Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing Brownfield Tif topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board approves Hudsonville ‘Landings at Rush Creek’ Brownfield housing TIF after amendments
Summary
The board approved a city-backed Brownfield housing tax increment financing plan for an 84-unit rental development in Hudsonville, including changes to capture length and income-qualified unit mix. The plan drew debate over use of public incentives for private housing development.
The Ottawa County Board of Commissioners voted 7–4 on April 22 to approve a Brownfield housing tax increment financing (TIF) amendment for the Landings at Rush Creek, an 84-unit apartment project in the city of Hudsonville. County staff and city officials described the project as workforce housing designed to use existing infrastructure on a parcel that has been vacant for about 25 years.
County economic development staff said the approved amendment reduced the developer capture slightly and shortened the TIF term by one year as a response to feedback from finance staff and commissioners. The board packet and staff presentation noted an overall reduction in the amount of captured tax increment — roughly a $500,000 decrease from the original proposal — and redesignated the 12 income-restricted units into eight at 90% of area median income and four at 80% of area median income.
Hudsonville city officials and the developer told commissioners the site required significant site-preparation costs and that the housing product — primarily one-bedroom units with two-stall garages — fills a local market niche demanded by employers and local residents. Supporters said the project brings higher-density housing to an already developed area, helps preserve farmland by discouraging sprawl, and would add local tax base over time.
Opposition from some commissioners focused on public subsidy levels, the expanded statewide authority for housing TIFs enacted by the state legislature in 2023, and the wisdom of using tax incentives for private housing projects. One commissioner urged a smaller public subsidy and noted concerns that the program had been expanded at the state level with limited guardrails.
The resolution passed. County staff said the next steps include state review by Michigan State Housing Development Authority staff and local monitoring of the income-restricted units where applicable.
Ending: Commissioners who opposed the plan pledged to scrutinize future Brownfield housing requests and monitor how state-level TIF changes are used locally.
