Rochester Planning Board continues hearing

May 29, 2013

The wait continues for the planned redevelopment of a local recycling plant.

On Tuesday, Rochester Planning Board members were forced to continue the public hearing on a site plane review application for a 58,000 square foot addition to C&D Waste, located on Cranberry Highway in Rochester.

Board members waited to review a report from the Conservation Commission.

The hearing was continued to June 11. Tuesday’s hearing and had been continued from the board’s May 15 meeting.

Planning Board Chair Arnie Johnson said without  the Conservation Commission’s report on possible drainage and wetlands issues on the site, not much could be done.

“The bottom line is nothing’s really changed since the last time we met on this. We are still waiting to hear from the [Conservation Commission],” he said.

The commission meets June 4. Any recommendations will be forwarded to the Planning Board soon after that meeting, Johnson said.

Johnson noted the deadline for board members to make a decision on the site plan review is June 14.

No new testimony was taken at Tuesday’s meeting. Representatives from Shamut Associates LLC were not present.

Shawmut Associates LLC operates C&D Waste, which is slated to be expanded  from the current 30,000-square-foot facility to one that would measure 88,000 square feet. The new building would be equipped to process municipal solid waste and debris from construction sites.

Plans call for constructing the larger facility around the existing one. Once completed, the smaller building would be demolished.

Power for the new facility would come from solar panels mounted on the roof.

The increased size of the building will also require more employees. Currently, three people are employed at C&D Waste.

Shamut Associate representatives have estimated that about 30 people will be needed to staff the larger facility.