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Lee's Summit council activates multiple Longview Farm TIF project areas, citing historic preservation and a 10-year deadline
Summary
After a developer presentation and public comment both for and against, council voted unanimously to activate multiple Longview Farm TIF project areas—measures members said protect a historic restoration funding stream before a statutory 10-year deadline.
The Lee's Summit City Council approved a slate of ordinances activating Longview Farm tax-increment financing (TIF) project areas, an action supporters said preserves a revenue stream earmarked for rehabilitating historic structures.
David Bushek, chief counsel for economic development and planning, told the council the Longview TIF plan (originally approved in 2003 and amended in 2015) was created to fund historic preservation and does not raise property or sales taxes. “TIF only controls where those revenues are spent,” Bushek said, adding that the city faces a statutory 10-year deadline to activate remaining projects in the plan. He said the deadline is two weeks away and that failure to act would permanently forfeit the ability to collect TIF revenues from the unactivated parcels.
Developers and owners involved in the Longview area described both progress and financing constraints. Mark Mobley of Sunflower Development Group said the mansion rehabilitation is complete and reimbursed, but that a barn redevelopment still requires up to $9.65 million in TIF reimbursement to be feasible. Russell Pearson, a principal with Box Development, said one project (F1) is in design and described plans for a restaurant and activity plaza.
Public commenters questioned whether Longview qualifies as a blighted area deserving TIF subsidies and warned that activating TIF could shift long-term tax increment revenues away from other local services. “Longview is hardly a blighted area…this TIF seems like it's being wildly misused,” one speaker told the council.
Council members debated the balance between preserving historic properties and ensuring visible public benefit. Supporters argued that previous TIF-funded projects (including stabilization and rehabilitation work) had produced durable public benefits; detractors said the benefits to residents are not always direct. Ultimately the council approved second readings and final votes on a series of ordinances that activate the listed redevelopment project areas for the Longview TIF.
Votes: Council passed a batch of second-reading ordinances activating multiple project areas (bills cited in the packet, including 15-228, 15-229, 15-236, 15-237, 15-239, 19-77, 19-78, 19-79, 19-80, 19-82, 19-83 and 19-85). The transcript records each vote as adopted unanimously.
