Burnaby to reconsider planned compost facility in Fraser Foreshore Park
Posted March 17, 2023 6:52 pm.
Last Updated March 17, 2023 7:24 pm.
Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley is calling for a special meeting to reconsider the voting process that would allocate part of the city’s Fraser Foreshore Park into a compost facility.
In a statement, Hurley says the special meeting will be held Monday for the “reconsideration of the alternative approval process.”
On Feb. 27 council approved an Alternative Approval Process (AAP), a voting process where the city’s residents can vote to remove 8.5 hectares of Foreshore Park as a dedicated park and instead turn it into a green waste recycling facility. City staff says the planned facility would process up to 150,000 tons of waste from around the region every year.
The project called Green Recycling and Organics (GRO) would be an enclosed facility.
“We’ve been listening to the public, and it’s clear from what they’ve told us that they don’t support the trade-offs that the GRO project would require in its current form. Council has heard loud and clear that while this may be the right project, it is not the right location,” Hurley said in a statement.
Related: Burnaby residents push back against proposed compost facility in local park
The city previously said that running its own green waste facility will “be able to provide residents with reliable, stable pricing, even when the pricing is volatile.”
Burnaby residents and businesses are currently paying to have their green waste processed in a facility in Delta, the city says.
WATCH: Burnaby residents push back against proposed waste facility in local park
In February, some Burnaby residents expressed their concern about the project.
“Of course, we do need to compost our waste and there are some potential beneficial spinoffs. But my concern really was why put it in Parkland? Why do they want to take land away from a dedicated city park and turn that into basically what’s going to be an industrial facility?” said Paul Cipywnyk, president of the Byrne Creek Streamkeepers Society.
Hurley says the city appreciates those in the community who engaged in a thoughtful and respectful manner on the issue.
“I am hopeful that city council will be unanimous in this reconsideration motion so we can cancel this AAP process.”
Hurley says while the city needs to treat climate action emergencies with “difficult and bold decisions,” the trade-offs need to be something the community supports.
“It’s time for us to let staff get back to work so we can work together to find a better location for this project or to find other innovative solutions to address Burnaby’s urgent climate action needs.”
with files from Kier Junos
