Plans for a new waste transfer facility on 56th Street in LaSalle have sparked controversy among neighboring business owners. The project, developed by Youngstown businessman John Battaglia, has received approval from the city’s planning board, but some local business owners are voicing their concerns.
Bob Vitagliano, owner of Fred’s Collision, and Jim Zakia, owner of Zakia’s Automotive, both located near the proposed facility, fear that the operation will negatively impact their businesses. They worry about the potential mess and increased traffic that the waste facility could bring to the area.
Despite claims from Planning Board Chairman Tony Palmer that area businesses were notified in advance of the project, Vitagliano and Zakia say they were unaware of the plans until reading about them in the newspaper. They feel that they should have been given more notice and the opportunity to voice their concerns at a public hearing.
Battaglia and his partner, Mike Halliday, have assured the planning board that the facility will be a clean and environmentally friendly operation. They plan to have covered staging areas for trucks and strict screening processes for incoming materials.
The project is expected to create eight full-time jobs and have minimal impact on traffic and noise levels. However, the developers are still in the process of obtaining necessary permits from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation before construction can begin.
As the debate continues, it remains to be seen how the waste transfer facility will ultimately impact the LaSalle community and its local businesses.