County, Woodbury enter into agreement for environmental center construction

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The Washington County Board of Commissioners voted 4-0 at its Oct. 28 meeting to enter into an agreement with the city of Woodbury for construction of a new environmental center.

The current environmental center location in Oakdale, which opened in 1994, will be closing next spring in favor of the new more expansive location on the corner of Dale Road and Cottage Grove Drive in Woodbury.

The new Woodbury location will serve as the center for county residents to drop off household hazardous items and other items such as computers, fluorescent light bulbs and televisions that cannot be easily recycled.

The county board recently approved funds to construct the new site in Woodbury, and last month the Woodbury City Council approved a site plan for the project.

The agreement between the county and the city of Woodbury identifies the conditions for the installation of improvements including street maintenance, erosion control, storm water ponds, and utility protection and repair, and installation of a sanitary sewer and water main. Costs associated with the agreement are fully funded by the County Environmental Charge Fund, a staff report stated.

The new environmental center is expected to open July 2009 and as such the county has structure its lease at the current environmental center site Oakdale through the end of June of next year to allow for the transition between locations, said county public works director Don Theisen.

The county is also looking at the possibility installing two smaller satellite household hazardous item recycling locations in the northern portion of the county. The items would then be transferred to the permanent environmental center in Woodbury, Theisen said at the Oct. 28 meeting.

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