By John Kiesewetter
Enquirer staff writer

LIBERTY TWP. - Property owners east and west of Interstate 75 near the Ohio 129 regional highway might be asked to pay for part of the new Liberty interchange.

Members of the Butler County Transportation Improvement District said Monday that real estate assessments might be needed to pay for the $30 million project. The county wants to connect Hamilton-Mason Road to I-75 and Ohio 129; widen Hamilton-Mason Road; and extend Cox Road north into Liberty Township along I-75.

"We need to figure out what our strategy is," said John Fonner, transportation district director.

No federal or state funds are planned to be used for the new roads, Fonner said.

Transportation board members expressed concern Monday that they would not generate enough money for the project from other funding sources. They are counting on revenue from a 1.5 percent earnings tax on area businesses under a proposed Joint Economic Development District, and higher tax revenues from increased commercial and residential property values in so-called tax-increment financing districts.

Don Dixon, a developer and former county commissioner, said developers in the area should be told to "pay your fair share" for the roads that will make their property more valuable.

"The way finances are going, it's going to be more and more of a private-public partnership to make these projects work," said Ed Shelton, a member of Hamilton City Council and the transportation board. He has said that up to 15,000 jobs could be added to the area - mostly in rapidly growing Liberty Township the interchange is built.

Land assessments have been used in the past by the transportation district. Nearby property owners have been paying for the $11 million extensions of Union Centre Boulevard and Muhlhauser Road in West Chester Township after the I-75/Union Centre interchange opened in 1997, said David Gully, West Chester Township administrator.

Transportation board members and representatives from the county commissioners and county engineer's office will discuss possible assessments, Fonner said. A decision must be made before January, because work on Hamilton-Mason and Cox roads will begin in the spring, he said.

Improvements to the surface roads must be complete before interchange construction, which is projected to start in 2008,Fonner said.

Transportation board members also reviewed a modified design proposal for the Liberty interchange. The southbound ramp from Ohio 129 to I-75 has been rerouted slightly to keep the Butler County water tower on Hamilton-Mason Road. Not moving the water tower will save $4 million, said Sam Khorshidi, an engineer for the project manager, Resource International Inc.

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E-mail jkiesewetter@enquirer.com