Plan Commission approves amendment to Tax Incremental District No. 4 project plan and boundaries

The Plan Commission voted to approve a resolution amending the project plan and expanding the boundaries of Tax Incremental District No. 4, a measure that the commission’s chair said will go next to the village board and then to the Joint Review Board for final adoption.

The amendment adds parcels south and north of Interstate 43 and at the end of Buhl Drive into TID 4, and increases the district’s project costs by about $2.3 million, primarily to cover land acquisitions and stormwater improvements, including upgrades to an existing retention pond, commission members were told.

The amendment matters because the added parcels are targeted for redevelopment and some infrastructure—particularly a retention pond constructed in the late 1990s—does not meet current Department of Natural Resources (DNR) standards for new development. Kayla, from Eller's, told the commission the pond will require upgrades estimated at just over $300,000 to accommodate new development, and that only a portion of the pond-related work is eligible as a TID cost. Kayla said the village is also pursuing acquisition of parcels south of I‑43 and is in conversations with four developers about potential projects.

At the meeting, commission staff reviewed the project-cost table in the amendment. The original project plan lists expenses of just over $21,800,000; the amendment adds roughly $2,300,000, including $150,000 allocated in the amendment specifically for stormwater retention-related costs and $60,000 related to water-main and water-system improvements. The commission was told the district has expended just over $7,000,000 to date. Kayla noted that remediation work for “phase 1 and 2” has exceeded earlier estimates but said the project plan allows those expenditures and the village remains within the 20% deviation threshold that would trigger additional review.

Commission members were also briefed on an 82-acre parcel south of Honey Creek Road that the village has largely developed; Kayla said about 2.5 acres of that parcel remain undeveloped. She added that parcels adjacent to County Road 120 and the property at the end of Buhl Drive were included in the amendment to allow flexibility should proposals arise before the TID’s scheduled close.

President Johnson opened and closed the public hearing on the amendment at the meeting and then moved to approve the resolution approving the project-plan and boundary amendment (file number 2025-13PC). The motion was seconded; the commission voted in favor and the chair said the resolution will go to the village board next week and then back to the Joint Review Board for formal adoption.

This amendment is described at the meeting as the first of up to four permitted project-plan amendments over the life of the district; the village may make unlimited boundary amendments. Commissioners were reminded that if project expenditures deviate more than 20% from the plan, additional county (Joint Review Board) action would be required.

Next steps noted at the meeting: the village board will consider the resolution next week; the Joint Review Board will meet again to adopt the amendment; and the village will continue discussions with developers interested in the newly added parcels. No specific development agreements or developer names were presented during the hearing.