Friday, June 04, 1999
Treatment plant site a surprise
Boone County decides on land known as 15A
BY KRISTINA GOETZ
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FORT WRIGHT — Some Boone County residents were relieved and others stunned Thursday by the site selected for the new Western Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The decision that was a long time in the making came when board members of Sanitation District No. 1 voted unanimously Thursday on a site known as 15A.
The location is between the Ohio River and Ky. 20 in northern Boone County, about 1.3 miles north of Burlington Pike. It is one of five sites the district considered for the plant.
Donald Stites, a property owner on the site, said he was shocked.
“I can't believe they selected us,” he said. “Three weeks ago, we weren't even a site; and now we're the best in the county.
“I'm stunned by this strange decision that violates all previous plans. I wish I knew what was behind it.”
Mr. Stites said he has no plans to sell the farmland that's been in his family for 50 years.
The sanitation district must build a new sewage treatment plant in five years because the Dry Creek plant in Villa Hills, which treats waste from Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties, will be at capacity by 2003.
District officials say it is not financially feasible to enlarge
the Dry Creek facility.
The Belleview Sand and Gravel property is on part of the chosen site, as well as a tree and shrub nursery and a farm. The exact location chosen could include one or more of the adjoining parcels owned by three families.
“We'll be negotiating with all three of the property owners there,” said Jeff Eger, executive director for Sanitation District No. 1.
“Somebody might want to sell, but the price might not be right; so we might have to look at another parcel.”
Mr. Eger said the sanitation district would like to have 100 acres.
Mary Rudicill, one of the property owners, said she was “just totally surprised, to be honest. I really thought they were leaning toward the CG&E plant.”
Sanitation district employees visited her property, she said; but after community speculation that the choice would likely be elsewhere, she didn't think much more about it.
“We're business people,” she said. “I'm certainly not going to say we'd never sell, but we had no desire to sell because it's my actual homeplace.”
The sanitation district had been negotiating with Cinergy for a piece of its East Bend property, but after public opposition developed in Rabbit Hash, Cinergy broke off negotiations in February and said it was no longer interested in selling the land.
There were several factors that distinguished the property that was chosen from the other sites, officials said.
“We can eliminate a pump station, there are natural buffers and there is good access to the river,” board President Richard Kennedy said.
By not building a large pump station planned for Gunpowder Creek, substantial costs for operation and maintenance would be eliminated.
Board members also said initial appraisal estimates indicate the property can be bought well within the acquisition budget.
The site will also have minimal impact on the public.
Yvonne Edwards, a resident who opposed a possible site off Elijah Creek Road, said she was satisfied with the board's choice.
“It seems like it's going in the right direction of the county,” she said.
The Kentucky Division of Water is expected to review a detailed report of the costs and environmental implications of the project by 2000. It is estimated that the design of the plant could be finished by 2001 and construction started by 2002.
The new plant should be operating by 2004.
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