The Department of Public Works made it clear last night that it wants to close the Sisson Street Northwest Citizen Drop-off Center, while simultaneously presenting data that the center is – by far – the most frequently used recycling facility in Baltimore.

The conflict between agency objectives and public popularity was on display during the virtual meeting of the Sisson Street Task Force, charged by Mayor Brandon Scott to recommend whether to close, move or retain the city-owned trash and recycling center at 2840 Sisson Street, whose land has long been coveted by Seawall Development.

DPW Director Matthew Garbark predicted there would “be more than enough” drop-off bays and other facilities to handle the volume at Sisson Street once the Bowleys Lane and Reedbird sanitation yards, located in far east and south Baltimore, undergo improvements.

Bowley’s Lane, in particular, should be greatly expanded once $42 million in planned renovations are made over the next few years, Garbark said.

On the other hand, DPW has allotted no future capital spending for Sisson Street, which Garbark has repeatedly characterized to the task force as too small, poorly configured and dilapidated for DPW’s future needs.

• Brew’s Prior Coverage

The problem, left unresolved by the task force last night, is that Sisson Street attracts the most number of city residents due to its central location, wide-ranging acceptance of household wastes and ease in unloading recyclable goods.

In a survey conducted between December 17 and January 9, Sisson handled 56% of residential visits to recycling yards citywide. More than 2,600 visits were made to the facility – or nearly double the 1,491 that used Bowleys Lane, the second most popular center, Alan Robinson, deputy DPW director, said.

The Northwest Transfer Station on Reisterstown Road, known for its backups and congestion, handled only 190 residential visitors over the same three-week period, and the Quarantine Road Landfill, at remote Hawkins Point, attracted 378 visitors.

Public opposition to the Scott administration’s plan to close Sisson Street – and move the facility down the hill to a Potts & Callahan storage yard near the Jones Falls waterway – resulted in the formation of the 13-member task force, chaired by Councilwoman Odette Ramos.

Again last night, Ramos stated that “we basically have no alternatives” for the Sisson Street facility. Earlier, the task force had zeroed in on potentially moving the facility to a large lot at Remington and 25th Street (owned by Seawall) or to a deactivated railroad yard above North Avenue near I-83.

(The ex-rail yard, owned by P. David Bramble’s MCB and several associates, was recently sold to Amtrak for $10.5 million.)

With those sites no longer under consideration, the main question before the task force is whether to recommend keeping Sisson Street open or to recommend closing the site and selling the land for development.

Emerging from last night’s meeting was the suggestion that Sisson Street remain open for the next few years until the Bowleys Lane and Reedbird facilities come online.

Ramos said she hoped the group would make recommendations to the mayor by the end of February, but acknowledged it was more likely that a report won’t be completed until March.

Acting on previous deliberations, the task force formally voted last night to remove the Potts & Callahan site from consideration as a replacement site.