Council adopts residential TIF, final plat and rezoning; approves CRA amendment and housekeeping resolutions

New Albany City Council voted on several development and policy measures at its Jan. 7 meeting, adopting two subdivision/zoning measures and a residential tax-increment financing (TIF) ordinance and approving two resolutions.

Ordinance O44-2024 — Hamlet residential TIF: The council adopted O44-2024, which creates two residential TIF incentive districts for the Hamlet project (divided by State Route 605) and authorizes a tax-increment financing agreement that reimburses a developer only if the TIF generates revenue. Staff told the council the ordinance includes added language clarifying that any changes to a final development plan approved by the planning commission would require council action before further TIF disbursements. Vote: 4–0 to adopt.

Ordinance O48-2024 — Courtyards at Haines Creek final plat: Council approved the final plat for phase 1 of the Courtyards at Haines Creek (46 single-family lots on about 29.5 acres). Staff said the subdivision was short roughly one-tenth of an acre of the parkland requirement and the developer proposed a $5,000 payment in lieu; staff also reported the planning commission’s recommendation and noted that the planning commission suggested the city obtain its own appraisal on fee-in-lieu amounts for larger parcels. Resident Tamara Davies spoke at the public hearing, urging earlier and closer review of the final grading plan, expressing drainage and tree‑preservation concerns, and saying she feared a loss in property value; planning staff said the grading and stormwater master plan were reviewed and approved by the city engineer and landscape architects and described a 4:1 slope plus additional plantings. Vote: 4–0 to adopt.

Ordinance O49-2024 — East 9 rezoning: Council adopted O49-2024 to rezone about 30.4 acres (north and west of Lambden Park Road) from CPUD to IPUD to allow a net increase from 36 to 40 lots and to establish subareas for different lot types and open‑space requirements; planning commission recommended approval 5–0. Vote: 4–0 to adopt.

Resolution RO1-2025 — CRA amendment (COI New Albany 525 LLC / VanTrust): Council approved a resolution authorizing the city manager to execute an amended Community Reinvestment Area agreement for a 525,000-square-foot speculative facility and to add data‑center uses to the agreement; staff said the amended agreement includes the city’s revenue benchmark formula for data centers. Vote: 4–0 to adopt.

Resolution RO2-2025 — OPERS housekeeping: Council adopted RO2-2025 to clarify personnel policy definitions required annually by the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System; staff described this as routine housekeeping. Vote: unanimous.

Next steps: Several of the adopted development items require follow‑on administrative steps (recording plats, agency reviews and, where applicable, future planning‑commission or council reviews if final development plans are modified).