Incinerator’s days are numbered

Valley Stream officials have been talking a lot of trash lately as they ponder the future of garbage disposal in the village. The first item on the agenda is leveling the abandoned incinerator at the public works facility on Arlington Avenue, which has been unused since the late 1970s.

“It’s an eyesore,” said Mayor Ed Fare. “We’ve got to take it down.”

The five-story, 5,000-square-foot building opened in 1962, and was in use until 1979. When required pollution controls became too costly, however, the facility was shut down.

“This was a state-of-the-art facility at one time,” said Sanitation Supervisor Wayne Mastrangelo, adding that the building is now just taking up space at the five-acre complex that could be better used for other purposes.

Mastrangelo took the Herald on a tour of the building. In addition to broken windows and missing wind panels on the outside, there are numerous problems inside. Broken floor tiles, peeling paint and rusting equipment are just some of the issues that concern village officials. The structure is also full of animal droppings from decades of pigeons, rats and other vermin calling it home.

On Monday night, the village board awarded a $146,000 contract to architectural firm Dvirka and Bartilucci for engineering work, notification of neighboring homes, preparation of bids for the abatement and demolition, and any environmental issues that must be addressed. Mastrangelo said the firm was used by the City of Long Beach for a similar project in 2009.

The overall cost of the demolition of the building is expected to be about $2 million. The village plans to use $1.3 million from its 2013-14 capital budget.

Anthony Core, general counsel for Jamaica Ash, which carts the village’s trash away, advised village officials to control their own destiny at Arlington yard. “That building will come down one day, whether we want it to or not,” Core said.

Before the building can be demolished, asbestos and lead paint must be removed. Village officials are hoping to begin the work in January, and complete the demolition by early spring. Winter is the best time to do the work, they say, because residents will likely have their windows closed and children won’t be playing outside.