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Springfield Township seeks TIF support for three housing projects to spur 'housing rotation'
Summary
Springfield Township officials told Hamilton County commissioners they want tax-increment financing for three developments'Lakeridge Park, Whitaker condos and Lakeside Park'to offset infrastructure costs, add empty-nester and varied housing, and fund limited public amenities; commissioners registered no formal objection.
Springfield Township officials asked Hamilton County commissioners on Jan. 20 for nonobjection to three proposed tax-increment financing (TIF) districts that they say are necessary to make three housing developments economically feasible and to diversify the township's housing stock.
Chris Gilbert, Springfield Township administrator, said the projects would add housing types the township lacks'notably empty-nester and low-maintenance units'that could free up starter homes and attract new families. He identified three proposals: Lakeridge Park (about 145 homes, a mix of detached and townhomes), a 60-unit owner-occupied condominium community on the former Whitaker Elementary School site intended in part to help Finneytown Schools with capital needs, and Lakeside Park (about 184 homes, including detached and townhomes).
Gilbert said development costs on the parcels are elevated by required construction standards, green-space requirements and new sewer extensions required by the Metropolitan Sewer District. He told commissioners the TIF would be used to help offset those infrastructure and development costs, and that some TIF revenue would be prioritized for public amenities on township-owned property, including a park and walking trails connecting new neighborhoods to Winton Woods Park.
Commissioners asked about developers and inclusion. Gilbert said developers Reece and Ryan Holmes are lined up and that the township will require that any public contracts funded by TIF revenues be publicly bid, with township requests for diverse bidders and contractors. Vice President Reese recommended coordinating with county inclusion staff and named county adviser Robert Bell as a contact.
County staff explained that no formal county resolution is required if commissioners do not file an objection; an objection must be filed within 30 days of the township's December 30 submission. Commissioners signaled they had no objections on the record and asked staff to connect township officials with county inclusion and procurement staff. No formal vote or county appropriation was taken.
The next procedural steps are for county staff to follow up with Springfield Township on inclusion guidance and bid coordination, and for developers to advance required permitting and community engagement. Gilbert said builders estimate a three- to five-year buildout once projects begin, but added market conditions will ultimately determine the pace.
Questions and requests for additional detail included: confirmation of developer identities and experience, clarifications about which costs the TIF would cover (sewer, road/curb turnout, stormwater measures), and a request that county staff supply a map showing how the township projects fit into countywide investment planning.
Because commissioners did not object within the meeting, county staff recorded informal concurrence and committed to follow-up connections; any formal objection would need to be filed within the statutory 30-day window to change that outcome.
