City Approves Tax Abatement Renewals For Little Crow, Dalton
April 21, 2020 at 11:08 p.m.
City Approves Tax Abatement Renewals For Little Crow, Dalton
By David [email protected]
Little Crow Lofts LLC provided its Compliance with Statement of Benefits (CF-1) form for real property improvements at 201 S. Detroit St. It spent about $6.4 million to rehabilitate the former Little Crow manufacturing facility into an affordable housing apartment building, according to information provided. This is the fourth year of Little Crow Lofts’ 10-year abatement.
Warsaw City Planner Jeremy Skinner said the company spent the money it said it would on the building rehabilitation and “there was no reason not to continue this tax abatement.”
Councilwoman Diane Quance let everyone know that she “checked in” with Skinner Monday on the property because she was concerned about some of the violations that the council was hearing about. Skinner checked up on those violations and told Quance that Little Crow had addressed everything except it hasn’t completed repairing the window sill because the work requires more favorable weather.
“But the other issues that the tenants have raised have been addressed, and I thought that would be important to address those as we look at this abatement,” Quance said.
Council President Jacki Wilhite asked if this was the property where a few months ago a tenant showed up to the council meeting and had concerns about parking at Little Crow Lofts. He asked if those parking concerns had been addressed as well.
Quance said the parking issues have been addressed. The junk cars were removed and Little Crow Lofts is in compliance with the number of required handicapped parking spaces.
Skinner said, “We did take care of the abandoned cars. We worked with Little Crow Lofts, their management, to identify those cars that were junk or abandoned and made notice and removed those from the property or the owner removed those from the property.”
He said the handicapped parking issue was a little bit different “in that the specific requirements, they meet.” He said he knows some residents had concerns about where the handicapped parking spaces were put, but the city can’t tell the property owner where to put the spaces other than they have to be as close as they can to be accessed, and the parking spots meet that requirement.
Quance made a motion to accept Little Crow Lofts’ abatement and it was unanimously approved.
The other tax abatement renewal before the council Monday was for Dalton Corp.
According to information provided, Dalton was granted a 10-year tax abatement on personal property in fall 2007. Dalton estimated spending $5 million on personal property improvements and has spent approximately $5 million. This is the 10th and final year of the abatement.
Skinner said it was just Dalton’s yearly tax abatement request and should be their last year. Dalton purchased the equipment over a two-year period, so its last year in buying that equipment was 2009 or 2010, he said. He recommended the council approve the tax abatement.
Quance asked, “So does that mean they’re at like 10% for next year?”
Skinner said yes. Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer said it’s typically phased in over 10 years and starts high and goes down from there. If indeed it is Dalton’s last year for the abatement, it would be 10%, Thallemer said.
Personal property value actually goes down pretty quickly, Skinner said, so by the time of the 10th year of abatement, that property doesn’t have a lot of value, but “nevertheless it’s a part of their abatement.”
Councilwoman Cindy Dobbins made a motion to approve the abatement, and it was unanimously approved.
Skinner also requested the council table Tyler Akers’ petition for voluntary annexation of property into the corporate boundary of Warsaw. The petition is the first step in the annexation process, which would be followed by an advertised public hearing, fiscal ordinance and annexation ordinance.
The address of the property is 1569 Husky Trail and it needs sewer.
Skinner said given that whenever the council is presented with a petition for annexation, it starts a timeline that ultimately requires a public hearing, and he’s not sure how the city would hold that public hearing at this point due to the coronavirus pandemic and governor’s stay-at-home order. He asked the council to table the petition until May or June when the city has a better footing to hold a public hearing.
Councilman Jerry Frush made a motion to table Akers’ petition, and it was unanimously approved.
Little Crow Lofts LLC provided its Compliance with Statement of Benefits (CF-1) form for real property improvements at 201 S. Detroit St. It spent about $6.4 million to rehabilitate the former Little Crow manufacturing facility into an affordable housing apartment building, according to information provided. This is the fourth year of Little Crow Lofts’ 10-year abatement.
Warsaw City Planner Jeremy Skinner said the company spent the money it said it would on the building rehabilitation and “there was no reason not to continue this tax abatement.”
Councilwoman Diane Quance let everyone know that she “checked in” with Skinner Monday on the property because she was concerned about some of the violations that the council was hearing about. Skinner checked up on those violations and told Quance that Little Crow had addressed everything except it hasn’t completed repairing the window sill because the work requires more favorable weather.
“But the other issues that the tenants have raised have been addressed, and I thought that would be important to address those as we look at this abatement,” Quance said.
Council President Jacki Wilhite asked if this was the property where a few months ago a tenant showed up to the council meeting and had concerns about parking at Little Crow Lofts. He asked if those parking concerns had been addressed as well.
Quance said the parking issues have been addressed. The junk cars were removed and Little Crow Lofts is in compliance with the number of required handicapped parking spaces.
Skinner said, “We did take care of the abandoned cars. We worked with Little Crow Lofts, their management, to identify those cars that were junk or abandoned and made notice and removed those from the property or the owner removed those from the property.”
He said the handicapped parking issue was a little bit different “in that the specific requirements, they meet.” He said he knows some residents had concerns about where the handicapped parking spaces were put, but the city can’t tell the property owner where to put the spaces other than they have to be as close as they can to be accessed, and the parking spots meet that requirement.
Quance made a motion to accept Little Crow Lofts’ abatement and it was unanimously approved.
The other tax abatement renewal before the council Monday was for Dalton Corp.
According to information provided, Dalton was granted a 10-year tax abatement on personal property in fall 2007. Dalton estimated spending $5 million on personal property improvements and has spent approximately $5 million. This is the 10th and final year of the abatement.
Skinner said it was just Dalton’s yearly tax abatement request and should be their last year. Dalton purchased the equipment over a two-year period, so its last year in buying that equipment was 2009 or 2010, he said. He recommended the council approve the tax abatement.
Quance asked, “So does that mean they’re at like 10% for next year?”
Skinner said yes. Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer said it’s typically phased in over 10 years and starts high and goes down from there. If indeed it is Dalton’s last year for the abatement, it would be 10%, Thallemer said.
Personal property value actually goes down pretty quickly, Skinner said, so by the time of the 10th year of abatement, that property doesn’t have a lot of value, but “nevertheless it’s a part of their abatement.”
Councilwoman Cindy Dobbins made a motion to approve the abatement, and it was unanimously approved.
Skinner also requested the council table Tyler Akers’ petition for voluntary annexation of property into the corporate boundary of Warsaw. The petition is the first step in the annexation process, which would be followed by an advertised public hearing, fiscal ordinance and annexation ordinance.
The address of the property is 1569 Husky Trail and it needs sewer.
Skinner said given that whenever the council is presented with a petition for annexation, it starts a timeline that ultimately requires a public hearing, and he’s not sure how the city would hold that public hearing at this point due to the coronavirus pandemic and governor’s stay-at-home order. He asked the council to table the petition until May or June when the city has a better footing to hold a public hearing.
Councilman Jerry Frush made a motion to table Akers’ petition, and it was unanimously approved.
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