KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Kalamazoo County is looking for a big piece of land to expand a service that may be popular with some, but not everyone.
The county’s Household Hazardous Waste Center has outgrown its current home, next to the Kalamazoo County Fairgrounds, but finding a new site may be a challenge.
County Development Director Rachael Grover says the current location on Lamont Street needs more specialized storage space for the materials they are receiving now, and soon even greater demand will be put on the facility with requirements to accept new materials from a growing population.
The project they are talking about would require two to three full city blocks of land.
She says if they had more room, they could expand the list of items they accept, like mattresses, appliances, latex paint, Styrofoam, and high-tech batteries that they don’t have room for now.
County Health Director Jim Rutherford says it’s something communities do to stay healthy.
Grover says centers in other communities also offer operations where residents can find and repurpose paints, pesticides or other products for their use.
The county board has committed funding for studies, preliminary planning, and a site search.
The challenges are obvious. Finding a site that is big enough and properly zoned, that is centrally located in the county, in a community that is willing to accept a hazardous waste facility won’t be a walk in the park.
Most municipalities in Kalamazoo County pay a fee to provide their residents free access to the center to drop off items. Expanding access to communities outside the county is also part of the plan.
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