PENN YAN—Scrap has produced a measure of polite scrapping between a Potter scrap yard and its neighbors.

At the Jan. 22 meeting of the Yates County Planning Board, members considered a request from B&B Recycling owner Rick Ingram to expand the yard. The biggest sticking point for the change for business neighbor Ginny Fenton, is a proposal to expand the hours of operation.

The current permit allows operation from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m. and the owner would like the option to load scrap from 5 a.m. until 9 p.m. He also requested permission to be open on Sunday from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m., emphasizing that this would not always be needed and he did not want to receive scrap on Sunday.

Ingram also outlined expansion of dimensions of the yard in his request as well as change of height of piles permitted from eight feet to 12 feet. He said he has installed a taller fence around the site so that the piles cannot be seen outside the property. He is also constructing a circular driveway which is expected to eliminate lines of  trucks waiting on the main road to enter the site.

The lines of trucks have been a problem for Fenton. She said, “Last summer traffic on my side of the road was congested. law enforcement and rick worked together to make it better. We  don’t like real early hours. It woke everyone up. This is an ag-residential area. Another issue was Sunday operation. Fenton said, “Sundays are Sundays. Think of the neighbors.”

Ingram told the board he has an option to handle tires on rims which some steel mills are now accepting. He said, “We never messed with tires because they were a problem.” Now the tires could be taken away where they would be processed in an electric fired coal furnace to harvest the steel out of the tires and rims as well as carbon, plus btu’s. He said it is possible that the yard could accept tires on rims at no charge.

Ingram said, “Do we need expansion in 2009? Probably not, but when we get busy we willl. I started applying originally in September and still don’t have the o.k. for the expansion.”

Planning board member Dave Christiansen said, “Scrap yards are a necessity. With prices up the past couple of years things have gotten cleaned up in the towns.”

Fenton added, “Please keep in conscience. This is where we and a lot of other people live. There’s got to be some for us and some for them. It’s a good business and Potter needs it.”

Ingram said, “It’s a hard business. Scrap isn’t a pretty site.” Referring to a comment that there is noise and smells in an agricultural zone, Ingram said, “It’s not good to look at, but it doesn’t smell.”

Following comments from Ingram and Fenton, board member Charles Mitchell said, “I recommend approval to Potter and ask them to look at the hours. He has a business, but she lives there.” Mitchell's recommendation was supported by the board.

Yates County Planning Board receives land use referrals each month. After they are studied and discussed, the group votes on either approval or disapproval, based on the potential impact on the county.