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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1981 10-07 Workhouse ruled unsuitable for landfill site THE REVIEW VOLUME 20, NUMBER 22 Publication #328680 Maplewood, Minnesota sc Single Copy 30` WED., OCT. 7, 1981 Workhouse ruled ufor landfill site ,,,,,„„.....4_,,„,_ ,r By JONATHON CLYDE GLASS For Judy Marcoux, one of the The primary concern of local residents, Gadler also commended The Rev. Staff Writer organizers of area residents, the hearing however, is with the safety of area Richard Hodges, pastor of Lutheran r , . was a gratifying conclusion to several children,Grant continued.The increased Church of Peace, 47 S. Century Ave., for Anxiety turned to elation for south months of studying environmental truck traffic on the narrow roads in the taking part in the political process and Maplewood residents Sept. 30 when the reports and calling neighbors to tell them area and the presence of rodents would testifying at the hearing. "I've been on board of directors of the Minnesota of public hearings. pose a danger, he said. this board for 14 years and he is only the Pollution Control Agency (MPGA) "I hope this is the last we ever hear of "I'd like to know how you'll confine the third member of the cloth to come here on decided the Ramsey County Workhouse it,"said Marcoux,amidst the jubilation of rats, rodents and skunks to the dump- behalf of the living instead of the dead," tk property, 297 S. Century Ave., is not en- her companions after the board had site?" he asked. he quipped. "' - vironmentally suitable for a sanitary voted. "I'm so glad so many people Donald Karnuth, principal at Carver t` ' ,+ "" landfill. turned up," she continued, referring to Elementary School, 2680 Upper Afton 8 The board turned down the advice of its the 30 to 35 residents who attended the Road, emphasized Grant's statements ' .« , ,,.. staff and agency director, Louis J. MPCA meeting. about the safety of the children in the [a. ° ti Breimhurst, in making its unanimous Marcoux, 457 Mary St., first heard of school,which currently has an enrollment decision.Board members agreed with the the Sept. 30 hearing when she received a of 405.The narrow roads could not safely - ' •• , previous recommendation of hearing letter Sept. 26 announcing the MPCA handle the combination of garbage �, examiner Melvin Goldberg in finding that Director, contrary to the hearing trucks, school buses and walking the nearby location of the workhouse examiner,had recommended that the site children, he said. -Avg facility, an elementary school, church bea certified as"intrinsically suitable"for Maplewood city attorney Don Lais r '''' ' '– ",'''-`,,,,,- ,i'''',,,,,-4,y,,,, and private residences make the site a landfill.She and other residents went to suggested that Ramsey County, the most , inappropriate for a landfill. work and — using the stationery of the densely populated metropolitan county, ' 4 , After hearing area residents explain Marvin H. Anderson Construction Co., be exempt from the general requirement '�,", i 1\ ' that a landfill there would create safety which is building the Crestview Addition that each county come up with five , hazards, obstruct the operation of the directly south of the workhouse in suitable landfill sites for the MPCA and -• county jail and lower property values,the Maplewood—printed a flyer announcing Metropolitan Council to consider. "If the ., ;• t' DON LAIS,MAPLEWOOD city attorney,led off the testimony of those opposed to the board readily agreed the site is un- the hearing. They distributed several sites are not there,they're just not there," use of the Ramsey County Workhouse in southern Maplewood as a landfill site. He suitable. The MPCA staff argued — un- hundred fliers and lined up speakers who he said. and other speakers convinced the board of directors of the Minnesota Pollution convincingly — that the board should persuasively argued against the Control Agency to reject the recommendations of its own staff and refuse to certify consider only the environmental factors suitability of the workhouse site. the workhouse as environmentally suitable. and let the Metropolitan Council assess LAIS AND MPCA board member Steve the related social and land-use effects of a "I BELIEVE A DUMP should not be Gadler of St. Paul both suggested the landfill. located right in the middle of a residential Ramsey County Board may have The workhouse has been operating area,"said Gary Grant,427 O'Day Circle, "knuckled under" in even proposing the more than 20 years on an approximately a supervisor for Anderson Construction. workhouse site despite its inherent THE REV. RICHARD HODGES, pastor - 200-acre site containing land for the Residents of Crestview would see their drawbacks."Why do we insult nature that of Lutheran Church of Peace, 47 S. prisoners to farm. The facility has an property values fall because of their way?" asked Gadler, who agreed Century Ave., Maplewood, was com- average prisoner population of 150 to 165, location directly overlooking the landfill, Ramsey County may not be able to come mended for his testimony before the and employs about 60 people. he said. up with five suitable sites. board of directors.