CARLSBAD — A Planning Commission hearing is scheduled Oct. 3 to consider recommendations for the Palomar Transfer Station.
Among the list of staff requests are the approval of a Conditional Use Permit Amendment along with an expansion of the transfer-tipping bay, otherwise known as the unloading bay.
In existence for more than 30 years, the Palomar Transfer Station, which deals with municipal waste, construction material, green waste and recyclables, has undergone extensions and changes before.
On this round of recommendations, the changes will include both votes from the Planning Commission and then City Council.
Staff said the City Council will ultimately be the entity to approve it since the decision is pursuant to the related franchise agreement.
The items presented to the Planning Commission will not affect resident services. The changes are for the internal operations at the Palomar Transfer station.
“The applicant, Palomar Transfer Station, Inc. is requesting an amendment to their Conditional Use Permit to construct a 3,960 square foot addition on the east side of the existing tipping bay,” said Pam Drew, associate planner at the City of Carlsbad. “This will allow a separate bay for green waste and construction and demolition material to be deposited in a separate bay until the appropriate transfer truck arrives for off-site transport.”
Drew pointed out that this addition will help eliminate multiple movements of the material, and decrease the chance of commingling of the municipal solid waste with the green waste and construction and demolition material.
“The project also includes a new use for residents to be able to properly dispose of universal waste,” she said.
Universal waste includes electronic devices such as computer monitors. Other collections will include “home-generated” sharp needles such as hypodermic needles used for administering medication.
“The requested uses are necessary and desirable for the community, in that segregating household waste and sharps needles from the main stream of waste is a benefit for the health and safety of the community and environment,” Drew said.
