quality architectural design. Moving forward, SPU said it will:
Continue to work closely with community groups and local neighbors to refine the programming for the public open space. Incorporate the Stakeholder Group’s project parameters into the documents for selecting and contracting with a project designer/constructor. Work with other city departments and the City Council to address zoning issues and the vacation of a block of Carr Place North.
The project is expected to take two years, starting in 2014 at an estimated cost of about $52-million.
God knows what an essential amenity a tiny patch of “open space” next to a transfer facility is. People will be thronging there to sit and smell the garbage.
The
Transfer Station, also called the dump or Pit, receives approximately 1,000
tons per day. This is all the material that you put in the black or waste
bins. It does not get sorted at all, but goes into the Pit, and then is
packed and sent away to the landfill. The Pit had so many plastic bags in it
on Monday (and every day) I thought I would be sick. It also contained so
many materials that could have been reused or composted that were instead
thrown away.