BERRYVILLE, VA (Jan. 7, 2019) Clarke residents in the northeastern part of the county who have been carrying their household trash 25 miles or more to dispose of it at Frederick County facilities are most excited about a new Clarke County facility that is much closer to home. The Clarke County Convenience Center at 90 Quarry Road (Rt. 612) — about four miles from the Loudoun County line — officially opens to the public at 7 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 12.

The convenience center is for Clarke County residents only. Initially, convenience center hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays. If demand is great enough, the county will revise the schedule, opening the facility on one or two weekdays.

The convenience center only accepts bagged household trash, and its recycling containers accept paper, cardboard, aluminum, and plastic (#1 and #2). It will not recycle plastics #3 through #7, and it will not accept glass, because glass is no longer in demand as a recyclable material.

A county-owned and operated convenience center for household trash has been a priority for the Board of Supervisors since 1999, but finding a suitable location proved challenging. In 2015, Stuart M. Perry Quarry Inc. generously offered 2 acres in the northeast corner of its 149-acre property that fronts Harry Byrd Highway (Va. 7) and Quarry Road. Clarke Supervisors accepted and added the project to the capital budget in 2015, setting aside funds toward the project every year.

“The Board is pleased to open this facility. We know it’s been a high priority for our constituents for many years, and we’re glad it’s come to fruition,” said Chairman David Weiss, who represents the Buckmarsh District. “The county is fortunate to have Stuart M. Perry Quarry Inc. as a neighbor and partner. The company provided an ideal piece of land, and saved the county a significant amount of money.”

The total project cost — $936,172 — includes architectural and engineering fees, permits, advertising, excavation, a trash compactor with hopper, two (2) 40-yard compaction containers, four (4) 30-yard recycling containers, fencing, and security cameras as well other associated purchases and fees for electricity, water, and sewer hookups. The total project cost also includes $566,962 paid to Winchester-based Pine Knoll Construction to build the center.

Clarke County will lease the 2-acre property from Stuart M. Perry Inc. at no cost for 20 years with an option to renew the lease for another 20 years.

The quarry land is zoned Agricultural Open-Space Conservation (AOC). The Clarke County Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors approved the site plan and Special-Use permit for the new convenience center in fall 2017.

The county-owned convenience center went through the same approval and public hearing process as all other Special-Use permit applicants. Like all other new construction in the county, the site plan was reviewed and approved by all government agencies, including the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. 

Access to the convenience center is a 240-foot-long, moderate-volume, commercial entrance off Quarry Road about 500 feet south of its intersection with Va. 7. The asphalt driveway leads to parking and concrete pads for the trash compactor, two 40-yard compaction containers, and three 30-yard recycling containers.

An attendant will be on-site whenever the convenience center is open to assist residents and maintain the site. Winchester Amish Connection manufactured the attendant’s booth building.

The facility has a private well and on-site sewage system. Valley Well Drilling drilled the well and donated the well pump.
A 7-foot-high chain-link fence surrounds the facility. Gates will be locked when the facility is closed, and surveillance cameras will be on.
Downcast lights will illuminate the property only when the center is open and only when needed. Trees and plants surround most of the property, but additional landscaping was added in accordance with County Zoning requirements along the road and property lines shared with adjoining property owners.

Originally set to open in fall 2018, record-breaking rainfall throughout the summer and fall greatly delayed construction. Even its mid-May groundbreaking was delayed by seven-straight days of rain. Construction began on May 21, 2018. 

The Clarke County Convenience Center will operate through a shared agreement with the Frederick County (Va.) Landfill & Solid Waste system that includes the regional landfill and 11 convenience centers for household trash.

Only Berryville and Boyce residents have regular trash service. Other Clarke County residents pay for private trash pickup, or they use Frederick County convenience centers located at Double Tollgate (4201 Stonewall Jackson Hwy.), Stephenson (235 Hot Run Dr.), and Greenwood (801 Greenwood Rd., Winchester). Residents in southern Clarke County use the Warren County convenience center at Shenandoah Farms (47 Blue Mountain Rd., Front Royal). Clarke residents also use the Frederick County Regional Landfill at 280 Landfill Rd. in Winchester.

Now, Clarke residents — particularly those in the Buckmarsh and Millwood districts of the county — can dispose of their trash without taking it for long car rides.