Updated 08/01/2012 10:55 PM
Arcadia Community Debating Landfill Proposal
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For many residents in Arcadia, the idea of a landfill is not being taken lightly.
“We don’t need that in our backyard,” said Debbie Lochner.
"We haven't made a decision, the whole board hasn't made a decision," said Dick Colacino, town supervisor.
The town's existing landfill is now closed, costing $10,000 annually to monitor. A purchase that cost the town $55,000 more than twenty years ago can now be sold for $1.18 million.
"When that landfill was open we used to bring in 500,000 dollars to a million a year,” Colacino said.
The expected proposal will provide $1.3 million to the town every year; $200,000 alone to the Village of Newark.
“Here's what we can do, we can raise taxes, cut services or cut jobs, and I don't want to do any of those things,” said Colacino.
But many residents say there are some things money can't buy.
“Small business would suffer and it would really take the character out of our town to have garbage trucks rolling through it day and night,” said Matt Ury, Concerned Citizens of Arcadia.
Numerous homeowners in Arcadia, especially those living right down the street, have posted "no landfill" signs on their front lawn. For these homeowners on State Route 88, they are concerned about their well water and the potential hazards that can be lurking right beyond their trees.
"This is the reason, right here,” said Lochner. “We have little ones to worry about. We have well water. We're not set up for that in this neighborhood. There are already enough landfills in our area."
The board voted unanimously to be the lead agency in the town's environmental impact study, paid for by Arcadia Hills and overseen by the board. Town residents say they're doing their own research.
"We set up cameras on Main Street and counted the trucks that came through and that's how we got real information on how devastating it would be,” Ury said.
"We can't sell the land without having a public referendum and that's what we want to happen. Our board is going to support whatever the people want,” said Colacino.
Both Ury and Lochner said they would move if the proposal for the new waste facility is passed.