Lubbock Waste Transfer Station Proposal Sparks Outrage

Recently the City of Lubbock Planning and Zoning had their meeting with a great turnout of people there to voice their opinions but some things that were said actually were not nice.

The Transfer Station

So what is the transfer station? Well South and West Lubbock waste collection is the furthest portion of town that the city will collect trash from and the garbage trucks get full eventually. That means in the middle of their route when the the garbage trucks are full they have to drive 25 to 30 minutes north then back again to continue their route, meaning time and money on gas are wasted.

The reason for a waste transfer station to be placed in the area is due to the high volume of people which means high volume of waste. The waste transfer station would be a way the small garbage trucks would be able to drop off their waste momentarily before it is loaded into a bigger 18-wheeler garbage truck whose main focus it is to deliver trash to the landfill near Abernathy.

The Problem

There are issues when it comes to building in that area, 69th Street and Alcove Avenue, such as roads, environmental factors, and safety. Many residents voiced their concerns about the roads not being equipped for the amount of garbage trucks that would be using those roads that are already in not so great conditions. Those roads are county roads that will be next to a city facility and residents want to know who is responsible for the upkeep that they haven't had and can barely fit a single vehicle on.

Near the waste transfer station are homes that have private wells they use for water and many residents stated they were afraid of the bad things that could leech into the soil. Not only that but the waste that could potentially bring in things such as insects, vermin, and the smell that comes from trash. Frenship Superintendent Dr. Michelle McCord voiced her opinion during the meeting in regards to safety for children and school buses that travel through the area, which is already congested.

The Meeting

The meeting that was held on Thursday, February 1, invited citizens to come out and voice their opinion on the plans for the waste transfer station that would possibly be built in Southwest Lubbock. Well a lot of residents in the area did not like the idea of a waste transfer station being built so close to homes and schools for obvious reasons. Lots of residents spoke up during the meeting and stated that the waste transfer station should be built somewhere with many suggesting being outside the city limits.

There has been some misinformation on the internet suggesting everyone during the meeting encouraged that North Lubbock be used in place. Only two people stated that and shame on them for suggesting the idea on portions of Lubbock that already have issues with industrialization. A lot of people were angry at the city for purchasing the land without notifying tax paying residents of what their intentions were and felt like they did not matter to those in charge of the city.

Now What?

In the end the Planning and Zoning Commission had a difficult choice when it came to the matter of the waste transfer station. The issue was approved and passed onto the City Council who will hold a city council meeting on Tuesday, February 13, at 2 p.m. on the topic of the waste transfer station.