CANOGA PARK : MTA Drops Plan for Recycling Center
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has scuttled a proposal to build a recycling center on a vacant lot near the intersection of Sherman Way and Deering Avenue.
MTA spokeswoman Kathy Irish said the agency had been approached by a recycling firm that had requested to lease the property. But members of the Deering Business Watch, a local merchants association, objected to the plan. The proposal has since been rejected, she said.
“They were concerned about having activity in the area on a 24-hour basis,” Irish said, adding that there are no plans to lease the vacant lot to any enterprise.
Robert Bartel, head of the Deering Business Watch, said neighboring business owners feared that a recycling center would create a nuisance in the area.
“It would draw a lot more trash and it wouldn’t look very appealing,” he said. “We couldn’t use any less appeal here than what we’ve already got.”
Bartel said the merchants thought traffic to and from the center would create a safety hazard and would encourage transients to dig through garbage cans in the area to find recyclables.
Irish said the MTA wanted the community’s assent and wouldn’t attempt to apply for permits on the site without it.
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