Proposed recycling center is dumped again

A proposed recycling center that nearby residents feared would make their neighborhood a haven for transients has been voted down.

The Huntington Beach Planning Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to deny the permit for a suggested recycling center to be built behind a Ralphs supermarket on Brookhurst Street and Adams Avenue.

The center had drawn sharp opposition from nearby residents of the Huntington Bay community, who said it would attract transients, have an ugly appearance and bring unwanted traffic.

“Residents don’t want it, the police department doesn’t want it, and I’m certainly not going to stand in the way,” Commissioner Fred Speaker said.

The denial was the second for the center, which was rejected in May by the city zoning administrator before the store owner appealed. Another appeal, to the City Council, is possible if made within 10 days.

— Michael Alexander