NAUGATUCK — The borough is moving the recycling center to the former Risdon property on Andrew Avenue, at least temporarily.
The Zoning Commission approved the site plan for the temporary recycling center at its Feb. 19 meeting.
The recycling center is located at the corner of Rubber Avenue and Andrew Avenue on a 1.76-acre lot. The former Risdon property, a 12-acre, borough-owned lot, borders the center.
“This piece of property is considerably larger than what we have right now,” Zoning Commission Chairman Wayne M. Malicki said. “So at that point it would alleviate a lot of the problems of traffic lining up on the street waiting to get in.”
Borough Engineer Wayne Zirolli expects the recycling center to operate at the temporary location for at least a year.
The borough is planning to build a new recycling center on a 13.4-acre, borough-owned parcel off School Street Extension. The commission approved a special permit for the new recycling center last year.
The borough has applied for permits from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for the temporary center and the new one, Zirolli said.
Officials plan to move most of the structures at the recycling center, such as concrete blocks, a wood shed, dumpsters and collection bins, to the temporary location, Zirolli said.
Zirolli expects the move to the temporary site to occur sometime next month, after the borough receives the permit from DEEP and the 15-day period to appeal the commission’s decision has passed.
Moving the recycling center is part of a larger plan to sell borough-owned land on Rubber Avenue to developers.
“There has been significant interest in Rubber Avenue and some of our borough parcels, notably the parcel right now that the recycling center is sitting on,” Zorolli said. “We’ve had at least two proposals on that parcel.”
Mayor N. Warren “Pete” Hess said there are people interested in it. He expects the land to be sold in the near future.
Zirolli said developers have expressed interest in the Risdon property, as well.
