A recycling business has run afoul of Lacombe County.
The county’s municipal planning commission rejected an application last week by SLC Canada for Waste Processing Inc. to set up a plant because the building doesn’t meet industrial park standards.
On top of that, a stop work order is in place because it is claimed the company built on the Aspelund Industrial Park site, west of Blackfalds, without the necessary county approvals.
County Reeve Ken Wigmore said the structure the company built did not match what had been proposed initially.
Instead of a building with solid walls, the building has a flexible material shell on a steel frame.
“We definitely didn’t want any tarp shelters in that development because everybody else has put the bar pretty high. And we think new people coming in should keep up to it.”
The county has received a number of complaints from other businesses, which were required to meet the industrial park standards.
Wigmore said the county also wasn’t happy to see a mobile home moved on to the site to act as office and electrical space.
The placement of a mobile home and other equipment on site in August without permission prompted a county letter calling for them to be removed by Sept. 14. County staff and an SLC representative met a number of times to discuss giving the company additional time to remove the mobile home.
But in October, an additional shop and office had been added without approval. That led to a stop order from the county. The order is being appealed and is going before a subdivision and development appeal board hearing later this month.
SLC Canada takes various types of plastic and recycles them for other uses. The plant would be staffed by eight people with up to 25 employed when it is fully established, according to information given the county.
In rejecting the company’s application, the county offered to waive a requirement that the developer wait six months before reapplying.
An SLC spokesman could not be reached for comment.
pcowley@www.reddeeradvocate.com