Airport Inn restaurant seeking sewer line tie-in

Members wondered if the restaurant might relocate on airport property.
By ED RUNYAN
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
VIENNA -- The Airport Inn restaurant next to the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport closed its doors over sewage treatment problems and is asking airport officials for help.
Ed Poland, owner of the restaurant on state Route 93 just north of the airport terminal, said the restaurant closed temporarily early this month.
Steve Bowser, airport director of aviation, reported at Wednesday's Western Reserve Port Authority meeting that he received a letter from an engineering firm working for the restaurant. It asks the port authority to allow the restaurant to tie into a pump station near the airport terminal.
Bowser said he has met with Gary Newbrough, Trumbull County sanitary engineer, to discuss the idea. Bowser said he asked Newbrough to document that the restaurant's connection to the sewer line would not hamper the port authority's ability to develop the airport.
Authority member Mike Harshman questioned whether the restaurant could move into the vacant restaurant at the airport terminal. Member Thomas W. Petrarca questioned whether it might be beneficial to encourage Airport Inn to build a new restaurant on airport property.
Bowser said he had asked restaurant representatives about moving onto airport property and has not received an answer.
Concerns
Discussion on whether the restaurant could tie into the airport's sewer system centered on whether such an agreement would upset other property owners near the airport -- many of whom might also want to tie into the line, Bowser said.
Board members asked that Bowser check with the Federal Aviation Administration and other officials.
Newbrough later said he believes that the airport's sewer line could accommodate the restaurant, as long as airport employees operate a set of valves properly that keep storm water from entering the system. The valves are only supposed to be open to drain de-icing chemicals into the sewage drains, Newbrough said.
Bowser said the 8-inch sewer line in place for about the past five years circles most of the airport, takes in the Air Force Reserve Station and some businesses on Ridge Road. Newbrough said the sewer line is considered temporary.
The long-term fix is a sewer line that will be extended north to the airport from the state Route 193-Tibbetts Wick intersection in Liberty. Newbrough said his office is working on that project but estimates are that it won't be complete until around 2013.
Erm Gomes, engineer with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Twinsburg office, said Airport Inn was advised about five years ago that its sewage treatment system was inadequate.
License expired
Dr. James Enyeart, Trumbull County health commissioner, and Frank Migliozzi, health board environmental director, said the restaurant's food service license expired Feb. 28 because of the sewage problem. Without the license, a restaurant cannot operate, officials said.
Migliozzi said testing done at the restaurant over the past five years found fecal coliform at high levels.
Gomes said representatives from the health department, Ohio EPA, township trustees and the restaurant met March 8. The restaurant was told its main options were to tie into the airport sewer line, replace its current treatment system or install a holding tank that would be pumped so that none of its sewage would be released into the environment.
runyan@vindy.com