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Board pauses decision on proposed concrete/wastewater plant after odor complaints at prior site
Summary
A proposed permanent concrete processing and wastewater treatment facility drew strong caution from DCD and Alderman Speicher because of prior odor complaints at the company’s South 9th Street location; the applicant said the new site uses enclosed offloading and scrubbers and has MMSD involvement. The board adjourned the item for a contested hearing and more technical review.
The Board of Zoning Appeals adjourned a request from H2flow to operate a permanent concrete processing and wastewater treatment facility at a North/Northwest location after technical staff and neighborhood representatives raised concerns about odors tied to the company’s prior South 9th Street operation.
DCD told the board that city records showed numerous prior complaints about offensive odors at H2flow’s earlier site. Alderman Russell Speicher, whose constituents had endured months of smell-related complaints in the previous permit area, urged caution and robust outreach: “It literally smelled like s‑h‑i‑t, and I heard that every day for months,” he said, summarizing constituent testimony about the disruption caused by outdoor offloading and sewer system impacts.
H2flow representatives said the proposed Florist Avenue location differs materially from the prior site: tanker trucks will offload indoors behind closed doors, the layout allows installation of dedicated scrubbers and a closed‑loop filtration system, and the company has consulted Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) about sewer capacity and discharge permitting. The applicant said the new facility would require roughly $2 million of investment, indoor odor control and MMSD permitting and asked the board for a long approval period to justify the capital outlay.
Board members and DCD said the differences warranted careful technical review and neighborhood briefing; DCD recommended a short approval window if the board were to grant permits. The board agreed to adjourn the item to a contested hearing and asked the applicant to coordinate outreach with the local alder and to bring MMSD and technical evidence about sewer capacity, offloading controls and the indoor air‑scrubbing systems.
