Mammoth New Structure to Lessen Stench, Seagulls at Dump

The aroma wafting up from the foot of Davis Street could improve in the months ahead as Waste Management begins using a gigantic enclosed building to consolidate loads of green waste picked up by its curbside recycling trucks.

Thus far these lawn clippings, food scraps and other biodegradable materials collected from homeowners have been dumped outdoors at the Davis Street Resource Recovery Complex, aka "the dump."

At the Davis Street Complex, loads from five curbside pickup trucks are consolidated into semi-trucks that carry about 20 tons of green waste to composting facilities around the Bay Area.

But no more will this smelly task be done outdoors.

On Thursday, Waste Management christened an $11 million structure big enough to let curbside trucks dump their loads inside, on a 35,000-square-foot concrete floor that was clean for perhaps the last time.

The enormity of the structure is difficult to describe. It could easily hold a half dozen two-story homes with room to spare.

This indoor transfer station has what amounts to a basement driveway so that the green waste can be easily lifted into 20-ton semi-trucks for delivery to final composting destinations.

Waste Management District Manager Jack Isola said the result will be less outdoor odor and fewer reasons for seagulls to scavenge.

The transfer station was designed to meet the highest energy efficiency and environmental standards, Waste Management officials said.

Waste Management said this will be the first industrial building in San Leandro to meet gold standard LEED certification — short for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design.

Now the only question is, where will they hang the 30-foot-tall air freshener?