By Sue Kiesewetter
Enquirer contributor

FAIRFIELD - Gary Lester wants to move his business to higher grounds.

The owner of Don's Automotive said he doesn't want to battle Pleasant Run Creek any longer. Since the city added a nine-hole golf course, his business has flooded twice. Before that, neither he nor his uncle - who owned the business before him - had been flooded in the 31 years the shop has been on Winton Road.

"They say it's a coincidence, but prior to the golf course we never got water at all," Lester said.

"It's hard to say it's a coincidence. We flooded two of the last three years."

In June 2001, when the creek came out of its banks, only a few inches of water came into his shop. During the June 14-15 floods this year, the back bays of his shop got up to of 4 feet of water, and several cars being repaired floated away and were damaged. Lightning also started a fire.

"I don't want to take any more chances. From what I lost, I could have had a pretty hefty down payment on a new building."

Lester wants to build a six-bay garage on a 1-acre site on Pleasant Avenue, between John Gray Road and Augusta Boulevard at an estimated cost of $350,000. The move would allow him to begin a quick-lube service, and he would add one or two employees.

To do that, he has requested a zoning change from neighborhood business to a planned unit development. A public hearing on the request has been set for Nov. 24 at 7 p.m.

Lester's request comes despite his belief that city leaders are addressing the flooding problem.

"I really do believe right now they're trying to get something done," Lester said. "They've had a total attitude change from the first meeting (after the June flood) to now. They're so much more compassionate."

This week City Engineer Jim Turner updated council on maintenance projects along the 19 miles of creek and tributaries in Fairfield.

To date:

• Letters have been sent to 29 property owners who were dumping yard waste and debris into the creek.

• 228 truckloads of sand have been removed from the creek.

• Fallen trees, large appliances and miscellaneous items have been removed.

• An access point has been created for the creek's east branch between Chesapeake and Resor roads.

• There have been sanitary sewer repairs; and consultants are studying channel improvements, purchase of homes in the flood plain and additional retention of water upstream.

Banker Drive resident Tami Todd, who heads the Fairfield Flood Victims 6/14 group, said she was pleased with the update and asked for monthly reports.