Residents urge commissioners to return $67M sewer grant, oppose proposed megasite and seek later public meetings

Multiple residents used the public‑comment portion of the Jan. 27 meeting to raise objections to a proposed sewer and industrial “mega‑site” project for western Lorain County and to ask the board to reconsider the allocation of a $67 million sewer grant. Speakers cited concerns about infrastructure costs, local control, environmental impacts and fairness of the planning process.

Erin Mason of New Russia Township asked the commissioners to schedule at least one evening meeting per month to make participation accessible to more working residents, saying the area “overwhelmingly does not want sewer or industrial development” and urging that the $67 million be returned or redirected to areas with existing infrastructure. Gerald Phillips (Avon Lake) cited county documents and asked why a Raftelis study was being commissioned given prior studies; he also asserted figures he said showed LORCO owed large sums to Avon Lake Regional Water — listing $3,508,874 owed to the water fund and $13,012,399 to the sewer fund for a 2024 total of $16,521,273 — and warned that eastern‑side plans would not proceed unless Avon Lake Regional Water is “made whole.”

Commissioners and staff acknowledged public concerns, and Commissioner Jeff Riddell provided a HUD entitlement (urban county) fact sheet at the meeting to clarify that the HUD urban‑county designation relates to Community Development Block Grant administration, not zoning authority. The board did not take immediate policy action on the sewer or megasite proposals that evening.