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Mount Orab residents demand transparency, urge pause on proposed megasite
Summary
Residents delivered petitions and public testimony urging the Mount Orab council to pause negotiations for a proposed "mega" site, criticizing nondisclosure agreements and asking for environmental and fiscal impact information; the council agreed to schedule a special public meeting to gather more input.
Hundreds of residents pressed the Mount Orab Village Council on community engagement and secrecy around a proposed "meg asite," arguing that nondisclosure agreements and limited public briefings have left people feeling excluded.
Michael Latour, who said he helped organize a petition of more than 1,700 people with over 850 signatures, told the council: "Are you listening to your own people?" Latour said residents were forced to stand outside in freezing temperatures because the meeting was held in a room that could not accommodate the public, and he called on the council to "reset, to listen, and to govern with its residents rather than around them."
Multiple speakers echoed Latour. Christina Colgate, who recounted a family history with a prior secretive eminent‑domain episode, urged the council to "hit the pause button" and require public disclosure of environmental, health and fiscal impacts before moving forward. "We ask you to make the decisions together, not behind closed doors," she said.
Other commenters raised specific requests: copies of any environmental impact or watershed studies, records of annexations and ordinance language that established zoning for properties tied to the project, and whether tax‑increment financing (TIF) agreements exist since 2017. Several residents asked the council to make those records available and to livestream meetings so people who cannot attend in person can follow proceedings.
Council members acknowledged the depth of public concern and discussed options for a larger forum to take testimony and present available information. One council member said legal counsel had advised that, in some cases, NDAs are used before final land purchases but that the council would attempt to provide as much information as is legally allowable.
The meeting closed with the council agreeing to set a special public meeting (see separate article) to focus on the megasite and related transparency questions. Speakers asked the council to prioritize sharing impact studies and zoning ordinances and to consider working with local universities and students to gather and analyze relevant material.
The council did not adopt any new land‑use measures or change zoning at the meeting; it scheduled a follow‑up special meeting to allow further public input and staff research.
