The Cummings Road Regional Transfer Station will be closed for much of the year to allow for construction to redesign the site.
Construction on the transfer station, located roughly 7.5 kilometres east of Pineview, is expected to begin in May and run until the end of October. In a report to the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George's environment and parks standing committee on Thursday, district manager of waste diversion programs Laura Zapotichny said the plan is to have the transfer station open for limited use by Aug. 31.
"We recognize the impact of the temporary closure during construction," Zapotichny said. "We know this is going to effect residents."
During the closure residents and haulers will have to take their trash to the Buckhorn, Vanway or Shelley transfer stations, or directly to the Foothills Boulevard Regional Landfill, she said.
Regional district chairperson Art Kaehn said he's concerned people will dump their trash illegally, if they can't take it to the Cummings Road transfer station.
"There is a lot of places to dump it in the bush around that location," he said.
Zapotichny said the district will be using a number to ways to notify area residents before the closure, and provide them with information about their options.
"We've never had to shut a facility down (for construction). So that's why we are trying to get ahead of this," she said. "We hope that people will use the resources at their disposal to dispose of their waste."
Construction crews will be on site during the construction, and district staff will check in on the area during the closure, she said.
The district looked at options to try to keep the site open during construction, but significant earthworks are needed, she said, and allowing people on the site wouldn't be safe.
The $1.67 million project will improve the access and traffic flow to the transfer station, first built in 1991, Zapotichny said. The entrance to the facility is being redesigned to allow more room for vehicles to line up, a separate entrance for garbage trucks is being added, and the facility is being enclosed with an electric fence to deter wildlife from the area.
"There is limited space on the site for residents to dispose of waste," she said. "The facility required upgrades to address safety concerns, traffic flow and wildlife concerns."
LANDFILL HOURS CHANGING
The hours at the Foothills Boulevard Regional Landfill will be changing slightly, starting July 1.
Starting in July, the landfill will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Currently the landfill is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. The landfill is open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.
Effective July 1, the district's transfer stations will operate the same hours as the Foothills landfill.
