Per the County’s Land Use Services Department, plans are underway to develop 5.5 of 10 acres on the North Shore for use as a contractors storage yard and recycling center. The proposed project, applied for by Big Bear Disposal, would be located in the area zoned industrial between the Big Bear Airport and Highway 38, from just west of Mound and east to about Holden Avenue in Big Bear City. San Bernardino County Senior Planner Kevin White tells KBHR that the recycling facility would service the entire Big Bear Valley, not just City of Big Bear Lake customers of Big Bear Disposal. Frank Forbes, who serves as the disposal company’s Director of Governmental Affairs and Recycling Coordinator, tells KBHR, “It will be a recycling facility, but not open to the public whatsoever. It will be strictly a recycling and sorting facility, and will provide 8 to 10 new jobs in the Valley, hopefully by fall 2010.” Forbes explains that given state mandates, prompted by SB1016 which took effect in January, recycling goals of 50% must be met by both Big Bear Disposal and the Big Bear City Community Services District. Forbes adds that need for this facility is prompted also by new ‘go green’ standards established by the County and, should the project come to fruition, local trucks would no longer need to transport materials to Victorville. All sorting of recyclables would take place inside the North Shore facility, which would not be used for hazardous materials. The buildings, to be developed on 5.5 acres, would include up to an 18,000 square foot contractors’ storage yard including materials recovery facility, and a 33,600 square foot, 14-unit industrial park. The County is accepting public comment on the project through March 6, which can be addressed to Kevin White at kwhite@lusd.sbcounty.gov or via fax to 387-3249. Questions on the project can also be directed to Frank Forbes of Big Bear Disposal at 866-3942 or Engineer Bob Carlisle of Mapco TransTech at 866-8400. Community members in opposition to the project have scheduled a 7pm meeting for this evening, March 2, to be held at Shepherd in the Pines Lutheran Church, located at 42450 North Shore Drive. Meeting organizer Pat Miller of the group Citizens for Environmental Quality tells KBHR, “We’ll be discussing the project and what we can do to stop it.”
