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From:Karen McKelvey To:Matthew Bachler; Matthew Bachler; David Grant; Brenda Holden; Fran Holmes; Dave McClung; Steve Scott Subject:County proposing to add food and waste collection, SSO at Arden Hills compost Date:Tuesday, July 04, 2017 5:06:07 PM We have lived in Arden Hills for 37 years and are committed to keeping our community thriving. Below are some of the reasons we are opposed to Ramsey County expanding the compost site. 1) SMELL: We feel even though the county claims there will be minimal smell because all items are in a container. We do not agree. We think the smell when the container is open and closed and with winds will be carried a great distance including to all people enjoying the beach on Lake Johanna right next to the compost, as well as all of our backyards. We use to smell the compost and are happy to have that smell has been reduced in recent years. 2) TRAFFIC: The traffic is already too great for people coming and going to drop off their leaves, trees and shrubs. The county reported over 50,000 visits to the site and remember the compost is currently open April to November for 5 days a week, adding in December to March would be a huge increase in traffic since it is currently closed during those months. We saw a large increase in traffic when they added in trees and shrub drop off. We live on County Road E and the majority of the traffic drives by our home to the site. 3) PROPERTY VALUES WILL DECREASE: Fact, no one wants to live next to trash, even when it is in a “container”. The city staff wrote,’...that it is unlikely to significantly affect land values on neighboring properties’. My question is what does significant mean? I don’t want my property value to go down one dollar. This is an optional proposal that the City Council can and should say NO to. According to the city, the compost on all 4 sides is either bordered by park or residential space. The reason the county has to apply for a conditional use permit to do this and they can’t just do it, is because it is in a residential area, specifically the R-2 Single and Two Family Home Residential District. 4) YEAR ROUND: The county is proposing to now have the compost open year round to add SSO (which is a fancy word for trash that includes food waste and non-recyclable paper) which will mean a lot more traffic, animals and smell. 5) OTHER SITES ARE IN OPERATION: The love that our residents have so many options currently in place that are close to take their SSO to, there is no reason to add this site. We feel that our compost should not be included because it is in a park, with trails in it and around it and in a residential area. We feel the other compost sites are better suited for this option. 6) ANIMALS: We are concerned about animals. Animals have an excellent sense of smell and more will be drawn to the area such as raccoons, coyotes, rats, mice, skunks. There will then be a danger to people on the trails and in their yards. Which is our concern, small dogs, small children, and our gardens. If they are unable to get into the container, they will then enter our backyards and into the parks and trails, in search of food since they were drawn to the area. 7) VOLUME: Anyone from the county can use it and our understanding is, there is no limit on the size container they can have there. If this is approved, we are opening up something we can’t ever get back. The county told us in 2014 that this was just a bridge project and they were hoping to have curbside pick-up in 2016, that didn’t happen. 2016 may turn into 2025, if they don’t have to spend the money picking it up, they won’t. The county said during the planning commission meeting last time they estimated that 30% of most people’s trash would be included in this SSO category. They also intend to let special events dump their waste at this site. The volume would be much bigger than anyone anticipates. 8) PEOPLE THAT DON’T FOLLOW THE RULES: We have experienced currently that sometimes people dump their bags of leaves in the woods when the gates are closed. I am assuming people will do the same with their trash when they learn that they drove all the way over and it is closed or some of the items weren’t accepted so instead of hauling the trash back to their house, they throw it out of their car. Now the animals, rip into the bags, carry it all over our beautiful park trails and we have a huge problem on our hands. 9) LAKE JOHANNA: The streams and ponds on this site, feed into Lake Johanna, what if this container leaks, is there an environmental concerns on the potential risk to the lake?