CR&R Tosses Plans for Big Recyling Plant Near San Juan

Residents on the east side of townof a 35-foot-tall, 70,000-square-foot recycling center being built near their homes.

has withdrawn its application with the county to build a plant that receives, separates and prepares recyclable materials on about 18 acres near the La Pata Avenue and Ortega Highway intersection. The possibility of it being built there upset a few residents, who have said, "Not in my backyard!"

In a letter dated March 29, Jay Bullock, a planning consultant for CR&R, wrote to Orange County Public Works that the proposed site plan was based on an outdated alignment for the . The actual alignment—approved by the Orange County Board of Supervisors —is 50 feet east of where CR&R planners had plotted it.

"This misalignment is not subject to change and, unfortunately, renders the site too small to accommodate the [materials recovery facility]," wrote Bullock.

Rancho Mission Viejo currently leases 5.6 acres of land at 32250 La Pata to CR&R for an existing transfer station MRF. Bullock said the Ranch will help the waste recyclers find a new site.

The need to relocate and expand the facility is motivated by new state recycling laws and the fact that the Ranch is expected to

CR&R's existing facility on the Ranch property is a transfer station for its full-operation MRF in Stanton.

Once CR&R recycling trucks pick up materials on collection day, the trash travels to the Stanton facility. After delivery, the materials are sorted by hand, then separated by type, compacted, baled and prepared for sale on the open market.

While CR&R still aims to build a fully operational MRF to serve South Orange County, a spokeswoman said it is not actively searching for a new site.

"Eventually will [we] have to relocate when development begins in Rancho Mission Viejo, which could be years down the road," said spokeswoman Rachelle Paris.

In February, CR&R representatives brought up to speed the then-newly elected City Council on the MRF plans. They promised that the facility would be odorless and would not block residents' views of Capistrano Valley. The residents in attendance, however, were unconvinced.