Materials recycling center moves forward
Neal Weggans, president of Noble Metals, and John Johnson, owner of the former Hitching Post property, look at a map showing the site of their new venture, a center for sorting recyclable material from construction sites. It will be at 1495 Clinton Highway. They presented the plans to the Anderson County Commission recently to request a zoning change for the new business. (photo:Ben Pounds )
The Anderson County Commission approved changing the property from a General Commercial District zone to a Heavy Industrial District at its Dec. 15 meeting.
John Johnson, the property owner, described the center as handling “no garbage, only construction material.” He said it was at the former site of The Hitching Post a bar and local hangout. The property would be close to but not adjacent to Peaks Station Road.
Neal Weegans, president of Noble Metals, which already operates out of Oak Ridge, told the commission it was a new venture for him, even though he’d been working in recycling for about 30 years.
He said the site will sort through debris for concrete, dirt, brush, steel and cardboard, putting anything that can be recycled “into the recycling stream” while putting other material into a landfill afterwards.
He said he anticipated 25% of the materials through which the center sorted would be recoverable and recyclable.
“It’s a good center point for where we need to be,” he told The Courier News regarding the location.