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Commissioners approve Freedom Point Phase 12 final plat amid concerns about changed development mix
Summary
The board approved the Freedom Point Phase 12 final plat in Liberty Township creating three lots; planning staff said two lots are slated for restaurants (Zaxby's and an E & O sit-down restaurant), and commissioners pressed staff for information about original developer commitments and county investments in the project.
The Butler County Board of Commissioners approved the final plat for Freedom Point Phase 12 (Lots 16–18) in Liberty Township after hearing a staff presentation and extended discussion about how the developer has altered proposed uses for the site. The approval passed with recorded votes: Commissioner Carpenter yes, Commissioner Rogers yes and Commissioner Dixon reluctantly yes.
Craig Flotte of the Department of Development told commissioners the plat comprises three new lots totaling about 3.5 acres: Lot 16 (0.84 acres), Lot 17 (1.23 acres) and Lot 18 (1.43 acres). Flotte said the planning commission approved the plat on June 10.
Flotte described the current end-user plans he had been told by the developer: “Lot 18 was intended to be an E and O restaurant ... Lot 17 is to be a Zaxby’s ... [Lot] 16 I’m unclear on what Lot 16 will be used for.” Commissioners pressed staff to provide comparison data showing what uses were originally proposed when county funds were committed to the development and what the changed configuration means for projected sales-tax and hotel-tax revenues.
Commissioner Carpenter said county resources and aesthetic expectations were factors in earlier decisions to invest in the site. In discussion, the board recalled a county contribution of about $6,000,000 to the development and said some project costs (roundabouts, site enhancements) accounted for part of that investment; in the transcript a commissioner referenced $6,600,000 as a total figure that included other elements.
The board asked development staff to provide a net-revenue comparison — what had been projected under the original plan and what is now expected under the revised lot mix — and requested a single summary that aggregates developer commitments, changed uses and revenue differences. Planning staff said they already track the information and will provide the requested materials.
Why it matters: Commissioners said they are concerned about visibility and long-term revenue expectations when county funds have supported infrastructure and site improvements. Several commissioners asked for more detail about how a changed mix — fewer hotels and more fast-food or restaurant uses — will affect hotel-tax revenues and broader economic-development aims.
Vote and next steps: The motion to approve Freedom Point Phase 12 (Lots 16–18) passed in roll call: Carpenter yes, Rogers yes, Dixon reluctantly yes. Commissioners directed staff to deliver a comparative revenue analysis and to compile documentation on prior county investments and the project's anticipated tax yield for board review.
