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Elkhart County approves several TIF appropriations, including $3 million for Northwest Gateway right-of-way
Summary
Planning staff secured commissioner approval for a $3 million Northwest Gateway right-of-way appropriation, a corrected $1 million NEC TIF access-road allocation, a $700,000 Middlebury Orpha Drive cost-share, and $100,000 for fiber relocates along US 20.
Planning and Development staff presented several tax-increment financing (TIF) appropriations and project amendments at the June 22 meeting and commissioners approved each request.
May Hope of Planning and Development asked the board to approve an additional $3 million appropriation from the Northwest Gateway TIF fund to acquire right-of-way on County Road 6 between County Line and John Weaver Parkway; staff said the project timeline is about two years and that the RDC and county council had previously approved these funds.
On a separate request, staff corrected an earlier $1.5 million NEC TIF request to $1 million for an access road off County Road 20 after county highway engineers and council confirmation; the board approved the correction. Planning staff also described the Middlebury Southeast TIF amendment for the Orpha Drive project (County Road 20 and County Road 37), a $700,000 total project to be split approximately $350,000 each with the town of Middlebury; the county portion was represented as roughly half the project total and commissioners approved that appropriation. Finally, commissioners approved a $100,000 appropriation from the Middlebury Southeast TIF fund for fiber relocates along the U.S. 20 corridor to coordinate utility moves during the highway project.
—7This is advantageous for us working with Highway,—8 a planning presenter said regarding the fiber work. All motions to appropriate these funds were approved by the commissioners.
Next steps: Staff will proceed with right-of-way acquisition, access-road procurement, coordination with the town of Middlebury on Orpha Drive, and fiber relocation work in coordination with Highway.
