Grease trap remains at South Side Soda Shop following board meeting

May 16—GOSHEN — South Side Soda Shop will keep its 40-gallon grease trap instead of replacing it with a 1,000-gallon grease interceptor line following Monday's Board of Public Works and Safety meeting.

Nick Boyd, owner of South Side Soda Shop, requested the requirement of the implementation of a grease interceptor line be waived. The controversy spawns from a 2011 ordinance implemented by the city in an effort to curb grease and oil finding its way into municipal water infrastructure.

Back in 2011, grease in the water was a problem, so Goshen city leaders implemented Ordinance 4625, requiring all category B restaurants in Goshen to have a grease trap of at least 35 gallons. Restaurants are placed in different categories based on a number of factors related to grease mitigation, grease from the mechanics they have to the number of meals served. System requirements are determined by those factors.

"So much of how much grease goes into the system is dependent upon how well an operation can run," said Michael Landis, member of the board.

Due to a conflict of interest, Mayor Jeremy Stutsman recused himself from the conversation.

After a recent inspection, South Side Soda Shop was moved from category B to category A. The change would mean that the restaurant's grease trap would need to be swapped with a grease interceptor line that can hold up to 1,000 gallons of grease. Boyd attended the board of public works meeting to discuss the new category placement. A three-bay sink in the restaurant and the number of meals the restaurant serves daily were among the factors Mick Reese, environmental compliance administrator, used to determine the classification change.

Reese determined during a recent inspection of the property that the sink in question was not attached to a grease trap, but Boyd argued that it was a nostalgic piece and not used to wash dishes. Boyd also said 80% of his meals are served on disposable dishes and asked the board to reevaluate South Side Soda Shop's scoring.

Inspector Reese was amicable to possible changes of the scoring, asking that grease trap that the facility does have on site for other plumbing is cleaned regularly and doesn't exceed 33% of the capacity of its interceptor.

"We'd rather have [the grease trap] clean than wait a month or two months, then clean it," Boyd said. "We have a company that comes, Darling, that collects the grease, too. We're not putting it into our dumpsters. We're really trying to do it by the book."

He said he cleans the grease trap every week or every other week, and he reports to the city how much grease is collected and when.

The board voted, and Reese agreed, that since previous inspectors have classified South Side Soda Shop as a category B — as long as conditions at the shop do not change — they will remain in the category.

Other items to come before the board include:

—Goshen Police Department requested to extend an offer of employment to Diego Murillo-Magallanes and Austin J. Shapland as probationary patrol officers.

—Development proposals for lots on Third and Jefferson streets from AP Development and a development at the Millrace Townhomes Lot by Viewrail were opened.

—The West Goshen Neighborhood Association requested a discounted fee of $37.50 for a dump trainer on its neighborhood clean-up day June 24. The Historic Southside Neighborhood Association put in a similar request for its dump trailers on their clean-up days in June and September. The association also requested a partial road closure of Seventh Street for its annual block party Aug. 19.

—Nate Mateer Remple asked to extend a driveway at 1914 Woodward Place to 34 feet. Special attention was brought to the drainage.

—Lacasa Inc. appealed for a temporary closure of College Avenue for a few days, weather permitting, until May 29 to replace a sewer line.

—The Goshen Environmental Resilience Department requested to use a portion of the parking lot at 300 W. Washington St. from noon to 3 p.m. May 21 for the Goshen Women's Ride.

—The Goshen Theater requested a partial sidewalk closure and the use of two parking spaces for a few days in June for repair of the building's marquee. The dates are yet unknown.

—The board approved an amendment to an existing agreement with Cummins Sales and Service Inc. for inspection and diagnostic testing of two additional city generators estimated to cost $1,719.44.The playground at Riverdale Elementary has officially been transferred to the city for use as a public park.

—The Goshen Engineering Department requested an extension of the road closure on College Avenue from May 16 to July 7 due to construction. They also asked the speed limit on East College Avenue be decreased from 45 mph to 30 mph until construction is finished.

—Josh Corwin, a representative of the engineering department, requested permits given to Comcast be stopped until they replace the torn up sidewalk panel along White Blossom Drive.