Nov 7th Planning Commission Meeting Looms Large

As noted below ("Riverbend Expansion Is Back!"), the Yamhill County Planning Commission will consider rezoning the dump to farmland at its November 7th meeting.

Absurd as it may sound, this is the first -- and the most crucial -- step toward expanding the landfill.

Here's what's at stake:  Riverbend says it wants 25 years on 37 acres (bad enough, right?) but what Riverbend will get if the dump is rezoned is the legal right to expand indefinitely so long as it owns farmland adjacent to the dump.

Here's why:  State law allows counties to permit landfills on exclusive farmland even though landfills are not agricultural uses.  Until two years ago, Yamhill County actually prohibited dumps on farmland.  But in the fall of 2011, the County Zoning Ordinance was amended to allow existing landfills to expand onto farmland subject only to site design review.  The catch is that the existing dump must also be on farmland.

Waste Management, Riverbend's Texas-based corporate owner, is telling everyone that the rezoning is no big deal because the County still has to approve specific expansion plans.  The trouble is, the County can't deny the expansion once the rezoning is approved -- it can only require expansion to meet the very basic requirements of a site design review.  The Zoning Ordinance specifically prohibits the County from requiring the dump to meet tougher standards.

If you were around in 2008 and remember the gi-normous expansion Riverbend sought then (96 acres!), you probably also remember that except for the height (which Waste Management thought should be twice what it is today), that expansion passed site design review.  Don't expect the County to nix anything smaller.
 

The Planning Commission meets Thursday, November 7, at 7:00 PM at McMinnville Civic Hall, 200 2nd Street at Baker in McMinnville.  Attend in person or send written comments to brandtm@county.yamhill.or.us -- or both!