Yellow Pages
The Sedro-Woolley School Board is no longer silent about the location for a proposed solid waste facility near Sedro-Woolley High School.
School Board members voted in favor of a resolution during last week’s School Board meeting opposing the location of the Deluxe Recycling and Disposal facility.
Board members Mike Janicki and Rich Weyrich abstained from the vote. Weyrich serves as Skagit County prosecuting attorney and Janicki is the son of Annie Janicki, who is taking a recent decision regarding the facility to Skagit County Superior Court.
School Board members said approving the resolution did not mean they disapprove of a solid waste facility in Sedro-Woolley, only the location.
“I’m not voting to condemn (Deluxe or the city),” School Board member Tim Howland said. “But as a request to look at our concerns and see what they can do to address our concerns.”
The resolution states School Board members feel the Deluxe facility could create “offensive odors, exhaust, heavy vehicle traffic and other bothersome nuisances” that could impair students’ health and educational experiences at the high school.
The resolution also addresses the Board’s concern about the high school’s “reputation and perception” in other communities if a solid waste facility is located near the high school.
The School Board voiced those concerns during the public comment period for the initial review of the Deluxe building permit process, or State Environmental Protection Act, said Jim Kallio, School Board president, in an interview.
School Board members also requested the city of Sedro-Woolley conduct an Environmental Impact Statement — a document that analyzes the environmental impacts of a proposed development.
That request was denied, Kallio said.
“We just wanted to let it be known we’re still worried about these things,” he said. “We’re not against the project.”
The image of the high school and the district is what the Board is concerned about, said Mark Venn, superintendent for the district, in an interview. He said he is not aware of any schools that are located next to a solid waste facility.
Sedro-Woolley High School Principal Mike Schweigert said in an interview he agrees with the School Board’s decision and concerns.
He said he “echoes” their comments that the resolution is not against the city or Deluxe owners, but that it may encourage those parties to examine other options.
The School Board tried to be neutral about the recycling and solid waste facility, but it got to the point where they felt they needed to take a position, Venn said.
“We wanted to make it a little more official,” he said. “It gives the message to parents and the community that this is how we feel about the location.”
