LIBERTY TWP. — Butler County Commissioners are soliciting comments on the proposed Liberty Interchange at Interstate 75 and a Cincinnati city councilman's plans to kill it.

They plan to assemble reactions to John Cranley's opposition to the interchange and send them on to Cincinnati officials.

Butler County Economic Development Director Andrew Kuchta is sending e-mails to chamber of commerce presidents and the Economic Development Association of Butler County (EDABC), a countywide business recruitment effort made up of all jurisdictions and chambers.

At the commissioners' request, Mr. Kuchta asks for reaction on Mr. Cranley's goal to shoot down a proposed eastward interchange off the Michael A. Fox Highway at I-75 in Liberty Township. Mr. Kuchta plans to use the responses in a letter to Mayor Charlie Luken, Cincinnati City Council members and the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce.

“This is a very disturbing situation that needs to be addressed. Let's make sure they know that the spirit of regionalism and cooperation is not dead — at least in Butler County anyway,” Mr. Kuchta wrote.

So far, the seven responses returned overwhelmingly support sending such a letter to the city. The Mid-Miami Valley, Fairfield, Hamilton and Southeastern Butler County chambers and the heads of Trenton and Monroe's development offices have responded.

“I think a letter from the EDABC, signed by all members would be appropriate — note how we WORK TOGETHER for the benefit of all,” wrote David Daugherty, president of the Mid-Miami Valley Chamber of Commerce, which serves Monroe and Trenton.

More responses are expected.

Mr. Cranley riled Butler leaders last week by announcing he joined a regional transportation board in part to oppose the expanded Interstate 75/Fox Highway interchange in Liberty Township. The Fox Highway now runs west only off I-75 to Hamilton.

The interchange, Liberty and county officials say, is a crucial project needed to bring business revenues to Liberty, whose population shot up 147 percent between 1990 and 2000 and now stands at 25,000. It also could mean an estimated 15,100 jobs and millions in tax revenues for the county.

Mr. Cranley says he is only thinking of the entire region. He is concerned, he says, about sprawl and its impact on Hamilton County suburbs such as Kenwood and Colerain Township, with malls and traffic-clogged roads. The region should fix what it already has before building new developments on farmland, he maintains.

But Commisioner Mike Fox, for whom the highway is named, perceives Mr. Cranley's stance is a declaration of war on the suburbs. He and other Butler County commissioners warn if Cincinnati goes after the interchange, Butler will “raid” Cincinnati's businesses and try to lure them to the county.

“I am confident that Mr. Fox has grossly mischaracterized my position on this matter, so I am not sure what to think about an e-mail coming from county commissioners including Mr. Fox,” Mr. Cranley said Tuesday. “I am committed to doing what is in the best interests of the region and being cooperative.”

Mr. Cranley also said he plans to send a letter to the regional planning agency, the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments, outlining his views.

Butler County officials are moving forward on the interchange, which comes up again for review at OKI's next meeting, Nov. 14.

Mr. Fox appeared before Liberty Township trustees Monday with a letter of commitment from the county for $388,628 from tax increment financing in the Cox Road district to move the interchange forward with studies on environmental impact and other red-tape clearing moves.

Hamilton County Commissioner and former Cincinnati City Councilman Todd Portune has sent a handwritten letter of support for the interchange to Butler County, long before Mr. Cranley attacked it.

On Tuesday, Mr. Portune reiterated his support but did say he shares Mr. Cranley's concerns about sprawl.

But the eastward interchange should go in, Mr. Portune said, because the highway already extends west toward Hamilton off Interstate 75.

“There's no access there and it makes absolutely no sense from a transportation planning perspective and motorist or community/public safety perspective,” Mr. Portune said. “Since you already have the interchange there and development occurring at that general location to begin with, it makes sense to complete it.”

But Warren County Commissioner and OKI board member Larry Crisenbery says he supports Mr. Cranley's stance because the interchange would push too much traffic onto neighboring Mason's roads. Approval of the interchange from the Ohio Department of Transportation is on hold pending a study of interchanges along I-75 between I-275 and I-675 in suburban Dayton, expected early next year.

Between 1998 and 2005, ODOT will spend more money — $330 million — in Butler County than in Hamilton, Warren and Clermont counties combined, ODOT's director, Gordon Proctor, wrote Butler commissioners in an Aug. 23 letter defending ODOT's pace on approving the Liberty interchange.

E-mail jedwards@enquirer.com.

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