Construction waste recycling facility proposed at former Maverick Tube property

ELYRIA — City Council is set to vote on three pieces of legislation that would allow a construction material recycling company to open on the property of the former Maverick Tube company. During a meeting on Monday, Council's Community Development Committee voted to recommend approval of a rezoning proposal and two conditional use permits which are needed to allow the company to operate. The rezoning would turn the property from a heavy industrial district to a special industrial district, and the conditional use permits would allow it to handle and store hazardous materials and to operate a junkyard. Anissa Neider, principal architect of Youngstown-based A Neider Architecture, spoke to the committee as a proponent on Monday on behalf of 525 Mussey Avenue LLC, which is named for the property that housed Maverick until its closure in the mid-2000s. Councilwoman Donna Mitchell, D-6th Ward, expressed concerns about allowing hazardous waste and junkyard use, but Neider said that the reality was not as alarming as it sounded. She said that the only hazardous materials that would be present on the site were sawdust and tires, which are non-toxic but are considered hazardous under city code because they are flammable. "Nothing (there) is going to be toxic chemicals," Neider said. "There's no asbestos, there is nothing hazardous in terms of what we think of as hazardous. It's actually just by code, by building code, hazardous (includes) sawdust and tire storage." Additionally, she said that the property would be considered a junkyard under city code because some materials may be stored outside, but those materials would be used and would not remain on-site for long. "It's really just a storage of possible materials outside, which in this (case), chances are, would be very slow to none," Neider said. "It's really going to be the transportation of materials from one building, getting loaded onto a truck and then exported off the site. So there is a chance that yes, there may be some materials there, but it would probably be just a day. It wouldn't be stacks of trash or junk." Neider said that the work the company will do at the site centers around turning nontoxic fluid waste from construction projects into solids by mixing them with sawdust and other materials. This process, known as solidification, makes the waste easier and safer to transport, store and dispose of, and Neider said disposal will be done off-site. Neider also said that the company would work to make the property "presentable," something that Mitchell, whose ward contains 525 Mussey Avenue, said was badly needed. "It looks really bad, and it has for quite some time and it makes the neighborhood look bad" Mitchell said. "So I would encourage you, anything you all could do to make the neighborhood look at least presentable would be great." Councilwoman Brenda Davis, D-2nd Ward, also noted that kids had been finding their way onto the property. Neider said that the owner planned to trim and maintain the plants at the front of the property along Mussey Avenue, demolish some of the dilapidated buildings on the property and had even considered cleaning up some of the surrounding area, if he were authorized to do so. "The owner of the property has actually discussed cleaning up the surrounding area just to be a good steward and a good neighbor. He's obviously very committed," Neider said. "... It is really gonna bring a nice economic development chunk into this neighborhood. It's a really nice piece of property to do so because it is so well buffered around the surrounding area, but also it's pretty well set up to do what he needs to do. This isn't his first rodeo. He's very familiar with this process and I could see him being a very good steward to the city of Elyria for this (project)." As far as economic development, Neider estimated that the project would initially create between 10 and 15 jobs, which could eventually grow to 20 to 25 jobs. Neider said that there were only 12 sites in Ohio licensed by the state EPA to carry out the proposed work, and the owner of 525 Mussey Avenue owned several of them. The recycling process will be overseen by the EPA, and Elyria Safety Service Director Chris Pyanowski said Elyria Wastewater Pollution employees will also inspect the site as required by law. The proposed legislation was passed unanimously by Community Development, and will go before Council as a whole for a vote on Sept. 15. Contact Owen MacMillan at (440) 329-7123 or omacmillan@chroniclet.com.