May 25, 2013
A "no vote" means that the zoning board did not pass the city’s request to expand the landfill.
Now the mayor says they are trying to figure out where to go from here.
The controversial issue of what should happen to the Dothan landfill has come to a standstill.
The landfill will become full in two years, so the city wanted to expand it.
“There’s four or five different options, this is the best financial option, the landfills been there 50 years, do an expansion of fifteen acres which will allow us to get through the next ten, twenty years.” Dothan mayor Mike Schmitz said.
“So what will probably do, is do an appeal to their no vote, which is what they did and we could go to circuit court and hopefully win and get the case so we can expand it.” Schmitz said.
But the residents, who live near landfill, agree with the zoning board.
“This is not an easy problem to resolve, because if I had a landfill next to my house, I wouldn’t be happy so I understand where they're coming from.” Schmitz said.
The zoning board denied the request to expand the landfill, so Schmitz says they now have to go a different route.
“So what will probably do, is do an appeal to their no vote, which is what they did and we could go to circuit court and hopefully win and get the case so we can expand it.” Schmitz said.
Schmitz says he understands why residents are concerned, but the city doesn’t have choice but to come to a decision, sooner rather than later.
Residents want the city to look at other sites for the landfill or other disposal alternatives.
