Leavenworth community grappling with waste control issues at landmark

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. — After complaints of slow trash pickup, one sanitation company is proposing a new transfer station to speed things up. However, not everyone likes the location the company wants, since it threatens a local landmark.

A transfer station is a small facility where the trash collected from trucks on the street is moved into larger trailers, which, in turn, transport refuse to a landfill.

“Anytime you talk about waste, it seems to be a hot topic,” Bobby Hancock, owner at Brothers Disposal, said on Wednesday.

Hancock has asked the Leavenworth Board of Commissioners for a special use permit to transform Abeles Field into a transfer station. The former athletic facility was home to countless high school sporting events over the years. The goalposts still stand where football endzones used to sit. The field still brings smiles to longtime locals, but its current owners have let it fall into disrepair, using it mostly for storage of large items. The neighborhood is already zoned for industrial use.

Drawings Hancock has submitted to city leaders show plans for the proposed station. City commissioners have been split in their support for this idea. Some are concerned about smelly garbage being stored near other businesses, and whether or not the main road into the city is the proper place.

“At the transfer station, there won’t be any garbage left on the floor whatsoever every night. It will be cleaned every night. There will be odor foggers to eliminate any kind of airborne odor,” Hancock said.

However, Kansas State Rep. Pat Proctor counters, saying Brothers Disposal couldn’t have picked a poorer location. Rep. Proctor said people in Leavenworth don’t want this, even if it means better trash service. He added that putting this at Abeles Field would desecrate a special spot, and nobody wants a trash facility in the center of town.

“The problem is they’re going to be dumping 20 tons of garbage at a time into trailers and then, hauling 20 tons of garbage out of that spot. It’s right in the middle of town. It’s right on the main thoroughfare into our city,” Rep. Proctor told FOX4 News on Wednesday.

Hancock said his development plans will also include green space that can be used for public gatherings. A city spokesperson said Abeles Field isn’t listed on any known registries of historic places. The city commission is expected to vote on this proposal on Tuesday, July 23rd.

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