Recycler Opts Out of Connecticut Facility

Facing a wall of opposition that included the mayor, a garbage company has withdrawn its request to occupy a site on the edge of the Norwalk River in Norwalk, Ct.

Aadvantage Waste Services LLC informed the Zoning Board of Appeals it will no longer pursue an exemption that would have allowed it to move from South Norwalk to a downtown site zoned for mixed residential and commercial use.

David LeBlanc, one of Aadvantage's owners, cited the outpouring of opposition to the move that residents voiced at a public hearing held last week. Mayor Alex Knopp was among the speakers who asked ZBA members not to approve the garbage and recycling company's request.

"We don't want to do anything that in the long run's going to hurt the city of Norwalk," LeBlanc said.

Knopp called the withdrawal a "very significant development" in his push to revitalize the downtown Wall Street area.

"I'm grateful that Mr. LeBlanc made the right decision based on his agreement with me that the Wall Street area needs to have a new beginning," Knopp said.

Knopp has offered the city's help in finding an alternate location for Aadvantage, though LeBlanc said the demand for business space in Norwalk exceeds supply.

"We've been looking for quite a while, and this was the one property that was around," LeBlanc said.