Curbside trash pickup might expand to all Irmo-St. Andrews homes

Curbside trash pickup in about two dozen neighborhoods in the Irmo-St. Andrews area might become standard soon instead of optional.

Lexington County Council is looking at a one-year test of collection at all homes along the lower Saluda River, Lake Murray and the county border.

If it gets the go-ahead, the step is the latest sign that the area’s character is changing, some community leaders say.

“We don’t live in a rural area – those days are gone,” said former councilman Art Guerry, president of the Whitehall Homeowners Association in St. Andrews. “We live in a suburban area and we have to live like that.”

The trash collection shift could become the second urban-style proposal tested in the area.

It may join a blight prevention crackdown underway, in which county officials seek to clean up dwellings with exteriors in poor repair, overgrown lawns and stagnant water in swimming pools.

The change in pickup of household garbage, recycling and yard waste under consideration promises to be a money-saver for taxpayers overall, county officials say.

It makes sense, since more than half of the 10,238 homes in the unincorporated part of the area already have chosen optional curbside collection costing nearly $16 monthly, officials say.

The 5,410 homeowners with curbside collection in the area are slightly more than one of every five in unincorporated areas of the county.

Businesses make individual arrangements for getting rid of trash.

Residents who don’t sign up for at-home collection usually take trash to a county-run disposal center a few blocks south of the Lake Murray dam.

Disposal there is free, making it popular for those who don’t mind a trip of up to 10 miles hauling sometimes smelly cargo.

Traffic congestion around the center often makes it “a pain to get in and out,” said Joanne Fineberg, co-president of the homeowner association in the Coldstream neighborhood near Irmo.

County solid waste management director David Eger is concerned about vehicle backups at the center that sometimes stretch a few blocks on Bush River Road. “This (collection change) would make it safer,” he told council members.

If the change happens, the center will remain open for items not included in curbside pickup. But the 52 hours it operates weekly will be reduced.

No measure has been taken of how much waste in the area is disposed of either through curbside collection or drop-off at the disposal center.

COST UNKNOWN YET

County officials are developing a plan for the switch soon after Jan. 1 with a goal of a low monthly tab for curbside service.

Homeowners who already use that service should see a reduction of unknown amount while those who don’t will see an increase in their yearly property tax bill as soon as this fall.

The final say on whether the change will proceed is up to the nine council members, who are awaiting cost estimates before deciding.

“We’ll look at the numbers and see how it checks out,” Councilman Johnny Jeffcoat of Irmo said. “The numbers are going to be the determining factor.”

Councilman Phil Yarborough of Irmo agrees the new collection plan is worth exploring but is waiting to see its impact on homeowners.

MIXED REACTION

Guerry favors the plan, saying it would help reduce litter and stop illegal dumping into creeks. “It would be a positive factor,” he said.

Fineberg expects reaction will be “very mixed” since it would force some residents to ante up for trash disposal that’s now free.

Some residents who regularly take trash to the disposal center – particularly those who live nearby – are reluctant to pay for service.

“It’s close and convenient,” homeowner Leonard Cone said. “We’ve always been kind of frugal. Hopefully, any change would be at a reasonable rate.”

Pickup schedules would remain unchanged if the new approach is adopted. Trash and yard waste would continue to be picked up weekly, with recycling collected every two weeks.

A successful transition in the area would open the way for curbside collection to expand slowly across the 758-square-mile county.

That approach is how many development controls – countywide zoning – were put in place countywide during the past 40 years as farms were transformed into neighborhoods.

As for the property upkeep push, some council members are considering extending the requirements to much of the West Columbia area after learning the crackdown is off to a good start in cleaning up problem homes.

But changing trash disposal in the Irmo-St. Andrews area might not be welcomed initially.

Still, hauling garbage and recycling to the county-run site “doesn’t seem like a hassle,” homeowner Brandon Bordeaux said.