Belton council approves Old Town redevelopment amendments after property owner raises concerns about timing

The Belton City Council on Monday approved three amendments to the Old Town Belton redevelopment plan, designating the 406 Main Street, 410 Main Street and 401 East Walnut projects as redevelopment projects and authorizing tax abatements as described in the ordinances.

The approvals came after a public comment from Michelle Mellinger, a Main Street property owner, who said she applied for a redevelopment program, obtained a Belton general contractor license and began roof repairs after coordinating with city staff and following the timeline on her applications. "At no point after submitting these applications was I ever informed by anyone that the August 15 start date was not feasible," Mellinger told the council. She said she submitted the applications on July 21 and had updated the stated start date to August 15; she said the project had been urgent because both roofs were in dire condition.

Why it matters: the ordinances amend the Old Town redevelopment plan and authorize tax abatements that reduce property tax obligations for qualifying redevelopment projects. Eligibility for abatements is tied to the redevelopment plan and to conditions stated on applications; the application form cited by council staff specifies that "any scope of work that has been started at the time of this application or during the application review process is ineligible" for inclusion in the total investment for abatement purposes.

Council action and immediate context: the council moved and recorded final readings for the three bills amending the Old Town redevelopment plan and voted to authorize the abatements. The council’s roll calls were recorded at the meeting; one council member was noted as absent during the roll call on the 410 Main Street item. The ordinances were approved as presented.

Discussion and concerns: Mellinger said she had met in person with city staff on June 30 and later applied for a Belton business license as a general contractor on June 21, receiving it on June 23. She also told the council that, "According to the city's own website, the Old Town redevelopment board meets biweekly or as needed, not just once a month as I was told at the last meeting." She said she felt "belittled" by questioning at a prior meeting and asked only for the same treatment other applicants had received.

An Old Town Redevelopment Corporation board member who spoke during the agenda discussion said the board planned to meet to review how to handle applications where work had already started. "Ultimately the 9 of us have the final say on if tax abatement is granted," the board member said, noting that the board intended to clarify procedures so staff and council would not be placed in the position of parsing whether work had begun before approval.

City staff and next steps: city staff said they had included the application language about ineligible started work on the application form and that the redevelopment corporation would review cases where applicants said work began because of emergency conditions. The Old Town Redevelopment Corporation planned a meeting to consider consistent guidance on applications and on how to treat situations where applicants begin work before formal approval. The council’s approvals put the projects on the redevelopment plan and authorized the abatements; eligibility for benefit amount remains subject to the redevelopment corporation’s determination and to the application rules.

What remains unresolved: Mellinger asked the council to ensure consistent treatment across applicants and said she had not been informed that her revised start date would be infeasible. The board member’s planned meeting is intended to clarify how such cases will be handled going forward.

Ending: With the ordinances approved, the projects are formally designated as redevelopment projects under the Old Town plan and may proceed through any remaining permitting and eligibility determinations. The Old Town Redevelopment Corporation scheduled a follow-up review to clarify how the board and staff will handle projects that begin work before formal approval.