Developers press forward with RHID after federal MIH award miss; commission to finalize resolution

Developers seeking to expand housing in Coffey County told commissioners on Feb. 9 that a missed MIH award has made a local Residential Housing Incentive District (RHID) more important to their plan.

County counsel and the developers — represented in the meeting packet by Dominic of Gilmore and Bell and Patrick Wood of 75 Development — discussed a draft RHID resolution that, as presented, establishes a determination of housing need in Coffey County and maps a proposed tract for the district. Commissioners were told the draft intentionally did not set specific tax-abatement terms (percentage or duration); staff will work with counsel to insert those specifics before the document is executed.

A developer said the county’s MIH application was not successful in the recent funding round and that starting with two to three houses under an RHID would strengthen future MIH applications. Commissioners agreed the RHID could be useful and directed staff (county clerk/Angie) to finalize language so the chair could sign the resolution the following week. The developers emphasized that the county would not be on the hook for upfront capital — the abatements are intended to help developers recover infrastructure (below-grade roads, sewer) costs over time, with abatement periods discussed in the meeting as potentially up to 20 years but left unspecified in the draft.

Commissioners asked for the RHID document’s missing specifics to be added and signaled general support for moving forward at the next meeting. No formal tax-abatement terms, percentages or final map were adopted at the Feb. 9 meeting; those details were stated as pending and to be returned for approval.