HomeMy WebLinkAboutWayne and Janet GearhardMayor and City Council Members
City of Meridian
Meridian, Idaho July 12, 2018
Dear Mayor and City Council Members,
RE: application H-2018-0042 Timber Creek Recycling
During a City Council meeting in which the annexation of large parcels of property near us was
approved, a question was asked concerning what to say to a homeowner building their dream home
only to learn the city was allowing something unpleasant to be built near them. The answer was the
homeowner should have exercised due diligence and researched the city’s plans prior to purchasing land
or home.
I am asking you to do your due diligence. Timber Creek Recycling is affecting many families who live
near it. We have received no consideration, no notification, no explanation. We knew we were building
near a feed lot and a dairy when we built our home 26 years ago. We know now that our world is
changing every day. We have accepted the traffic, the cars and the nonstop dirt haulers. We know we
will be surrounded by subdivisions, a park and schools. We have no choice but to accept it all. But a
large commercial composting facility on our corner is nothing we could ever have imagined. Nor were
we ever notified it was being considered. We have watched as a pile of wood became mountains of
shredded wood and an occasional grinding of several days became nonstop noise and dust. We
watched a few farm trucks become semis and other commercial trucks. We smell the rotting grass and
other vegetation. We wake up to the sound of machinery, we hear it throughout our house. At times it
sounds like it is in our front field. The noise starts at 7 and continues until 6, six days a week. This is
now.
In listening to Mike Murgoitio’s proposal given on February 23, 2018, if approved Timber Creek will
greatly expand its facility to allow acceptance of other materials. He thinks in one more year, he could
be open to other communities and possibly Boise. The operation will become mammoth. It will involve
more equipment, more trucks, Republic disposal trucks, commercial trucks and homeowners coming to
pick up compost. More noise and dust, more rotting vegetation, leaching ponds, more flies and other
insects, more rodents, possible toxic gases and contamination to soil, and fire risk. (There were two
compost fires reported in the news in the June.) He talks about bio-solids, composting paper and
commercial grass in the future.
Mr. Murgoitio downplays all of our concerns. He truly did not answer my question about the noise. He
has, however, put his recycle facility away from his own home. With 800 acres, we wonder why he
chose to place his commercial business next to so many of his neighbors. His land has been designated
as R 4, prime development land. Much of it will be developed by Brighton Builders.
I am asking you to ask yourselves would you want a 160 acres trash heap across the street or behind
your house? or near your 77 acre Discovery Park? This is just not right. Right should count for
something. Please do not accept Michael Murgoitio’s commercial composting expansion.
Sincerely,
Wayne and Janet Gearhard