Neighbors press Dayton commission over Curbside Waste plan to accept trash, commissioners ask for strict limits

Curbside Waste asked the Dayton Planning Commission on July 10 for permission to expand the types of material its local transfer station may accept, igniting opposition from nearby residents who said past promises were not kept and warning that added waste types could increase odor, litter and truck traffic.

The company’s chief operating officer, Matt Herman, told the commission Curbside seeks “operational flexibility” to handle demolition debris, municipal solid waste, single-sort recycling and, possibly, organics. He said the site is small and throughput-based, that doors will be installed and that the company cleans the tipping floor daily to limit odor and litter.

The request is only a concept plan. Staff explained the next procedural steps would be a City Council hearing, an Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) with a 30-day public-comment period (a 12–14 month process), any necessary city ordinance amendments to permit new transfer-station types, followed by a conditional-use permit and state permitting via the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).

Neighbors at the public hearing urged denial or strict enforceable conditions. Elena Steelman, representing nearby households, said the company had not honored commitments made in 2022: “a number of written and verbal commitments that were made that have not been upheld by curbside,” she told commissioners, citing truck-routing violations, unrestricted hours and incomplete screening. Other residents urged requirements for closed doors, daily cleaning, short maximum on-site storage time and limits on truck routing.

Herman acknowledged community concerns and described several mitigation measures the company already uses or plans to adopt: enclosed doors on specific openings, daily housekeeping of the tipping floor, fence-line cleanup and operational procedures to close doors on certain winds. “Our intent is to be a good neighbor,” he told the commission and said Curbside can memorialize commitments in writing and will face additional reviews during the EAW and MPCA process.

Commissioners said they supported some expanded uses more than others. Several commissioners signaled support for allowing construction and demolition debris and single-sort recycling because those materials generally pose fewer odor risks, but they expressed skepticism about allowing municipal solid waste and source-separated organics unless strict, verifiable controls are in place. Commissioners emphasized limiting on-site storage time (a commonly suggested 24-hour maximum), clear truck-route controls to avoid neighborhood streets, and written operational conditions enforceable through permits.

No formal action to change the code or permit the expanded uses was taken at the meeting. Staff reiterated the project will proceed to City Council on July 22 for conceptual review; if the council supports further consideration, the EAW process and ordinance-amendment steps would follow. The planning commission indicated it would weigh the EAW results, any MPCA conditions and proposed permit terms before recommending approval or denial to the council.

What’s next: the Council receives the concept on July 22; an EAW (if required) would open a 30-day public comment window and could take more than a year to complete. Any ordinance changes or conditional-use permitting decisions will come after the EAW and additional public hearings.