The Monarch Hill landfill will close around 2050 under an agreement reached between Broward County, the company that runs the site, and two of the cities that neighbor the location that’s come to be known by some neighbors as “Mount Trashmore.”
Coconut Creek and Deerfield Beach were poised to fight the expansion of the Monarch Hill landfill in northern Broward County, but both agreed last week to settle with Broward County and Waste Management, a move that allows a significant expansion as Broward looks for long-term solutions to its waste-disposal needs.
The Monarch Hill landfill, located north of Sample Road and east of Florida’s Turnpike in an unincorporated area that borders Deerfield Beach, Pompano Beach and Coconut Creek, was originally set by the Broward County Commission to expand 100 feet in height and 24 acres in length, a move local government officials at the time characterized as unfortunate but necessary.
County and local officials are in the middle of implementing an ambitious master plan to address the county’s long-term waste disposal demands.
Coconut Creek filed a lawsuit opposing the expansion earlier this year, with Deerfield Beach eventually joining in.
Under the terms of an agreement formalized last week, Waste Management will close the site after it reaches an additional 25 million cubic yards of trash, which should happen around 2050, according to information provided by Deerfield Beach.
Waste Management also will provide Deerfield with $15,000 a year for litter cleanup along Wiles, Sample, Powerline and Lyons roads.
Other concessions include odor-control measures, groundwater monitoring and a 5% host fee to the cities.
According to WLRN, Coconut Creek convinced Waste Management to rename the site because of the city’s reputation as “The Butterfly Capital of the World.” The city opposes the sight being named after a well-known species of butterfly. The new name has not been chosen.
”At the end of the day, I view this as we fought and we won. I really do see it that way. I think there is some win-win,” Coconut Creek Commissioner Josh Rydell told WLRN.
Monarch Hill also is known for doubling as the site of California’s famed “Hollywood” sign for the filming of the 2012 movie “Rock of Ages,” featuring Tom Cruise, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Julianne Hough.
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