Planning Commission approves recycling collection facility at 3199 D Road

The City of Grand Junction Planning Commission on Feb. 11 approved a conditional use permit for a recycling collection facility to operate at 3199 D Road in an I-1 (light industrial) zone.

The commission voted 6-0 to approve the GJ Partners LLC request, file number CUP-2024-569, with the findings of fact and conditions listed in the staff report. Among the conditions are a prohibition on outdoor accumulation or storage of materials and a requirement that the site be cleared at the end of each day; the permit also applies only to the portion of the property described in Exhibit 7 (the CUP legal description).

Staff said the proposal is for a 58,275-square-foot recycling collection facility that would occupy an existing building on a 10.745-acre parcel at the corner of D Road and 32 Road. Senior planner Thomas Lloyd told commissioners the operation would be enclosed inside the existing building and would include a 57,775-square-foot warehouse/shop and a 500-square-foot office. "The facility will operate from 7AM to 4PM, Monday through Friday with anticipated 6 to 8 employees," Lloyd said during the presentation.

Lloyd described the proposed use as a recycling collection facility — a structure where materials such as paper, glass, plastics and metal are separated, processed and bailed for shipment to end users. He said trucks would deliver single-stream material to the site and that staff anticipates the heaviest truck traffic between about 10 a.m. and noon and again between about 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Once baled, Lloyd said, two to five trailers may be parked on-site temporarily and shipped several times per week.

Staff presented findings that the use is consistent with the comprehensive plan and with the I-1 zone district, noting the site is surrounded primarily by industrial uses and already has infrastructure and roadway capacity (32 Road is classified as a principal arterial and D Road as a minor arterial). Lloyd also noted applicable performance standards in Title 21, including that sound not exceed 65 decibels at any point on the property line and that there are to be no hazardous materials associated with the proposed operations.

The applicant, participating virtually, confirmed there would be no planned outdoor storage and that any need for outdoor storage in the future would require returning to the planning commission for a CUP amendment and compliance with code screening requirements. In response to commissioner questions, the applicant said the stated hours (7 a.m.–4 p.m.) reflect vendor guidance and that they could accept a condition extending the closing hour to 5 p.m. if the commission preferred.

Commissioners who spoke during deliberations said the proposed use is similar in intensity to prior industrial uses on the site and that enclosing operations inside the building reduces potential impacts. One commissioner noted a concern that significantly increased future processing could raise traffic pressure on the nearby neighborhood to the north and said that would merit renewed review if it occurred.

The motion approved the CUP "with the conditions of approval and findings of fact listed in the staff report," and the chair announced the motion passed 6 to 0.