State: Eastern Corridor meeting closed to public

Scroll to the bottom of this story to tell us what you think about the future of the Eastern Corridor project.

The state is planning an invite-only meeting next week to discuss the future of a controversial East Side highway proposal – and many are wondering why it's not open to the public.

The state, however, says the June 4 meeting is for focus groups to talk about the relocation of Ohio 32 and no votes will be taken on the most polarizing part of the so-called Eastern Corridor multimodal transportation project.

But many contend the meeting will help shape the do-or-die decision on the project, and that's why it should be open to the public.

"If they're not taking public input, who are they representing? Special interest?" Newtown Mayor Curt Cosby said.

The proposal to relocate Ohio 32 has been hotly debated for years. The villages of Mariemont and Newtown are against the project, and about a dozen federal and state agencies have been unable to agree on parts of the proposal. The bickering became untenable, and the state approved hiring a mediator last year to try to work things out.

Massachusetts-based Consensus Building Institute issued a report in November that shed light on the complexities of the project – showing it's been plagued by government mistrust, accusations of hidden agendas and fundamental disagreements over the merits of relocating Ohio 32.

Next week's meeting is the first major scheduled meeting to discuss the project since the report came out. The Enquirer obtained the agenda and invite list of the private meeting to be held in Eastgate.

Some public officials who will play a role in deciding the project's fate weren't on the invite list, including Hamilton County Commissioners Greg Hartmann and Chris Monzel and state Rep. Tom Brinkman. The three Republicans are against relocating Ohio 32.

Emails obtained by The Enquirer even showed that representatives for Hartmann and Monzel had asked to attend but were told to stay away by the Consensus Building Institute. But minutes after The Enquirer asked the Ohio Department of Transportation on Thursday morning why elected officials and the public were not allowed to attend the meeting, the staffers for Hartmann and Monzel were informed they could sit in on the session.

Brinkman says he still hasn't been invited, despite his office making a request to attend.

"People expect their leaders to lead, and we can't do that if they're not going to allow you to be there," said Brinkman, a Mount Lookout resident who represents the area of Hamilton County that could be impacted by the project.

Most of the 33 invitees were interviewed for the report, and the meeting is a follow-up with them, ODOT spokesman Brian Cunningham said. The federal government requires a long, drawn-out process to resolve major issues on projects, and the meeting is merely a step in that process.

"We're not attempting to circumvent anything with regards to this project," Cunningham said. "We're following the established federal process."

The Ohio Legislature this year put a deadline of Dec. 31 to decide whether to move forward or pull the plug on the Ohio 32 relocation project. Brinkman tried to outright kill the Ohio 32 relocation proposal while the House was deciding on the new transportation bill this year.

All but four of the meeting invitees either work for government agencies or are being paid by taxpayers to work on the project. Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune is on the invite list. Portune is a proponent of the overall multiple-phase Eastern Corridor project, but he does not favor ODOT's current plan that calls for Ohio 32 to bypass Newtown and cut through historic land in Mariemont.

"I will not support any process that spends another day – or another dime – studying (that) alignment," Portune said.

The invite list includes a handful of opponents, including representatives from the Sierra Club and the mayors of Newtown and Mariemont. But Brinkman said the list is "stacked with people who are for" relocating Ohio 32.

"We think all meetings should be public and transparent," said Nathan Alley, who will represent the Sierra Club at the meeting. "It does seem like there are people missing from the conversation who have important perspectives."

The Eastern Corridor has been on the drawing board since the 1970s, and the overall project calls for new passenger rail, bike lanes, roadway expansion and improvements and a new I-275 interchange in Eastgate. Besides the lack of consensus, the project also has lacked funding.

Last summer, an Enquirer public records request revealed the state had spent or committed $22 million to the Eastern Corridor since 2010. The entire project is estimated to cost around $1 billion, and most phases of the Eastern Corridor haven't gotten off the ground.

Many believe the Ohio 32 relocation is a waste of taxpayer money at a time when cities and states are struggling to fix crumbling roads and bridges.

"The bottom line about all this stuff is we have so many transportation needs in this area," Brinkman said. "We all know about the Brent Spence Bridge. Beyond that, the Western Hills Viaduct is falling apart. The idea of building a brand new road – when we have really important (highways and bridges) that need to be addressed – is really frustrating."

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