Judging from the letters, comments and other feedback from the community, few if any in Summerland want to see a regional compost facility set up in the community.
But the proposal, recommended by staff at the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen, should not be discarded without some closer examination.
The facility would compost food waste, yard waste, wood waste and water treatment sludge.
It would also bring some revenue into the community, through taxation, lease rates and possibly development cost charges.
The revenue numbers are not known at present, but the potential financial benefits to the community must be considered when determining whether the compost facility would be good or bad for the community.
Summerland is one of two proposed locations for the site, and the location preferred by regional district staff. The other is on Marron Valley Road, on Penticton Indian Band land.
According to odour modelling studies from the regional district, no residences in the community would be affected if the facility would be built at the Summerland landfill.
However, those who live near the proposed location, as well as those who live along or near the proposed truck route to the facility, are concerned with the potential effects of the compost facility.
A well-designed, well-run compost facility could operate without noticeable impact on the rest of the community. However, not all compost facilities operate well. When a compost facility has problems, it affects all living nearby.
In the end, while the regional district can vote on the preferred location, it is up to Summerland’s municipal council to agree to have the facility located here.
It will be a question of whether the potential revenue from this facility will outweigh the potential drawbacks and the complaints about this proposed facility.