Outdated and undersized, lacking many features that newer facilities have, the 53-year-old Algona Transfer Station is at the end of its engineered lifespan, King County officials say.
They had hoped by the end of 2016 to select from among alternatives in Algona and Auburn for the site of its replacement.
Now 2016 has come and gone, but the process rolls on.
“We are meeting with Algona city officials this week and next to discuss a mitigation agreement for the possible siting of a station in Algona,” said Doug Williams, Media Relations Coordinator for the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks. “We’re hopeful for an agreement, and we have deferred the environmental impact statement appeal process while these discussions take place.”
Williams said any agreement with Algona to site the south county transfer station there would require approval of the Algona City Council and the King County Council.
“Our goal remains finding the best possible location for a new transfer station – one that will serve all South King County residents for decades to come,” Williams said.
Here are the three alternatives listed in the final environmental impact statement (EIS) that King County issued in September 2016:
• The preferred alternative, a recycling and transfer station at 35101 W. Valley Highway S. in Algona, near the existing transfer station;
• A recycling and transfer station at 901 C St. SW in Auburn east of The Outlet Collection Mall;
• Or the no-action alternative, which keeps the existing Algona station.
What the EIS does is evaluate potential affects that siting, building and operating a new recycling and transfer station would have on the built and natural environment, among them, earth, air, and water quality, land use, transportation, public services and utilities.
In the EIS are all comments King County received after it issued the draft EIS earlier in 2016 and responses to those comments.
While the final EIS identifies the preferred alternative, the decision on which of the three the county selects is based on a number of considerations, including: analysis in the final EIS; comments from the public and elected officials and local, state, federal and tribal governments; and factors such as cost and regional policies
According to the EIS, the current station lacks:
• Adequate room for recycling services;
• An enclosed building to control odor, noise and dust;
• Adequate on-site space for vehicles to line up;
• Trash compactors to accurately and efficiently load collected garbage; and
• Landscaping and design features to make the station compatible with the surrounding neighborhood.
The very idea of siting the new transfer station at the property King County has identified near the present station in Algona drew sharp and often unprintable criticism in March of 2016 from people who would have to live near it, especially those who live in Auburn’s Vista Pointe development on the bluff overlooking the preferred site.
“There is absolutely no good reason to locate this thing, this … monstrosity, within shouting distance probably of 300 homes,” said Bill McCauley. “There is no question in my mind, these people are trying to run one through on us because the property is there.”
For more information about the appeal process see: kingcounty.gov.
