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8 <br />We could adjust the weighting factors. Making any of these changes could result in <br />additional sites, fewer sites, or sites in other areas of the county. While staff and the <br />consultant await BOCC direction on any alternative approaches thought necessary, those <br />approaches will delay the inevitable need for a decision. The section below addresses <br />some of the issues raised in recent public meetings and the responses based on staff <br />review of work accomplished. <br />Site Size <br />The final three candidate sites all exceed the minimum 25 acre search criteria. The BOCC <br />discussed and considered various factors in deciding on the size criteria to be used for the <br />site search process. Staff has previously reviewed with the BOCC various ancillary <br />facilities/services that could be considered to accompany the transfer station and enhance <br />or improve its functionality and/or citizen convenience. Recent discussions have even <br />mentioned the possible need for some future alternative technology type facility. The <br />BOCC has discussed buffering possibilities that would minimize neighborhood impacts <br />and a larger site would allow more buffering. Staff has also previously advocated for an <br />emergency storm debris management area. So while no decisions are being requested <br />regarding any of these possible future needs at this time, it is important to keep in mind <br />potential future needs before selecting and binding future Boards to an undersized <br />property. <br />While reference has been made to the City of Greensboro's transfer station being on only <br />a 10- acre site, our discussions with Greensboro waste management staff has resulted in <br />their freely acknowledging that their site is too small and constrained. <br />Staff advises the BOCC to consider this occasion to secure a larger rather than smaller <br />site to eliminate any need for another divisive and disagreeable site search process in the <br />future. It is a certainty under even the best conditions Orange County will have waste <br />and recyclables to manage for decades into the future and will require a location on <br />which to manage it, whether with a transfer station or alternative methodology. If <br />additional property is obtained there would be both an urban and a rural option for future <br />facility/services consideration. We also believe that if a call for smaller sites is granted <br />by the BOCC and smaller sites are identified, these smaller sites will be criticized by their <br />respective neighbors either as being too small or being selected as the result of a <br />corrupted search that deviates from the established public process. <br />Timeline <br />The County's landfill is projected to reach capacity in late spring-early summer of 2011. <br />The consultant's suggested timeline to have the new transfer station ready when needed <br />is very optimistic. Delays beyond the current decision making timeline (December 11) <br />will almost certainly result in a necessity to develop (permit and fund) an interim waste <br />transfer contingency plan. The BOCC has already reconsidered its original decision to <br />locate the facility on Eubanks Road and developed the current comprehensive and <br />systematic process to identify a site. To abandon or significantly alter the current process <br />