AUBURN — Private composting businesses would be allowed across the city in the agriculture and resource protection zone under a plan going to City Councilors Monday.

Landowner Michelle Melaragno of 576 Trapp Road hopes to open a composting facility on a 46-acre lot south of her home. The facility would be designed to take dead animals.

Her original plan was to take large farm animals, especially horses, for grieving owners. Disposing of a large animal like that can be an expensive proposition.

“They have the choice of burying the animal on their property — if they want to rent an excavator for a couple of days and they have the room to do it — or of cremation,” she said. “And that can cost $1,500.”

Melaragno works for the Humane Equine Aid and Rapid Transport, which is based in Virginia. She responds to large animals that are in emergency situations using technical approaches to save them.

Her plan would involve taking the dead animal and bringing it to her facility.

“The idea is to respect the animal and treat the owners with compassion,” she said. “It would all be handled professionally and technically.”

But first she needs to get City Council approval.

The question currently before councilors is if they should allow any kind of private composting business in the city’s agriculture zone. Current zoning does not mention private standalone composting facilities. It allows composting as an accessory — part of a home or farm — and allows large-scale operations for municipal use.

“A farmer can compost a cow on their own property now,” she said. “Anyone can compost. But this, by way of getting ordinance amended, now we could have other things. Maybe the schools could work with Public Works or whomever to compost all the food waste. It’s a green process, environmentally friendly. You’re not burning anything.”

The Lewiston Auburn Water Pollution Control Authority’s composting operation on Penley Corner Road is about four miles northeast of Melaragno’s property and is also located in the city agriculture zone.

City Planner Eric Cousens said the change is logical. It was approved unanimously by the city Planning Board.

“But I don’t like it when we allow a use just because it’s ‘municipal,'” Cousens said. “It’s not consistent. It’s better when we can address similar uses across the entire district.”

That’s what Melaragno’s zoning change would do. It would allow composting of manure, bedding, dead animals, wasted feed, leaves, yard waste and forestry byproducts across the zone. The city’s planning board agreed with those changes, but voted to make them a special exception and not a permitted use. That would require anyone building a standalone composting facility to get city approval beforehand.

Melaragno is fine with that. She’s been working with Maine Department of Agriculture officials to develop her plan and would expect to present it to the Planning Board at their August meeting, if councilors approve it Monday.

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