Commissioners agree to extension of Columbus utility area for Intel; Mink new boundary

Kent Mallett, Newark Advocate
·4 min read
The blue area shows where Columbus water and sewer service plans to expand to serve the Intel Corporation facility. The green area is the Columbus service area and the brown area is the Pataskala service area.
The blue area shows where Columbus water and sewer service plans to expand to serve the Intel Corporation facility. The green area is the Columbus service area and the brown area is the Pataskala service area.

NEWARK — The Licking County Commissioners approved on Thursday a City of Columbus petition to the Ohio EPA seeking expansion of the capital city's water and sewer service area in Licking County.

The additional 692 acres to service Intel Corporation's $20 billion computer chip manufacturing facility would extend the Columbus Regional Facility Planning Area to the southwest corner of the Mink Street-Green Chapel Road intersection, which is the boundary of the Intel project site south of Johnstown.

The land has already been annexed into New Albany, which has a contract to use Columbus water and sewer within its city limits. A portion of the Intel site is already in the Columbus utility area.

The state's water quality management plan, or 208 plan, identifies how wastewater treatment needs will be met while protecting existing and future water quality in a defined geographic area. Ohio EPA reviews and updates the state's 208 Plan.

New Albany Community Development Director Jennifer Chrysler and Southwest Licking Water and Sewer District attorney Andrew King met with the commissioners Thursday seeking approval for the petition.

“In order for the city to be able to service the site with water and sewer through our contracts with the city of Columbus, it has to be within the Columbus utility planning area, and in order to be in the planning area, the 208 line needs to be modified," Chrysler said. That’s required with the EPA.”

Intel plans to begin construction later this year on two factories, called fabs, a few miles south of Johnstown. The company expects production to start in 2025 and employment to reach 3,000, with an average wage of $135,000. The project is also expected to create 7,000 construction jobs and 10,000 indirect jobs. It could be the beginning of a $100 billion investment by the company.

In preparation for the Intel development, New Albany planned to annex 3,190 acres of Jersey Township land, generally bordered by Green Chapel Road to the north, Mink Street to the east, Jug Street Road to the south and the county line to the west.

More: Licking County receives first annexation petition for Intel development land

Soon after the Jan. 21 Intel announcement, the commissioners received a petition, accompanied by an annexation agreement, from 117 property owners for 1,689 acres within the Intel project area. The commissioners recently received another petition to annex 509 more Jersey Township acres, bisecting Beech Road and bordered on the west by the county line.

King said of the Columbus water area extension, “The critical fact is it’s annexed into the city of New Albany and the city of New Albany has its contractual obligations to have water and sewer served by Columbus. So, we’re not interested in interfering.”

The commissioners approved the petition contingent on Southwest Licking Water and Sewer District also approving at its board meeting Thursday night, which King said it did.

More: Jersey Township creating zoning plan to prevent more New Albany annexation

King and Chrysler said Mink Street will be the new boundary between the Columbus and Southwest Licking service areas.

“The city of New Albany and our city council do not have any desire to annex ground east of Mink," Chrysler said. "So, we don’t anticipate that area would be developed or annexed into the city. Mink Road is going to be the eastern boundary for the city’s growth.”

King said Southwest Licking will extend water north along the east side of Mink Street.

“There’s a desire for water to run up Mink, and we’ll make that a somewhat permanent boundary,” King said. “When and if we get all the way to Green Chapel is to be determined, but there is active planning to get water and sewer up Mink.

“I think it’s fair to say to the west (of Mink) will be New Albany/Columbus and to the east will be Southwest Licking.”

Commissioner Duane Flowers asked Chrysler how long Mink Street will remain the boundary for New Albany expansion. Many years ago, Harrison Road was the boundary.

Chrysler said, “I think the conversations that are occurring right now between the city of New Albany and Jersey Township suggest that border is going to be memorialized in more ways in future agreements so that everybody’s clear and has the understanding that this is where it will stay.”

Asked how long the boundary will remain, Commissioner Rick Black said, “For the time being.”

Tim Bubb responded, “They still own land on both sides of the line of demarcation. I’ll be kind of curious if that really happens.”

Chrysler said there is one area east of Mink Street around the Jug Street intersection, that is within both the Columbus and Southwest Licking service areas.

“Nothing is changing with that," Chrysler said. "Either provider can provide service in that area if they so choose to."

kmallett@newarkadvocate.com 

740-328-8545

Twitter: @kmallett1958

This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Commissioners agree to expand Columbus water, sewer area for Intel