Company gets green light for landfill near Bennett

By Bill Scanlon
Rocky Mountain News

BRIGHTON, CO - Thirty angry homeowners on Wednesday lost their bid to stop construction of a landfill near them, but at least they got a public apology from the dump's owner.

"These residents deserve an apology from us for starting the work unannounced," said John Griffith, president of Alpine Waste & Recycling, during a public hearing. "It was a poor move on our part."

Alpine's bulldozers showed up Saturday morning in the neighborhood north of Bennett and six miles east of Denver International Airport. Surprised homeowners complained they were not told a dump was planned near them and said the noise, dust, odor and traffic would lower property values.

But Adams County commissioners on Wednesday gave Alpine a green light on the project, saying the company had the proper permits.

Commission Chairwoman Alice Nichol admonished Alpine for starting work before alerting the county or the neighbors, and told the company to schedule a meeting with nearby residents within a week.

If flagrant violations are found in the future, the commissioners said they could take stiffer action, including possibly shutting down the facility.

Some homeowners left the hearing resigned to making the best of life with their new neighbor, but others said they haven't given up on trying to nix the deal.

Leslie Gerbracht, who lives on Schumaker Road near 80th Avenue adjacent to the landfill, said her family moved to the 35-acre property to get away from noise, light and traffic.

"Now, we'll be able to sit on our porch with our morning coffee and watch trucks rumble by, smell garbage and diesel, choke on the dust and watch litter fly by," she said.

Gerbracht said the county should have ordered a public hearing in 2005 when the landowner applied to expand the list of what could go into the proposed landfill. She said the state deemed it a "major change."

Adams County Attorney Hal Warren said Planning Director Rob Coney disagreed, determining it to be a minor change.

Got questions?

Officials with landfill owner Alpine Waste & Recycling will be available to answer homeowners' questions at these times:

• Sunday, 11 a.m., VFW in Bennett

• Tuesday, 10 a.m., Holiday Inn, 15500 East E. 40th Ave., Aurora

• Sept. 28, 5 p.m., Fairfield Inn, 6851 Tower Road, Denver

• Sept. 30, 12:30 p.m., Fairfield Inn

• Oct. 3, 6 p.m., Fairfield Inn

• Oct. 6, 8 a.m., Fairfield Inn

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