One season after relocating its recycle bins from the north side of the Munson Township community center property to the south side, trustees heard more residents’ complaints April 10.
One season after relocating its recycle bins from the north side of the Munson Township community center property to the south side, trustees heard more residents’ complaints April 10.
Neighbors Aaron Koehler and Tom Norton, who live on Sherman Road near the intersection with Auburn Road, told trustees the yard is unsightly, unsafe and affects their quality of life.
Norton said the area, just east of the township road department yard, has attracted more and more recyclable items and, although he doesn’t live directly across the road from the yard, it is disturbing.
“I find it highly offensive to turn around the corner coming home to see 20 to 25 containers overflowing,” he told trustees.
Koehler, who does live across Sherman from the yard, said he moved there a year ago and has noticed an increase in traffic he feels is a safety concern, as well as cars just sitting in the recycle lot after dark.
“I see people congregating there and I’ve seen people rummaging through the bins at night,” Koehler said. “Those bins are very loud when the trucks come to pick them up at 7:30 Sunday morning. There is a smell, as well.”
The recycle bins, owned by the Geauga-Trumbull Solid Waste Management District and Abitibi Consolidated, were moved by the township last year when the neighbor to the north complained about the same problems, as well as dust and papers being blown onto his property.
In May, the road department took the bins temporarily to a space beside the baseball fields on the south side of the township property and later in the summer cleared a permanent space for them by the road department.
“One of the reasons we moved here from northern California was because of the quality of life. It’s a beautiful area and now we have Dumpsters outside our window,” Koehler said, adding he is embarrassed to have visitors at his home because of the view.
Trustee Irene McMullen said the location is not ideal.
“It’s been the source of much discussion,” she said.
The possibility of moving the bins back to the rear of the ballpark and putting up a fence had been considered, but the traffic, noise and odors could still be a problem.
“It’s a residential area,” Koehler said, adding he doesn’t think putting the bins near where youth play baseball is appropriate.
Koehler, Norton and the trustees agreed recycling is a good idea.
Trustee Jim McCaskey said Geauga County Commissioners placed six bins at 470 Center Street in Chardon and had to increase the number to 10 to accommodate the demand to recycle.
McCaskey said he feels the county engineer’s yard on Merritt Road would be a better location for a recycle yard and he will pursue it.
Another possibility would be to place bins at the township’s Bass Lake Park located on Bass Lake Road south of Mayfield Road. Koehler and Norton agreed to meet with the road superintendent at the park to see if there is a space there.
McMullen said snow removal and connecting the security cameras the township uses to keep track of activity around the bins could be an issue at Bass Lake Park, which also includes ball diamonds and is just north of the elementary school.
In other business, Munson Fire Chief Mike Vatty said the fire station had to depend on a generator for power for 26 hours when the storms took out electricity in the area April 5.
The station was without Internet connection for 12 hours, he said.
Road and fire departments worked together to help residents, but a couple of dozen homes on Burlington Ridge were inaccessible until 8 p.m. that night, Vatty said.
“We tried to notify them through social media and Facebook. We got positive feedback ,” he said, adding they will use them again in the future.
