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Dunkirk officials ask county for North County brush drop‑off and chipping site
Summary
Dunkirk council members urged Chautauqua County to identify county-owned land in the Fredonia area that could be licensed as a northern drop-off and chipping site to avoid long hauls to southern facilities and reduce street piles and drainage hazards.
City of Dunkirk elected officials appeared before Chautauqua County’s Public Facilities Committee on March 16 to request county assistance in establishing a North County brush drop-off and chipping location.
Councilwoman Natalie Luchiaak said the lack of a local facility forces residents and municipal crews to travel long distances and leave piles of brush that can block drains and harm the city’s appearance. "If residents are not able to bring their brush and shrubbery ... without traveling 25 miles, they shouldn't have to," she said.
Council members described the operational strain: multiple loads require additional fuel and personnel hours, and the access road to the existing southern drop-off in Ellery can be rough enough to damage trucks. They also said a previously used local site may not have been properly permitted under DEC rules.
Committee members and Dunkirk representatives discussed possible county-owned land in Fredonia with an existing barn and the idea of locating a grinder or chipper there. Questions included who would staff and monitor the site, how chipped material would be handled, whether chipped material could be reused as mulch or compost, and how to obtain the required DEC permits or licenses.
Officials suggested the county and city executive offices work together on next steps. A committee member proposed evaluating the North County Transfer Station in Fredonia as a candidate location, possibly adding a tub grinder and user fees to make the site operational and sustainable.
No formal county funding decision or vote on a specific site was taken; the committee recommended intergovernmental follow-up to develop operational details and a budgetary plan.
