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AttachmentI Approved: CITY OF ARDEN HILLS, MINNESOTA PLANNING COMMISSION WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2014 6:30 P.M. - ARDEN HILLS CITY HALL A.Planning Case 14-008; Conditional Use Permit Yard Waste & Source Separated Organics Collection; 1761 Lake Johanna Boulevard Public Hearing Associate Planner Bachler stated the St. Paul-Ramsey County Public Health Department has requested a Conditional Use Permit to operate a Source Separated Organics (SSO) collection area at the existing yard waste collection site located at 1761 Lake Johanna Boulevard in Tony Schmidt Regional Park. Associate Planner Bachler explained that through an agreement with Ramsey County, the City first began collecting grass clippings, leaves, and garden waste at Tony Schmidt Regional Park in 1984. The County Public Health Department took over management of the site in 1990. In 2004, the County Board approved the expansion of collection services to include trees and shrubs. The composting of the yard waste is completed off-site and finished compost is made available to County residents each spring. Trees and shrubs are chipped at the collection area and a small amount of the mulch is left on site for use by residents. In 2013, there were slightly more than 50,000 visits to the Arden Hills collection site and a total of 43,400 cubic yards of yard waste was composted. Associate Planner Bachler reported the Ramsey County Solid Waste Master Plan will require all municipalities to provide residential Source Separated Organics (SSO) collection by 2016. SSO includes all food waste and non-recyclable paper. In 2013, the Ramsey County Board authorized adding SSO drop-off collection areas at the seven Ramsey County yard waste sites, including the Arden Hills site. These County managed sites will act as a bridge until residential curbside organics collection becomes viable. Collection of SSO at the site would begin in the spring of 2014, if approved. Associate Planner Bachler stated that the existing yard waste collection area in Arden Hills occupies approximately 1.5 acres of land in Tony Schmidt Regional Park at the end of Hudson Avenue off of New Brighton Road. The SSO collection area would be located on the eastern side of the site, away from the yard waste facilities. A covered container, or roll-off box, would be used for collecting SSO materials to reduce odors and the potential for attracting animals. Residents would be required to bag their organics in compostable bags, which will be provided by Ramsey County at no cost in 2014 and 2015. The County will be contracting with a private hauler to regularly remove the SSO materials to a permitted organic processing facility.