GAINESVILLE – The Sardis Road compactor site will soon be relocating.
The drive-thru facility at 2801 Sardis Road is one of twelve maintained by Hall County (and one of the most heavily-used according to county officials), but a variety of reasons has led to the county’s decision to relocate the facility.
However, it won’t be moving far – less than 2000-feet according to Google Maps – to a location on Fran Mar Drive, just northwest of Chestatee Academy.
The “mysterious mountain of dirt”, as one local resident describes it, will soon become the compactor site’s new home.
Hall County Public Works Director Ken Rearden mentioned limited space as the first reason for the commission’s decision to budget $300,000 for the move.
“The site is way too small,” Rearden said. “It’s actually on Corps of Engineers property we lease from them.”
Rearden said work at the new location, a 3-acre tract of land donated by the Hall County School System, should begin soon.
“We’re this close to ready to start turning dirt and clearing and cutting trees,” Rearden said holding up his hand, thumb and index finger narrowly spaced, to illustrate the nearness of the project’s start.
“We’re looking to get a grading contractor in there before the wet season hits us,” he added.
Just over a year ago the road fronting the current site, Sardis Road, washed out following heavy rains and ended up taking over two month to repair. Comments from those familiar with the repair work said state officials were concerned about the site’s proximity to Lake Lanier and its low elevation.
When asked about reports that the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) had expressed concern about possible ground contamination should a leak occur in the compactor, Rearden said, “Not really. We have a septic tank (below ground)…on that site just for that one little guard shack. It is tight in there and like I said it’s been there for a long time.”
The future location, Rearden said, should solve the problems of low elevation and cramped quarters. He explained that a dual-site is planned, one similar to the compactor facility at Blackshear Place.
“We’ll have two lanes open for traffic on garbage; we’re also going to have two lanes for recycling.”
Once operations end at the Sardis Road location the property will be re-graded and returned to the Corps.
At Thursday’s County Commission meeting funds were approved for the purchase of five new compactors which should be delivered from their North Carolina manufacturer within six weeks.
“We’re ready to go with this site,” Rearden said in closing.
