At a public hearing Tuesday on a development plan for western Hamilton County, more than 300 people showed again that the county is divided by more than the Great Miami River.

They split over plans to extend water and sewer lines into the western region. They disagreed over what they see as best for the area's future: suburbia or farmland.

Members of Concerned Citizens of Western Hamilton County (CCWHC) do not approve of the plan that would bring the utilities, industrial development, strip malls and subdivisions to the area's farmland, trailer parks and rural estates.

But county commissioners say it will provide homes for Hamilton County residents who no longer want to live in Cincinnati and might otherwise move to Butler, Warren or Clermont counties - taking their tax dollars with them. And they see the region as ripe for the industrial and commercial development that would bring jobs and more tax revenue to the county.

Without a regional plan, western Hamilton County will be overcome with urban sprawl and uncoordinated development, Commissioner John Dowlin said.

Both sides say they want to promote "smart growth" and prevent urban sprawl, but they could not agree on definitions.

Steering committee members "use talk that sounds like smart growth - we call that 'greenwashing,' " said Glen Brand of the Sierra Club. But the committee's plan would cause urban sprawl, he said.

According to numbers crunched by county consultant LDR International Inc., without any regional plan but with the addition of water and sewer lines, the region's population would swell from the 140,000 counted in the 1990 Census to more than 200,000 in 2020. And it would be the same under the "moderate growth" scenario favored by the steering committee.

But CCWHC members favor a "low growth" scenario that would limit utility service and lead to a 2020 population of 174,100.

They want to limit infrastructure improvements to keep developers away. And while they welcome new neighbors, they want to retain large lot sizes, green space and a rural landscape.

Attorney Tim Mara, speaking on behalf of CCWHC, asked steering committee members not to vote on the proposal without seeking more organized public input. And, he said, the county commission should stop plans to extend water and sewer lines into the region until after the collaborative plan is complete.

"I think you need to convince the people that their opinions matter as much as special interest groups, such as the Western Hamilton County Economic Development Commission," Mr. Mara said.

What's next

If a steering committee of local officials approves the plan at its Feb. 3 meeting, it will be forwarded to the county regional planning commission, the county commissioners and, finally, to the individual governments: Colerain, Green, Whitewater, Miami, Harrison and Crosby townships; the villages of North Bend, Addyston and Cleves; and the city of Harrison.

If approved at each level, the collaborative plan would serve as an advisory document to govern zoning and development decisions made in western Hamilton County through 2020.

Copyright 1999 The Cincinnati Enquirer