Board Opposes Construction Recycling Center

The Bartlett, Ill., village board Tuesday night unanimously approved a resolution against a proposed Elgin construction recycling center near Bartlett's western border.

The board's formal objection to a petitioner's request for a map amendment, which would allow for such a center, will be forward to the Elgin, Ill., board, village officials said.

The Elgin plan commission, a recommending body to the city council, tabled on Tuesday its discussion of the recycling center until next month. The decision rests with the Elgin City Council because a change in zoning is required before the center can be approved.

The Bartlett board objected to the recycling center mainly out of environmental and traffic concerns that would affect Bartlett homeowners in that area, namely the Spring Lakes Mobile Home Park, officials said.

The village's environmental consultant concluded the center would compromise public safety and health with its increased traffic, noise and dust that would be created by the crushing of concrete as it's recycled.

Located in southeastern Elgin at 1844 Schoen Drive, the proposed center would be an unenclosed recycling center for asphalt, shingles, piping, drywall and other industrial materials, said Jim Plonczynski, Bartlett director of economic development. Also, petitioner John Schoen, who owns the land, wants to replace fencing and screening requirements with landscaping. Schoen was not at the Bartlett meeting and could not be reached for comment.

Moreover, additional truck traffic on the already busy West Bartlett Road would negatively affect residents living there, Plonczynski said. Bartlett has not received numbers about how many trucks would be traveling to the center every day, he said.

While the area is largely industrial, an unenclosed recycling center would be too disruptive for the mix of homes that exist there, said Bartlett Trustee John Kavouris.

"I don't mind commercial and industrial out there, but this is beyond that," Kavouris said. "This is not just a warehouse. It's a totally different ballgame." - Daily Herald