Clermont County business owner fights against controversial housing development plan [Video]

CLERMONT COUNTY, Ohio (WXIX)-A Clermont County business owner has submitted a referendum against a housing plan in the Village of Batavia that he believes threatens his airport and the community.

Michael Wolf, CEO of Sporty’s, an airport located on Sporty’s Drive, states that he and his team filed the referendum to put the housing development on pause until residents can vote on the issue in 2025.

“We have filed a referendum to put that on a ballot and let the village residents decide whether we’re going to do this or not. We are fighting this as much as we can.”

Village of Batavia Zoning Director Chip Stewart confirms that about 668 homes near the airport on annexed land between Clough Pike and Taylor Roadwill likely be tied to a 15-year tax abatement. This would mean the new residents would make payments to the village in place of property taxes. Current residents say this would strain shared services …