The Exchange: Next Step a Feasibility Study

 — by Margie Doyle —

Tim Blanchard and Pete Moe in front of what they hope may be the new Exchange building

Last week, Orcas Recycling Services (ORS) Board President Tim Blanchard and Executive Director Pete Moe gave local press a tour of property off Shaeffer Stretch on the east side of Crow Valley, and discussed its feasibility as a site for a re-born Exchange..

It’s been just over a year since ORS took over operations of the Transfer Site from San Juan County, and along with garbage transfer, compliance with county regulations, transfer site rehabilitation and other “normal” operations, the ORS board has had more than one antennae tuned to the re-birth of the Exchange. Moe says, “It has been foremost since the beginning to get the Exchange back in place… still, we had things we had to get done first to keep the transfer station operating.”

The old. organically-grown, non-regulated Exchange.

The Exchange was a … well, a historic, popular bartering site, placed in a small substandard shack and stretching out under the trees just west of the transfer station scales on property owned by the county. In 2013, the Exchange burned to the ground.  Later that year, the non-profit Orcas Recycling Services, which had run the Exchange with volunteers, was awarded the contract to lease and operate the county transfer site. This award came after ORS board had cleaned up the property, taxes and regulations under which both the Exchange and the Transfer Site had operated for decades.

Orcas Exchange burned to the ground in February 2013. Photo use only with permission of orcasissues.com

Recently, ORS signed a contract to purchase the 35-acres owned by Bill Carlson, pending a feasibility study. That study will analyze the financial and regulatory elements, including renovations and rehabilitation of property and structures, operations, regulations concerning permits, land use and building codes.

Blanchard said “I hope to move through the feasibility process right away and determine shortly after the beginning of the year if the [Carlson] site is workable.’

“If not, we would be disappointed, but we already have contingency plans in place on the transfer station site.” However, there are a number of things that would have to be changed at the old [transfer station] site to be in compliance with the county. Chief among those elements is construction of a road on the transfer station property, which will require engineer, road grading and permits. The road would need to be installed before a new Exchange building could be constructed.

Tim Blanchard and Pete Moe consider the feasibility of the Carlson acreage for an ORS/Exchange site.

And the property would still be owned by the county and leased to ORS for use by the community, while the proposed site would be conducive to the renewable product, “zero-waste” goals of the ORS, Moe and Blanchard said.

“The ORS board has been asked to ensure the Exchange for generations to come. We believe there is a sound basis and the [Carlson] structure and property could work. It’s a very sound project, in the best interests of the Exchange and the community to rehabilitate this parcel.” said Blanchard.

The county-leased Transfer Station site would continue to operate for waste transfer and also for other recycling projects. Pete Moe says, “There is a community need to go back and self-sort [garbage and recycling]. Now it is all mixed together and it is better economically and environmentally” to sort the waste stream.

The exact amount of acreage at the Carlson site is to be determined through the permitting process. The front, western, part is zoned non-conforming commercial and is where the replacement structure for the Exchange is located. The building is now used as a boat repair facility, with room for offices. It also has utilities; an important consideration as the Transfer Station site doesn’t have water. The large amount of area that is covered is also a key advantage of the existing building.

The back portion of the acreage is zoned agricultural, and as such would serve handily for long- range ORS projects such as composting, mulching and animal husbandry.  “We’d create good pasture and improve the watershed in cleaning up the property,” said Moe.

Should the feasibility study recommend going ahead with the purchase, the broadly-outlined steps are:

• fundraise to acquire the property;
• renovate the building to code;
• clean up the property;
• obtain permits and comply with regulations;
• open the New Exchange

“We’ve not gotten distracted from re-establishing the Exchange; and think we’ve found a way to put the Exchange back and fulfill the mission of the ORS — to move ahead to a zero-waste environment,” said Moe.

ORS Board members are Larry Coddington, John Forrest, Michael Greenberg, Kate Hansen, Ian Harlow, Susan Malins, Bruce Rylander,  and Wendy Shinstine.