Newbury committee opts to keep recycling center at site next to village fire station

The Newbury Solid Waste Committee on April 18 decided to try to keep the town recycling center at its current location next to the Newbury Village Fire Station while accommodating a fenced construction area for the new fire station. Susan Culp, chair of the Selectboard, opened the meeting at 4:35 p.m. to discuss options and the Committee reviewed a parcel map showing a revised container layout.

Selectboard member Jeff McKelvey presented a parcel map with container placement at scale and proposed shifting containers toward the parcel center, removing the Able Waste dumpster and the adjacent deck to create space. McKelvey said the configuration must leave room for trenching from a power pole on the Rohr property to a new power pedestal at the corner of the parcel by the fire station. He reported that zoning administrator Dennis Marquis said a temporary configuration during construction does not have to follow setback rules, but a permanent layout would.

Committee members discussed alternatives NEKWMD raised about moving the center to the Newbury Crossing Park & Ride and the possibility of using the State Highway Garage off Route 302; members noted that any relocation would require a change-of-use permit from the Development Review Board. After reviewing tradeoffs and permitting constraints, the Committee decided to try to keep recycling on the existing site if feasible and to pursue a temporary reconfiguration that accommodates construction and utilities.

The Committee agreed to contact NEKWMD for sorting resources and to explore signage for the new layout. Next steps include confirming measurements taken at a site visit and documenting the reconfigured placement for Selectboard approval.