Can the county sell residents on 'mega site'?

Lorain County Commissioner Dave Moore has a lot of work to do if he wants to sell skeptical residents on a proposed "mega site" around the Lorain County Regional Airport. His outing Monday to a South Amherst Village Council meeting didn't appear to have won many, if any, converts to his cause. Residents from across the county complained that the process of creating such a site had been shrouded in secrecy, as is often the case with development plans. (The commissioners don't appear to have locked down a project, although Moore suggested that the site could become home to companies in the aviation or defense sectors.) Others expressed concerns about the environmental impact of such a development. The biggest concern, however, appeared to be that the mega site would disrupt the rural lifestyle in New Russia Township, where the site of more than 1,000 acres is located, and beyond. Those are common refrains when it comes to development projects that could alter an area's character. They also are the hardest to address because development by its very nature changes an area, and the commissioners have hopes for a lot of development at the mega site. "I'm looking at companies that are going to be bringing good-paying jobs," Moore told our reporter Garrett Looker last week. "And I've gotten beaten up for this: I don't want one company with 5,000 jobs. I'd like to have 10 companies with 500 jobs. And that way we're not controlled by one industry. We've all lived through that with the steel industry and the automotive industry." Bringing 5,000 people to staff the site, whether it becomes home to one company or 10, would put immense pressure on government services and existing infrastructure. For example, Russia Road, the two-lane road on which the airport sits, would likely need to be widened. Additional roads might need to be built, and traffic lights might be necessary. Moore also has said the county is in talks with the Federal Aviation Administration to extend the airport's runway from about 5,000 feet to around 7,000 feet. Then there's the need for utilities, including electrical, water and sewer lines. Yes, the so-called "sewer to nowhere" runs to the airport, but Moore said a bigger pipe would be necessary to accommodate whatever ended up being built there. The "sewer to nowhere" was built decades ago with the hope that it would spur development that has yet to materialize in the area. It also stands as evidence that county commissioners — of both parties — have long harbored dreams of expanding development in Lorain County. The commissioners already have taken steps to address the need for expanded utilities. In July, the Ohio Controlling Board approved $67.4 million in state funding to pay for upgrading water and sewer lines to the site. The county would need to kick in another $22.5 million in local matching funds. Moore told us at the time that the full cost of that project hadn't been finalized. Where the county will get the money to pay the local match is also an open question. The county does have about $20 million set aside for construction of a new county jail, but that money might be needed elsewhere if voters next week reject a 0.25 percent sales-tax increase the commissioners want them to approve to help fund the county Sheriff's Office. The sewer project is part of a larger plan to create a countywide sewer district that also could see Vermilion convert its aging wastewater treatment plant, which needs roughly $76 million in upgrades to comply with environmental mandates, into a pump station. Under that plan, Vermilion would tie into the new wastewater treatment plant the county wants to build. Logistical questions aside, Moore is a true believer that developing the mega site will be good for the county. On Monday, he suggested that future development couldn't be stopped, although he added that local leaders could play a role in shaping development through land-use plans. "You either want to control your development, or the developer's going to control your development," Moore said. Optimistic as Moore is, some residents will fight the mega site, as evidenced not only by those who spoke against it at the meeting, but by the yard signs opposing the mega site that have sprouted in the southern part of the county. If the commissioners end up bringing development to the mega site, we suspect that residents will find ways to oppose them. That might take the form of lawsuits or referendums on zoning changes. Sometimes such efforts are successful. For example, Eaton Township voters last year rejected a zoning change that township trustees had approved to allow Ross Environmental Services to build a specialty landfill to dispose of waste ash from its incinerator. Moore's enthusiasm for the mega site is understandable. If the project becomes reality, it will mean jobs and tax revenue. Residents' concerns, though, also are understandable. The closer they live to the mega site, the greater the impact on their lives will be. Perhaps Moore is right that the mega site is inevitable, but public support for the project isn't.