20-103453-GarbageDisposalCriteria_09-11-2020 v1
City of Federal Way Planning - Garbage Disposal Criteria
Pursuant to a request by the City Planner, as the Sponsor-Owner of the existing Silver Shadow apartment community along with
the now-applied-for rezone of the 5 acres adjacent to the East to RM 1800, we have assembled some references regarding
typically employed management practices when it comes to tenant garbage disposal. Our own practical experience has been that
projects of larger size, say over 100 dwelling units, fare better when using a compactor to gather weekly waste, reduce its size
(compact), and ready it for pick up by the area disposal company. Not only is this methodology more economical for ownership,
it is more convenient for the disposal pick up (one central location). While there is a degree of tenant behavioral training and
oversight involved, most operators have found that most tenants are already used to the compactor approach and prefer it.
One of the most obvious benefits is the avoidance of messy dumpster locations scattered throughout a property where less-
conscientious residents take less-than-proper care in throwing away their waste. The presence of a compactor with assigned
rules of disposing garbage creates an expectation of tenants that all residents depend on the proper function of the compactor
and the cleanliness of the single point of deposit, thereby creating a culture of more careful participation at the one disposal site
being used.
Another obvious benefit is that the approach of having just a single compactor disposal location, as opposed to multiple
dumpsters, is the ability to retain more open space on the typical multi-family site, saving space for more user friendly site
planning design. Also there is less need for disposal trucks to traverse back & forth across apartment properties with multiple
dumpsters; it does away with the corresponding need to create turn-around capacity for those trucks; and it lessens
endangerment of children who may be crossing drive aisles when the pick-up activity occurs. All of these benefits underscore the
practical rationale for going forward with the single compactor alternative.
We wanted to provide the Planning Dept. with examples of where the single-compactor alternative was being employed on
existing, larger multi-family properties in South King County. Per the simple matrix below and the attached photos of property
locations in Federal Way/surrounding communities, there are ample examples where trash disposal management has relied on,
and continues to use the single compactor alternative. Of course, the sizing of the compactor unit is important to ensure proper
management and capacity for the volume of waste required for any specific property. Providers of this equipment have a variety
of compactor models, with varying volume capacity, to supply the likely needs of any multi-family property today. The design of
the drop off location, both from a pedestrian access standpoint, and an auto “turn out” can be well thought-out for both safety
concerns, and landscape presentation by an architect who is asked to devise a practical plan – which is the case for the proposed
Redondo Heights development.
We hope this brief summary of similar, larger apartment properties in the Federal Way area using the single compactor approach
is of assistance to the Planning Department as they review our project design and disposal management plan.
Porchlight Apartments
32905 19th Place South
Sunset Three Twenty Apartments
1901 SE 320th St
The Ridge / Shores Apartments
31912 3rd Lane SW
Greystone Meadows Apartments
31500 1st Ave S
Park at Dash Point
31736 50th Lane SW
The Fairways Apartments
4901 Fairwood Blvd NE
236 Yes -2 Yes Yes Yes
300 Yes Yes Yes OK Yes
335 Yes 1 Each Yes Yes Yes
323 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
279 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
546 No -2 Yes Yes Yes
FEDERAL WAY MARKET REFUSE REMOVAL/RECYCLING STUDY
SUBJECT PROPERTY:
Silver Shadow Apartments
27606 Pacific Hwy. South
Federal Way, Washington 98003
(253) 839-3883
132 units built 1989
The above photo reflects one of three non-compactor dumpster areas applicable to Silver Shadows.
This photo was taken prior to the new ownership entity takeover December 2019. This is an ideal
location for a resident fed compactor, as the centralized location is easily accessible to residents either
by foot or by car. Compared to most Federal Way properties in this study utilizing trash compactors, the
distance between each unit and the proposed compactor location at Silver Shadow is minimal.
PROPERTY #2:
Porchlight Apartments
32905 19th Place South
Federal Way, Washington 98003
(253) 642-0409
236 units built 1989 Rehabbed 2020
Main Trash Center
Secondary Trash Center
Porchlight is a 236-unit community and is split by 20th Way South. The main compactor, which
is a tenant fed station, serves the western portion of the community, and it serves
approximately 2/3’s of the community’s residents. Residents either walk their refuse to the
main trash center or drive. The distance some residents travel to the main compactor is much
further than any resident of Silver Shadow would need to with our proposed location. The
secondary compactor at Porchlight Apartments, also a tenant fed station, was added several
years after the main compactor was installed. It better serves the eastern portion of the
community. It is assumed this was done so residents would not have to cross the relatively
busy 20th Way to dump their trash/recyclables.
PROPERTY #3:
Sunset Three Twenty Apartments
1901 S.W. 320th Street
Federal Way, Washington 98023
(253) 201-0145
300 units built 1981 Rehabbed 2007
Trash/Recycling Station
Trash/Recycling Station empty as the hauler removed for periodical disposal
Trash/Recycling Station also houses maint. equipment and is designed to store disposables
Sunset Three-Twenty is a large property and there is one trash/recycling center serving the entire
community. This center is deep within the community and the distance most residents travel to dispose
of their trash is somewhat extended. That is, compared to the other communities reviewed in this
survey.
PROPERTY #4:
The Ridge & Shores Apartments
31912 3rd Lane S.W.
Federal Way, Washington 98023
(253) 458-2176
335 units built 1982 Rehab 2006
The Shores portion of the Community has one compactor serving 155 units
Residents walk or drive trash to the one resident fed compactor station serving The Ridge. The
compactor is located at the rear of the community and is kept very neat and tidy. Some residents travel
more than 1,000 feet to dispose of their refuse.
The Ridge portion of the Community has one compactor serving 180 units
Residents walk or drive to the one resident fed compactor station serving The Ridge. The compactor is
centrally located and was found to be neat and tidy. Some residents travel approximately 1,000 feet to
dispose of their refuse.
PROPERTY #5:
Greystone Meadows Apartments
31500 1st Avenue S.
Federal Way, Washington 98003
(253) 656-6055
323 units built 1992
This resident said she appreciated how refuse removal and recycling was managed at Greystone
Meadows. Although the recycling center was found to be off of the beaten path and most residents
drive their disposables to the center, no litter was seen throughout the large community.
PROPERTY #6:
Park @Dash Point Apartments
31736 50th Lane S.W.
Federal Way, Washington 98023
(253) 246-1494
279 units built 1987
This trash center was tucked away in a far corner of the community. However, no litter was noted
during a drive thru of the large property. The resident fed compactor was kept quite clean and tidy and
was found within an aesthetically pleasing enclosure. Most residents have to travel at least 500-1,000
feet to dispose of their trash and recyclables.
PROPERTY #7 (Federal Way adjacent):
The Fairways Apartments
4901 Fairwood Blvd. N.E.
Tacoma, Washington 98422
(253) 927-9430
546 units built 1988
Main Recycling Enclosure
Secondary Recycling Enclosure
The Fairways is a very large community located on a hillside above the Northshore golf course. One
main trash/recycling center serves the community, but the compactor is not resident fed. Management
pulls full dumpsters as needed. This requires additional maintenance labor. It was noted, however,
there were two additional locations, which were reserved for recycling only.