Design

Based on safe facility operational needs and future growth projections for Kittitas County, the estimated area required to provide the solid waste and material management needs for the new facility is 25 to 30 acres. The US 97/Old Highway 10 site is approximately 50-acres and will be subdivided to include a relocated Public Works Lower County Maintenance Facility in the future.

• Traffic flow patterns for self-haul, garbage collection, and transfer vehicles will be organized to limit traffic crossings and to improve safety for users of the site.
• The transfer building floor will have separate areas for unloading commercial and self-haul vehicles.
• A minimum of 28 feet of overhead clearance inside the transfer building will allow safe unloading of all types of garbage trucks and other vehicles.

The primary functions of the transfer building include waste, receiving, storage, and handling. There is space for future building expansion in the current concept design.

The new composting area will be an outdoor operation designed to accept and process yard waste, agricultural by-products, and wood waste into compost. Future addition of other feedstocks may be considered at a later date. The County has indicated that it is not interested in accepting post-consumer food waste or biosolids at this site.

Primarily designed for County staff, the administrative building will be located near the entrance/exit of the facility but will be accessible to visitors without requiring them to cross the scales.

The new facility will be equipped with inbound and outbound manual scales, and an inbound automated scale dedicated for commercial accounts. The scalehouse and scale area will also have space to accommodate a future outbound automated scale.

The recycling drop-off area will be expanded and made safer and more convenient for users. It will be accessible without going through the scale.

The new moderate risk waste (MRW) building will accept common household materials such as oil-based paint, used motor oil, pesticides, batteries, etc. It will be larger than the current facility to improve separation and storage. The building will be located before the scale and will be designed for customers to pull through a drive-through area that will be located under a roof.