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Milford council establishes three new Community Reinvestment Areas and repeals prior ordinance
Summary
Council approved three new Community Reinvestment Areas (downtown, River’s Edge, remainder of city) and repealed prior Chapter 167, giving Milford local discretion over future tax‑abatement terms; the resolutions define boundaries and set a case‑by‑case negotiation framework for abatements.
Milford City Council moved to reconstitute its Community Reinvestment Area (CRA) framework, approving three new CRAs covering downtown, the River’s Edge corridor and the remaining parts of the city and repealing the prior CRA ordinance. Council adopted three resolutions (City of Milford CRA No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3) and an ordinance repealing Chapter 167 of the codified ordinances.
The change replaces a pre‑1994 structure that limited local discretion with a post‑1994 framework that allows council to negotiate tax‑exemption percentages and terms on a case‑by‑case basis. Under the newly adopted resolutions, residential and commercial projects may be eligible for exemptions for up to 15 years (including 100% exemptions in certain circumstances), with the exact percentage and term to be negotiated in a community reinvestment agreement before construction or remodeling.
Council and staff emphasized that the revisions are intended to restore local authority and provide greater flexibility in evaluating development proposals; council also noted limits on local authority for large abatements that would require school‑board participation. The resolutions establish housing councils and require payment of application fees for commercial/industrial projects (fee amounts noted in each resolution) and set up a tax‑incentive review council to monitor compliance.
Outcome: Council adopted the three CRA resolutions and repealed the prior Chapter 167 by recorded roll calls. Each CRA’s boundary maps and housing surveys were included in council packets and will be submitted to the Ohio Department of Development for registration.
What this means: Developers seeking abatements under the new structure will still need to apply, undergo review, and come before council; council retains authority to set percentage and term for each agreement.
