March 31, 2021
In 2020, King County's Solid Waste Division began a process to site a new recycling and transfer station in northeast King County to replace the aging and limited Houghton Transfer Station in Kirkland, which has been operating since the mid-1960s.
Since 2019, the King County project team has worked closely with representatives from the cities of Redmond, Woodinville, Sammamish and Kirkland, and unincorporated King County to establish the criteria that were used to narrow the list of sites to the three currently under consideration. The public also had opportunities to participate in the siting process by sharing community knowledge as well as priorities and concerns related to hosting a new transfer station.
When it begins operating in 2027, the Northeast Recycling and Transfer Station will be a modern, enclosed facility that meets the latest environmental standards and best practices and offers more recycling options.
Three sites for review
After considering input from a number of stakeholders that included city representatives, residents, and a community-based siting advisory group, King County has identified the following sites to study in an environmental review process under the State Environmental Policy Act:
At this stage in the siting process, King County is not looking to acquire properties and would not consider doing so until after environmental review is completed.
Finding sites for essential public facilities that need to be located in the communities they serve is challenging in a region where so much development has already occurred. Finding suitable sites for a transfer station is even more challenging because the sites need to meet certain size, shape, and topographical characteristics, and they need to be located in areas with access to transportation corridors.
A number of factors were considered in determining which sites advanced for further analysis in an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), including cost, technical feasibility, transportation access, community needs and environmental considerations. All sites were evaluated using the same criteria, and all sites have tradeoffs and benefits to consider.
The Woodinville parcels would be a suitable size and shape, they’re located in close proximity to transportation corridors and other transfer facilities, and there’s the right degree of sloping for ease of building. However, this site is also currently owned by a long-standing business with over 100 employees. The warehouse on-site was developed for their unique needs. These factors need to be further understood to inform the potential impacts associated with property acquisition and business relocation should this site ultimately be selected.
The Houghton Park and Ride in Kirkland is smaller than the ideal parcel but merited further study because the Park and Ride is underutilized and the property is minimally developed, in a good location, and close to the transfer station corridor and major freeways. However, the smaller size of this site may impact the scope of services and development costs that will need to be better understood should this site ultimately be selected.
The current Houghton Transfer Station in Kirkland has been serving northeast communities in King County for nearly 60 years, and King County has overall managed the impacts well as growth continued in the community. The site is in a good location, and close to the transfer station corridor and major freeways. However, the potential use of landfill space as part of the development requires more analysis to understand the environmental and financial impacts should this site ultimately be selected.
What’s next
The environmental review process will start with “scoping” in summer 2021, when the public will be invited to comment on the proposed siting alternatives, impacts, and potential mitigation measures to study in the EIS. King County will then prepare a Draft EIS due out for public review and comment in early 2022.
King County will continue to work with property owners, near neighbors, stakeholders and community members to understand and respond to their questions and concerns around the project, and to provide opportunities for input that will ensure the new station is a good neighbor and a community asset.
Learn more, connect with the project team
We recognize there will be many questions or concerns as a result of this announcement. We encourage you to visit the project website at www.kingcounty.gov/northeast, or to connect with the project team at northeast@kingcounty.gov.
For questions or more information, please visit kingcounty.gov/northeast or call 206-477-4466 or TTY Relay 711
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