Wednesday, July 14, 1999

Airport land called suitable for sewage plant

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But residents told there's not enough space for facility

BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer

        HEBRON — Western Boone County residents trying to keep a sewage treatment plant out of their community say the facility could be built on vacant property owned by the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.

        Airport officials say all land at the airport is spoken for.

        “That's a public entity; it owns thousands of acres, and with its size, it has to be one of the biggest users of a sewage treatment plant,” said Don Stites, owner of the Belleview Bottoms farm that Sanitation District No. 1 has proposed buying to build a new treatment plant.

        “And building at the airport won't impact a community like building the sewage plant in western Boone County will,” he said.

        But Kenton County Airport Board officials say they simply don't have the 50 to 100 acres needed to accommodate the plant.

        “We talked to the folks at the sanitation district several months ago about putting the plant on airport property, but we don't have a big enough piece of land,” said Dale Huber, the airport's deputy director of aviation.

        Mr. Huber said the sanitation district was interested in three open parcels of airport property, but all are slated to be developed.

        One is where freight-carrier DHL Airways Inc. is building its new hub and sorting facility. A radar facility will be built on the other property, Mr. Huber said.

        A third spot is needed for a future north-south runway the airport board wants to build.

        “We met with the airport last year about land for the plant, but (the airport) really doesn't have the space,” said Sanitation District Manager Jeff Eger.

        Mr. Stites said he has a hard time believing that the airport doesn't have enough available land, and that the airport board just doesn't want a sewage treatment plant on its property.

        “They have 6,000 to 7,000 acres out there, and they can't find 50 acres?'' Mr. Stites asked.

        Mr. Huber said there are wide tracts of open space at the airport. But much of that land has to remain open because of federal restrictions about what can be built on airport property and where it can be built. Or, the property is planned for future development of airport or airline facilities.

        Boone County resident John Arrasmith, a leader of the western Boone County group opposing the plant, said the airport has sold land to developers in the past.

        “If they can sell land to developers, they should be able to find room to build a sewage treatment plant,” Mr. Arra- smith said.

        Mr. Huber said the airport board has “swapped” land with developers in the past, including Paul Hemmer Construction and Corporex, when property was needed for airport construction, including a runway expansion.

        The airport board also sold 70 acres to Hemmer a few years ago, Mr. Huber said. The property was contiguous to an industrial park the company owns off Ky. 237 in Hebron just west of the airport, and is being developed by Hemmer.

        But in return, the airport board received easements from Hemmer on 400 acres in the “noise contour” areas that are around the airport. The contours are areas that are most affected by the sounds of jets taking off and landing.

        The airport has spent millions of dollars buying houses and other property in those noise contours. But the deal with Hemmer allowed the airport to control the land without making additional purchases of property.

        Some Boone County residents have also raised questions about a potential conflict of interest involving Covington lawyer Bill Robinson, a member of the Kenton County Airport Board, who also serves as the Sanitation District's attorney.

        The residents have said Mr. Robinson has used his influence with both organizations to keep the sewage treatment plant away from the airport, a claim Mr. Robinson said is untrue.

        Mr. Robinson said the sewer district representatives met with airport officials about land for a plant site in January 1998. He was not appointed to the airport board until October 1998.

       

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