County wants community input on plans for Houghton Transfer and Recycling Station

Virtual meeting and Q&A sessions will be hosted on May 12 and 19.

King County’s Solid Waste Division will host a virtual open house and information session for the new Northeast Recycling and Transfer Station via Zoom on May 12, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Project staff will give updates on potential recycling and transfer station sites and host a question-and-answer session.

The Solid Waste Division says a new modern, more eco-friendly recycling and garbage transfer station is planned for northeast King County in 2028 and the agency wants input on the plan and potential location from those who live and work around it, and who will use its services.

The new facility will replace the 50-year-old Houghton Recycling and Transfer Station in Kirkland. Four potential sites in Kirkland and Woodinville are under consideration.

The agency says when it begins operating in 2028, the Northeast Recycling and Transfer Station will provide convenient recycling and waste services for decades to come. The new facility will include a modern building featuring a community compatible design and sustainable features such as solar panels and stormwater capture to reduce its impact on the environment. It will also be designed in a way to significantly reduce noise, dust, traffic, and odor.

According to King County’s Solid Waste Division, those improvements will help the county achieve energy savings and important reductions in greenhouse gas emissions through increased recycling options that will keep garbage out of the landfill and the addition of compaction equipment to reduce the number of hauling trucks going to and from the station.

People who would like to learn more about the project are invited to attend a virtual open house and information session on May 12 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. via Zoom. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet project staff and hear updates on potential transfer station sites and participate in a question-and-answer session. Register for the May 12 public open house here.

Following the public forum, the Siting Advisory Group – a 25-member group representing the interests of people who live and work in Kirkland, Woodinville, and Redmond – will meet on Thursday, May 19 at 6:30 p.m. to rank the top four transfer station sites. The public is welcome to join this virtual meeting and watch the advisory group do its work. Register for the May 19 Siting Advisory Group meeting here.

While virtual attendees of the Siting Advisory Group meeting will have an opportunity to provide comments to project staff, the best time to ask questions is during the May 12 open house. The Siting Advisory Group meeting will include public comment, but not a Q&A session.