Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse last night led a discussion at the location he hopes will become the city’s new composting site.
City officials outnumbered residents at a meeting in Susquehanna Township last night, as Mayor Eric Papenfuse once again made the case for building a compost site on land in the township borders.
The meeting was held at 1850 Stanley Road, where the city wishes to build a five-acre facility to compost lawn and tree waste. Speaking to residents from the edge of the property, which is owned by the Harrisburg School District, Papenfuse sketched the boundaries of the proposed project and answered questions about its operation.
The proposed facility would consist of a macadam surface beneath piles of decomposing leaves. The only on-site equipment would be a wood chipper, which would process large trees and branches, and a wind turner, which would churn the leaf piles once a month to promote decomposition.
Papenfuse was joined by members of the city’s Public Works Department, who would drive the trucks used to transport waste from the city to the compost site. They promised to develop traffic patterns and operating hours that would have minimal impact on the nearby neighborhoods. Papenfuse also pointed out that the closest home to the facility was not in eyesight from the lot.
The site visit was the latest attempt by the city to win supporters for the composting project, which many township residents protested when it was first proposed in April.
Since then, city officials have tried to shift public opinion by hosting open meetings and appearing at the Susquehanna Township commissioners meeting.
Norvella Mosley, a Harrisburg resident who lives close to the Stanley Road site, said on Wednesday that she’s warmed to the proposal since getting more information from the city.
“At first, I wasn’t for it, but now I’m wavering,” Mosley said. “Now, I think it’ll be a good thing.”
Mosley did say that the project shouldn’t exceed five acres. She and other residents want a clause in the final permit that will prevent future administrations from expanding it.
Papenfuse addressed concerns about the facility growing over time, saying that any expansion to the site would require a new permit from the state Department of Environmental Protection. He reiterated the city’s willingness to enter a 30-year memorandum of understanding with Susquehanna Township, expressing their shared intent not to expand the facility beyond five acres.
On Thursday, Papenfuse said that attitudes toward the project seem to be softening.
“I’d say we started out with 90 percent of people against the facility, and we’re closer to 50/50 now,” he said.
The city will organize a field trip to the Swatara Township compost site on Sept. 30, which will allow residents to see a lawn and leaf compost facility in action. After that, there will be another round of meetings before the city begins drafting a permit application.
