The site for a proposed recycling facility (left) is across the street from Normandy Hill Apartments. Photo by Vernon Miles
Alexandria — Tucked away behind the Alexandria Police Department, an empty lot along Wheeler Avenue has become the focal point in a skirmish between local residents and the developers of a proposed recycling facility.
Smith Industries, one of the largest scrap processors in the Mid-Atlantic region, has proposed turning the lot that formerly housed a Flippo Construction depot into a recycling and materials recovery facility. Development of a recycling facility requires a Special Use Permit, which must be approved by the City Planning Commission. However, residents of nearby neighborhoods voiced their opposition to the plan at the Sept. 4 Planning Commission meeting. The permit request was unanimously denied.
The proposed Wheeler Avenue Recycling Center would compact metal and ship it off-site to be converted into raw material. This material is eventually resold to manufacturers.
Many of the residents at the Planning Commission meeting represented Normandy Hill Apartments. The closest Normandy Hill unit is directly across the street from the proposed recycling center, less than 125 feet from the property line. The majority of residents’ concerns involved the noise generated by the proposed facility, particularly from the industrial metal baler used to compact the recyclable materials.
City of Alexandria staff visited another Smith Industries recycling facility in Woodbridge to measure sound output from the metal baler at that site. The staff found that, at a range of 150 feet from the metal baler along what would be the property line at the Alexandria facility, the sounds ranged from 72 to 90 decibels, well above the 60 decibel maximum noise ordinance. According to the Center for Disease Control, 85 decibels is comparable to standing near a garbage disposal or dish washer and sustained exposure may result in hearing loss.
“The primary concern for whether or not the permit was approved was the noise,” said Alex Dambach, Division Chief of Alexandria’s Department of Planning and Zoning. “There was an eight-foot concrete sound barrier proposed, but this is a fairly low level precaution and we weren’t provided with any information on how much sound it would block.”
Robert Nealon, an attorney representing Smith Industries, contended that the recycling facility would implement state of the art landscaping and fencing to serve as sound barriers. However, a report filed by the Alexandria staff found that these measures would only reduce the sounds from the facility by five to seven decibels, which would still leave the facility regularly in violation of noise ordinances.
Additional concerns included the potential for the various metals and chemicals processed through this facility to seep into the local stream south of the facility. While Smith Industries proposed relocating the truck loading and unloading mechanisms away from the stream, the staff reported that this would do little to mitigate the potential damage.
Local resident Yuan Yuan raised concerns over the air pollution generated from the metal dust and diesel fumes emitted from the baler. Yuan pointed to benzene in particular as a potent carcinogen, and as a new mother, worried about the potential effects of long-term exposure on local children. Dambach confirmed that potential chemical hazards from the facility were still under investigation.
Other residents believed the facility could damage the late-18th century mill located on the premises.
“It’s a historic mill, only one left in the city of Alexandria, and they want to surround it with a junkyard,” said Suzanne Morrison, president of the Early Street Village Property Owners Association.
According to Nealon, the core of the issue is a misinterpretation of the facility’s purpose. Nealon reiterated his offer in the Planning Commission meeting that anyone interested in a tour of Smith Industries’ Woodbridge operation was more than welcome.
“There’s a misunderstanding here. We’re not a junkyard; we’re leading-edge green technology. It’s a facility that represents the future of this industry,” Nealon said.
At the City Council Public Hearing on Sept. 13, the council deferred the vote on the Special Use Permit until Oct. 18 at Nealon’s request.
But according to Nealon, the fight isn’t over.
“There were a lot of issues that were discussed in the Planning Commission. A lot of issues were brought up that need to be addressed and clarified so people know exactly what it is we’re trying to build,” Nealon said. “This is a flagship city that needs to embrace leading-edge technologies.”
If the issue resurfaces, Morrison says the local citizens will be ready.
“It’s really amazing what they want to put into the middle of the city,” Morrison said. “I’ve been trying to rally the troops and make everyone realize that this could actually happen.