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Business owners, residents raise concerns about cardboard recycling 'dumpster alley' near convention center; staff says city will look for alternatives
Summary
A Seaside business owner urged the council to relocate a cluster of cardboard recycling dumpsters near the convention center and Ocean Way, saying the bins block parking and degrade a high‑traffic, tourist‑facing area; staff said Recology placed the bins at the city’s direction and staff will look for alternative sites and pickup adjustments.
A downtown Seaside business owner told the City Council on July 7 that a group of cardboard recycling dumpsters placed near the convention center and Ocean Way have removed parking and created a visually unattractive area behind the convention center, and asked the city to seek alternative locations.
Elizabeth Marston, who identified herself as the owner of a downtown restaurant, described the dumpsters — which Recology calls cardboard recycling depots — as obstructing parking, attracting nonlocal users and creating an eyesore adjacent to a popular mural, a walkway to the water and a park. Marston said Recology told her the city chose the current location and that many users appear to be residents of outlying areas rather than downtown businesses.
City staff explained that Recology had to close an older recycling site on Avenue S and the city sought a downtown location close to businesses. Staff said they sought feedback from the Seaside Downtown Development Association (SDDA), which prioritized preserving parking; SDDA members told staff they were more concerned about losing two parking spaces than about downtown cardboard access. Staff said they remain open to alternative siting suggestions and will look at other locations, spreading multiple depots across the city, or increasing pickup frequency to reduce overflow.
Staff also noted that cardboard recycling is not directly charged to the city and that the main operational impact is congestion and aesthetic concerns; by contrast, green‑waste containers impose direct costs and are treated differently. Staff asked the public to provide suggested locations and said they will pursue options, including moving the containers to less prominent city‑owned sites and possibly spreading bins across multiple locations.
Ending: Staff said they will continue to explore alternative locations, adjust collection frequency as needed and coordinate with Recology and downtown stakeholders; no formal relocation decision was made at the July 7 meeting.
