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„ ,,, ••..,.� roasesee DIHD,Deck page x Board ay1�,{ par •ew r 4. { denies c'� r r appealO „ r WV Compost yard will pollute, critics say BY David Siders �� /0 Record StatlWriter An appeal by neighbors opposing a compost yard in Clements was rejected Tuesday by the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors. The board unanimously decided a 1.5-acre com- post yard in a vineyard south of Highway 12 should not undergo an environmental report, despite neighbors'unsuccessful appeals the compost could Record photo by CLIFFORD OTO pollute the land,especially during floods. "We're counting on you,”Jeff Wright told supervisors. Landowner Dave Vacarezza plans to compost city Springing into yard waste to fertilize his vineyard. Jose Alva, his attorney,said the compost yard is planned uphill to i the season avBut neighbors But ghhbb ors were not convinced. Michael Tenente, during the three-hour meeting, showed in Stockton supervisors photographs of flooding on the property. He �� Spring is on the way as blos- said pollutants from the com- You want to soms, left. start popping out on post yard could be picked up trees Tuesday on Center and in floods and carried to his flood me. jprop� Acacia streets in Stockton. A erty. And I don't ,i-t woman passes a flowering pear "you want to flood file,1. 3t` tree Tuesday, above, outside the Temente said. "And I don't appreciate Horton Administration Buildingat appreciate that." Tenerife and Jeff Wright that." San Joaquin Delta College in said compost itself does not Stockton.The springlike weather bother them. But operating — Michael is expected to continue through three 300-foot rows of 5-toot- Tenente, the week with patches of early- high compost piles does. Clements resident morning fog. For more weather, Compost gets hot in the see the Back page. summer and can catch fire if it is not well-turned,neighbors said. nD FINCH Kerry Sullivan, deputy director of county plan- ning, said the risk of fires has been reduced by set- ting the yard back 150 feet from other properties. She said the 5-foot piles are shorter than the 8-foot fare on hold maximumuman said the ded by thecompost and Sullivan said the compost yard, which site described as small, is not in a flood zone. She said odors from the yard could be managed by allowing no more thou four trucks per day to deliver compost iculous. Every kid deserves to be to the yard. The residents filed their appeal after the county Planning Comtnission unanimously approved the project in December. The project could begin by — Tracy Giampiatro, summer now that the county board has rejected it. It who has a 5-year-old starting school in July Originally, Vacarezza proposed bringing yard waste directly to the compost yard,where he would have screened ground grass and tree clippings of more enrollment is expected to ride the before composting them.His plans now call to have ng school bus in the coming year. Charging a screening and grinding done at a different place. daily fee could save the school dis- "My client wants to be a good neighbor,"Alva said. steadily hitt an estimated ve the00 h costs. Supervisor Jack Sieglock said Vacarezza is a good ;tate isnt Other school districts also have neighbor. Sieglock said he would handle neighbor- strict for been looking at charging bus fazes as hood complaints himself. Meanwhile,Tenente said yard waste is garbage no a result, they attempt to slash spending and matter its name, o kick in dig out of funding holes caused by "Mr.Vacarezza is a garbage man,"Tenerife said. )wn bud- the state budget crisis. After the meeting,Vacarezza said he had faith in and to In January, the Lincoln Unified the government process,which allows for the rejec- School District voted to increase bus tion of an appeal. roughly fees by 50 percent for those students ■To reach reporter David Siders,phone(209)943-6580 or :['s total Please see MUSD, Back page e-mail dsiders@recordnet.eom