LAVEEN, AZ — A composting facility that has been the subject of numerous complaints in a Laveen neighborhood says it is leaving the area after being given a cease-and-desist letter.
ABC15 has learned the facility, located near 27th Avenue and Dobbins Road, was given a cease-and-desist letter after it was found to be operating a commercial business in an area zoned as rural.
The letter reportedly told the business to leave the property by March 10, 2025.
The operator of the facility told ABC15 Friday they are "moving ASAP."
The operator previously told ABC15 he planned to move the facility to Coolidge next year.
The operator was reportedly fined $750 for the zoning violation and had options to apply for a special-use permit or stop operating by March 2025.
For months, residents have been complaining about odors coming from the facility, calling it a "nightmare" and even describing the area as smelling like "an old bottle of wine left out overnight."
Residents claim that brewery wastewater at the composting farm is largely to blame for the smell, but county officials said the more than 300 complaints have been investigated and handled.
ABC15 reported in October after dozens of Laveen residents spoke out at a community meeting.
"I'm next to them, I'm just a few feet from them and it's been a nightmare," stated Maria Gallegos. "I'm the kind of person who loves to be outside with my animals and my plants and my garden and this to me is like when we were in COVID-19, I have to be inside."
"We called the fire department because it smelled really bad like gas," said Jose Gallegos. "We were like, 'There's something wrong here something is going to explode.' The fire department, the very first thing they told us is, 'Why did you build your house next to a composting facility?' We were here first!"
The man behind the farm told ABC15 he passed every recent inspection that’s come to his door and said he helps deliver more good to the community than harm.
