WESTBROOK – A trial run of a downtown trash initiative designed to cut down on large, imposing dumpsters in the Main Street area was approved by the Westbrook City Council on Tuesday.

The plan would offer businesses and larger residential properties the option of a tote system through Pine Tree Waste, which would look much like the curbside service provided to homes throughout the city. However, the optional service would be fully paid for by the business. The rates will be set by Pine Tree Waste and will depend on number of totes and frequency of pickup.

First discussed by the City Council’s Committee of the Whole in June, the plan is an attempt to offer downtown businesses an alternative option for their trash removal and recycling, which have been limited to using commercial dumpsters.

According to a memo by City Administrator Jerre Bryant, the city provides curbside trash collection at no charge for residential properties of up to six units, but larger complexes and all commercial properties are not offered the service.

However, the city has seen issues with the placement and visibility of commercial dumpsters, especially in the downtown district, where restaurants and other businesses have limited lot sizes.

Bryant said that while a city ordinance stipulates that all dumpsters must be screened from public view, code enforcement has been “reluctant to pursue enforcement due to the lack of alternatives for the individual businesses.”

The memo states that city officials have encouraged downtown businesses to implement shared dumpsters and other options, with little success.

“For many businesses, this will provide an option for the collection of their trash and recycling, would eliminate the dumpster problem for businesses with limited land area, would eliminate the need to place dumpsters on city property and would make the dumpster screening requirement more easily enforced,” he said.

The City Council voted 4-1 to approve the measure, with Councilor Paul Emery opposed.

Bryant said the plan may not work for all downtown businesses, depending on their trash output, but will offer “an attractive and less costly option for businesses to manage their waste and recycling needs.”