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Developer seeks $3 million RHID for Monroe Manor infill subdivision; county declines study of exempting its tax share
Summary
Circle H Land Development asked Leavenworth County commissioners for participation in a six‑year, $3 million RHID to support Monroe Manor, a three‑phase infill subdivision in Lansing that would add about 194 single‑family homes.
Circle H Land Development told the Leavenworth County Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 10 that it plans a three‑phase infill subdivision on DeSoto Road in Lansing and is asking participating local governments to create a six‑year Reinvestment and Housing Incentive District (RHID) worth $3 million.
Roman Hahn, owner of Circle H, told the board the project would deliver about 194 single‑family homes in three phases (roughly 60–65 homes per phase), include sidewalks, streetlights, sanitary work and trail connections, and that the developer would fund the construction of that infrastructure up front. Hahn said the company would invest about $12 million in the project and is requesting roughly $3 million in RHID reimbursements split roughly among the city, school district and county.
Hahn said the development is intended as an infill product consistent with a Lansing housing study and that roughly 18% of lots could accommodate basements based on topography. He said the RHID request covers city‑type infrastructure (streets, sewers, utilities, sidewalks and lighting) that would be transferred to the city at project completion.
Why it matters: RHIDs divert incremental property tax revenue for a limited period to pay developer‑incurred public improvements. Commissioners debated fairness, county exposure and whether incentives should be uniform across jurisdictions. Several commissioners said RHIDs can be useful in targeted cases but urged caution about approving many such incentives.
Several commissioners and the Lansing mayor asked for specifics about who benefits, whether the project would proceed without an RHID and the duration of the reimbursement. Hahn said the developer selected a local builder and that the project timeline and build‑out assumptions (roughly 40 homes per year) made a shorter RHID feasible; he said the firm chose a six‑year term to stay well under a 15‑year ceiling the county’s RHID policy flags as potentially adverse.
Commission discussion and a staff study motion: Commissioner [name not specified in transcript] moved to direct county staff to study the legal requirements and ramifications of a development agreement that would exempt only the county’s portion of property taxes for an RHID. The motion was seconded, called for roll call and failed.
No final RHID approval was taken by the board during the meeting. Commissioners asked staff to continue following the county’s RHID policy, to compare local impacts among cities within the county, and to weigh long‑term effects on the tax base if multiple RHIDs are approved.
Other comments: Lansing Mayor Tony McNeal spoke in favor of the project, saying it would bring new residents and incremental tax revenue. Several commissioners raised procedural concerns about consistency and the county’s role in deciding which proposals receive incentives.
Next steps: Hahn said the city of Lansing would consider final approval on Sept. 18; if the city approves, Circle H expects to return to the county within 30 days for the RHID decision. The county did not approve or reject the RHID at this meeting.
