by Emily Luxen
NASHVILLE, Tenn.-Some East Nashville residents are fighting to keep a proposed trash facility out of their neighborhood.
Metro Council Members vote Tuesday on a proposal from Waste Connections to build a transfer facility at the old U.S. Lumber site off of Apex Street near Ellington Parkway.
Waste Connections officials said the site will house local trash before it is moved to a landfill in Kentucky. People who work and live nearby said the idea stinks.
"The most obvious concerns are the smell, rodents, and property values decreasing," said opponent Sarah Martin, "we don't want to see this area hampered by a facility like this."
For the last two months, the opposition effort has been building. Several nearby neighborhood associations hosted meetings about the proposed project, and Brady Mills started circulating an online petition that has collected over 600 signatures.
"The power of Facebook is incredible," said Mills, "there are a lot of people who are concerned."
In a statement, Waste Connections officials said they think there are misconceptions about the project. They said, "It is not a landfill. The types of wastes to be transferred in the proposed transfer facility are limited to non-hazardous solid waste."
Many residents still say the project will be a step back for the area.
"We've done a lot to make this neighborhood nicer over the years," said Mills, "This would keep people from wanting to move to this area."
Monday, Metro Council's Planning, Zoning and Historical Commission voted unanimously to disapprove of the project, but the issue now goes before the entire council. Opponents said they will be at Tuesday's meeting.
"People here deserve better than to have their neighborhood be a place for the rest of Nashville's trash."
Link to petition….: http://www.bradymillsclients.com/petition
