Recycling plan is in sight in Pamlico

Efforts to find a new home for Pamlico County's busiest recycle center could soon be resolved.

The town of Oriental has offered the county a site near recreation fields on the western side of town, with a two-and-a-half year contract.

The county commissioners had turned down the site recently, because of a lack of a long-term agreement and concerns about exact costs.

Except for Commissioners Chris Mele and Paul Delamar, the other five board members rejected the offer. The other commissioners were concerned about having only a 60 to 90-day notification from the town if the site were closed.

The southeast end of the county has been without a recycle drop-off since spring, after the site was moved twice at property owners' requests.

The town of Oriental first offered town-owned land beside the Southeast Volunteer Fire Department, but that fell through because of an adjacent resident's concerns and the fire department's desire to use the land in the future for rescue facilities.

The new site, on Straight Road behind the Southeast fire department, will be presented again to the commissioners Monday night.

County Manager Tim Buck recommends that the board approve the site this time, at a cost of $6,500.

The work would include placing reject material on a 40-by-22-foot area, install two driveway culverts and fill in a portion of a ditch.

"A positive about this arrangement is that any improvements that go into the site will enhance and remain at the recreation site that we use for county recreation programs," Buck said in a memo to the board.

He said money for the work is within the existing county budget.

The Oriental site has bins for newspapers, assorted paper and bottles and cans. County recycling coordinator Jesse Bloomberg has estimated the Oriental area site traditionally handles 15 tons each month.

The town of Oriental has its own recycling program.

The current closest recycle sites for Oriental-area residents are Gary's Restaurant in Arapahoe, the Florence-Whortonsville fire department and at the Dawson Bridge.

Recycle boxes at all county sties will be available for the Thanksgiving weekend until Monday morning.

For information about Pamlico County recycling, call (252) 745-3283.