Redevelopment Commission Slows Down Process Of Creating 2 Residential TIFs
October 28, 2022 at 2:20 a.m.
By Jackie [email protected]
Greg Fitzloff, business development partner with Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation, talked about two residential projects that are being worked on.
The first is an 18.8-acre project in Etna Green immediately adjacent to Heritage Park. KEDCO has met with the landowners and reached an agreement on purchasing the property.
Fitzloff said, as required by state statute, KEDCO has met with county officials and representatives from Baker Tilly to set up a timeline for the project.
Baker Tilly said the Etna Green TIF district was eligible to be done under the 1% rule.
To set up a residential TIF district, it has to be shown the amount of housing produced in the previous three calendar years doesn’t average more than 1% of the total homes in that jurisdiction. That designation was sent to the state. Baker Tilly will create a fiscal impact study for the project. The next step is to move ahead with the public hearing, he said.
Fitzloff said they are looking at probably 35 single-family housing in that area. The utility infrastructure has been identified next to the property.
“We’re pretty comfortable we’re doing what needs to be done in regards to predevelopment. We have a predevelopment agreement and memorandum of understanding with the town of Etna Green for this housing project, so they’ve been very helpful in moving things along,” he said.
Etna Green does not have its own redevelopment commission, so they asked the Kosciusko County Redevelopment Commission to be their agent in the process.
President Joni Truex asked if there was a developer lined up. Fitzloff said KEDCO does not have a developer as of Wednesday as they needed to gain control of the property first. He is comfortable there will be a developer by the end of the year.
Truex asked if there is really a push to get the TIF district in place before the end of the year.
Etna Green Town Councilman Jason Hanes said the only thing rushing the TIF district is paying back the $1,000 to have the 1% study done by Baker Tilly. Hanes said he doesn’t like the pace they’re having to go through by the end of the year, so he wouldn’t have any objections in pushing the timeline out.
Hanes said it’s been worked on for several years, “so what’s a couple months?”
When questions were asked if the TIF district had to be done first before going to developers, Fitzloff said the normal practice is to create the TIF district first before getting developers so everyone knows going in.
Fitzloff said KEDCO will work with whatever determination the Commission makes. In terms of the developers, developers tend not to commit to the project until they’ve seen a commitment in regards to the TIF district. They don’t want to miss a construction season due to concerns in getting the TIF district up and going. As long as the TIF district is up and going by the end of the first quarter of 2023, Fitzloff said he doesn’t see a problem.
Commission attorney Adam Turner brought up concerns in the timeline and lining everything up to keep things moving.
Truex said if they have a developer that is willing to build houses Etna Green wants, her willingness in the TIF district goes up tremendously.
Commission Vice President Jan Orban asked if a delay in creating the TIF district would push back any other obligations a developer might have. Fitzloff said there’s no way to answer that question.
Hanes said public hearings haven’t been held in Etna Green, so that’s his concern in getting a developer first. He doesn’t want to lock the town into anything before the public hearings. He wants to make sure it’s done the right way. Fitzloff said the initial public hearing is about the creation of the TIF district, not about the approval of a development project.
The other development KEDCO is working on is Southshore in Syracuse.
Truex asked if the developers and owners know what they have in mind with the project.
Terry Sweeney, project director with KEDCO, said the developers anticipate 160 single-family homes, about 15 townhomes and 50 rental apartments and a multi-use building. He and Fitzloff are meeting with the owners and developers today to talk them down the steps of what they have to do.
The development is about 2 miles south of Syracuse on the north part of Lake Wawasee where South Shore Golf Course.
Truex said her concern about the timeline is getting a quorum over the holidays for Commission meetings in order to get things done.
She said if Etna Green wants to move forward with the public hearings, they can go ahead with that part. She wondered if the public hearings for Southshore should move ahead with the public hearings due to the holidays.
Turner said starting the public hearing process is a big step in starting the TIF district process.
However, it seems, historically, Turner said, the county has had a developer before it created a TIF.
Fitzloff said if there’s no TIF, he may not be able to find developers. There are some people interested, but they want to know there’s some public incentive. Developers are waiting to see if the district is created before they show interest. He encouraged the Commission to start the process, suggesting it could be stopped later on.
Commission member Doug Hanes said there is some merit in slowing down the TIF district down, whether that means holding the public hearings after the first of the year or something else.
Truex said she thinks she heard a consensus the Commission wanted to slow down the process of creating the TIF districts, but not cancelling them. Fitzloff said he is fine with slowing down the process. His main concern was stopping the process entirely and starting it back up in January.
It was decided to delay the first public hearings on the TIFs. The Commission will decide on the date during its Nov. 10 meeting.
Jason Hanes said Triton School Board “was planning on us being there” during the school board meeting Nov. 14. The Commission didn’t see any issue in KEDCO and the Council attending the Board meeting.
Greg Fitzloff, business development partner with Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation, talked about two residential projects that are being worked on.
The first is an 18.8-acre project in Etna Green immediately adjacent to Heritage Park. KEDCO has met with the landowners and reached an agreement on purchasing the property.
Fitzloff said, as required by state statute, KEDCO has met with county officials and representatives from Baker Tilly to set up a timeline for the project.
Baker Tilly said the Etna Green TIF district was eligible to be done under the 1% rule.
To set up a residential TIF district, it has to be shown the amount of housing produced in the previous three calendar years doesn’t average more than 1% of the total homes in that jurisdiction. That designation was sent to the state. Baker Tilly will create a fiscal impact study for the project. The next step is to move ahead with the public hearing, he said.
Fitzloff said they are looking at probably 35 single-family housing in that area. The utility infrastructure has been identified next to the property.
“We’re pretty comfortable we’re doing what needs to be done in regards to predevelopment. We have a predevelopment agreement and memorandum of understanding with the town of Etna Green for this housing project, so they’ve been very helpful in moving things along,” he said.
Etna Green does not have its own redevelopment commission, so they asked the Kosciusko County Redevelopment Commission to be their agent in the process.
President Joni Truex asked if there was a developer lined up. Fitzloff said KEDCO does not have a developer as of Wednesday as they needed to gain control of the property first. He is comfortable there will be a developer by the end of the year.
Truex asked if there is really a push to get the TIF district in place before the end of the year.
Etna Green Town Councilman Jason Hanes said the only thing rushing the TIF district is paying back the $1,000 to have the 1% study done by Baker Tilly. Hanes said he doesn’t like the pace they’re having to go through by the end of the year, so he wouldn’t have any objections in pushing the timeline out.
Hanes said it’s been worked on for several years, “so what’s a couple months?”
When questions were asked if the TIF district had to be done first before going to developers, Fitzloff said the normal practice is to create the TIF district first before getting developers so everyone knows going in.
Fitzloff said KEDCO will work with whatever determination the Commission makes. In terms of the developers, developers tend not to commit to the project until they’ve seen a commitment in regards to the TIF district. They don’t want to miss a construction season due to concerns in getting the TIF district up and going. As long as the TIF district is up and going by the end of the first quarter of 2023, Fitzloff said he doesn’t see a problem.
Commission attorney Adam Turner brought up concerns in the timeline and lining everything up to keep things moving.
Truex said if they have a developer that is willing to build houses Etna Green wants, her willingness in the TIF district goes up tremendously.
Commission Vice President Jan Orban asked if a delay in creating the TIF district would push back any other obligations a developer might have. Fitzloff said there’s no way to answer that question.
Hanes said public hearings haven’t been held in Etna Green, so that’s his concern in getting a developer first. He doesn’t want to lock the town into anything before the public hearings. He wants to make sure it’s done the right way. Fitzloff said the initial public hearing is about the creation of the TIF district, not about the approval of a development project.
The other development KEDCO is working on is Southshore in Syracuse.
Truex asked if the developers and owners know what they have in mind with the project.
Terry Sweeney, project director with KEDCO, said the developers anticipate 160 single-family homes, about 15 townhomes and 50 rental apartments and a multi-use building. He and Fitzloff are meeting with the owners and developers today to talk them down the steps of what they have to do.
The development is about 2 miles south of Syracuse on the north part of Lake Wawasee where South Shore Golf Course.
Truex said her concern about the timeline is getting a quorum over the holidays for Commission meetings in order to get things done.
She said if Etna Green wants to move forward with the public hearings, they can go ahead with that part. She wondered if the public hearings for Southshore should move ahead with the public hearings due to the holidays.
Turner said starting the public hearing process is a big step in starting the TIF district process.
However, it seems, historically, Turner said, the county has had a developer before it created a TIF.
Fitzloff said if there’s no TIF, he may not be able to find developers. There are some people interested, but they want to know there’s some public incentive. Developers are waiting to see if the district is created before they show interest. He encouraged the Commission to start the process, suggesting it could be stopped later on.
Commission member Doug Hanes said there is some merit in slowing down the TIF district down, whether that means holding the public hearings after the first of the year or something else.
Truex said she thinks she heard a consensus the Commission wanted to slow down the process of creating the TIF districts, but not cancelling them. Fitzloff said he is fine with slowing down the process. His main concern was stopping the process entirely and starting it back up in January.
It was decided to delay the first public hearings on the TIFs. The Commission will decide on the date during its Nov. 10 meeting.
Jason Hanes said Triton School Board “was planning on us being there” during the school board meeting Nov. 14. The Commission didn’t see any issue in KEDCO and the Council attending the Board meeting.
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