Wednesday, July 11, 2012

West Ocala council, residents, oppose proposed recycling center

Published: Wednesday, July 11, 2012 at 6:42 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, July 11, 2012 at 6:42 p.m.
Shirley Nelson does not want a recycling center on Ocala's west side, and the Governor's West Ocala Neighborhood Revitalization Council agrees with her.
A notice has been circulating among people who live near the intersection of Northwest 27th Avenue and Northwest 21st Street telling them Waste Pro is evaluating the property at that corner as a possible site for a garbage recycling center.
Waste Pro Division Manager Jerry Lourenco said the company is looking for a building or land to open a recycling center.
"It's not garbage," Lourenco said. "It's recycled materials."
Nevertheless, "We don't want it on our side of town in our community," Nelson told council members earlier this week.
She said a petition is being signed and she plans to go to the Ocala City Council meeting on Tuesday to register her objections, and she's asked for the revitalization council's support.
Lourenco, who owns the Friends Recycling plant on Northwest 27th Avenue, said he has looked at about six different buildings in town and about 10 to 12 pieces of vacant land that have the correct M-1 industrial zoning. Some are in the city and some are in the county. He said he has looked at the former Royal Oak charcoal plant site and he also has looked at a building off Baseline Road, but the roof was too low for the equipment.
Lourenco said Waste Pro's regional vice president will be in Ocala today to see the buildings and sites he has selected.
"We haven't purchased anything yet," Lourenco said. "Corporate will have to do its evaluation of each property and, eventually, come up with something."