The St. Charles County Council is moving its evening meetings on Monday, Dec. 4 to the Family Arena to accommodate what’s expected to be a large turnout prompted by a possible decision on a controversial proposed trash transfer station.

The seven-member council is expected to hold a work session starting between 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on the county’s 2018 budget. The council’s review and possible decision on the proposed conditional use permit that would allow the transfer station will take place at its regular meeting, starting at 7 p.m. The Family Arena is at 2002 Arena Parkway in St. Charles.

The council normal meetings are held at the old county courthouse at 100 North Third Street in St. Charles. The change of venue is for the Dec 4 meeting only.

The transfer station would be located on 8.07 acres of along Arena Parkway and South River Road, south of Friedens Road, near the Family Arena and the Katy Trail. Metro Fill Development filed the permit request.

Approval of the permit would be a step toward allowing the station. The station would be permitted as a conditional use under the present zoning for the site.

Metro Fill Development’s proposal’s states that the station would be site where trash would be consolidated in a building where trash trucks would transferred collected residential and commercial waste to a larger semi-tractor trailer for hauling to a landfill.

The station also would be within 550 feet from townhouses along Montclair Tower Drive on a bluff above the station locations. Other nearby residential developments include the new River Crossing Apartment complex across Friedens Road from the site.

These residents and others nearby attended the commission meeting requested that the permit be denied.. The county’s Community Development Department received at least 25 letters and correspondence opposing the permit.

The St. Charles County Planning and Zoning Commission voted 6-4 to recommend denial of the conditional use permit at their Nov. 15 meeting. Their recommendation goes the council, which could make a final decision on the conditional use permit at their Dec. 4 meeting.

The commission’s denial recommendation means that five of seven council members would have to vote in favor of the permit to approve it rather than a simple majority.

The station would also require approval from the county Public Health Department and Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

Two transfer stations are operated in St. Charles County – in O’Fallon and St. Peters. Metro Development operates a “clean fill landfill” near the site that accepts “inert and clean materials” as fill including concrete, asphalt, rock, sand, cinder-blocks, brick, clay and uncontaminated soil.

Residents voiced a number of concerns about the proposed station including odor from the transfer waste, its impact on property values, traffic safety because 120 trash trucks a day and 40-tractor trailers might use the station, noise, public health issues, and the impact on future development in the area. A traffic study submitted by Metro Fill Development the public roadway were sufficient to handle additional traffic.

The county community development department staff also discussed these issues in their recommendation to the commission recommending denial. The staff recommendation notes the proposed would be “detrimental to the general welfare in the immediate vicinity due to anticipated land use conflicts with residential uses.”

The staff recommendation also states that the station would “injure the use and enjoyment of residential and public open space” and would impede development on the South River Road – Arena Parkway corridor.

The corridor connects with attractions such as the Streets of St. Charles, Bangert Island County Park, the Family Arena, the Katy Trail and proposed mixed use employment at Route 364 near the Arena Parkway.