Shelby council approves MOU to consider multiple Brownfield housing TIF plans with Shelby Holdings

The Village of Shelby Common Council unanimously approved a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with Shelby Holdings on Jan. 26 to consider up to five potential Brownfield housing Tax Increment Financing (TIF) plans.

The MOU, approved 7-0 (Samantha Gottschalk moved; Steve Crothers seconded), establishes a framework for the Village to review each proposed redevelopment plan under Michigan Public Act 381 of 1996 and to work cooperatively with Shelby Holdings and the Oceana County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority. The document does not preapprove any specific project or obligate the Village to future approvals.

According to the meeting record, each Brownfield plan typically requires substantial upfront evaluation; preparing a single Brownfield plan generally costs about $30,000, and evaluating up to five potential projects could total roughly $150,000 in preliminary planning expenses. The materials before the council described common qualifying factors—blight, functional obsolescence, and identified housing needs—and explained how Brownfield TIF tools can address environmental remediation or other redevelopment barriers that make difficult sites feasible for private investment.

Council discussion noted the MOU would preserve the council’s discretion on any submitted plan and that each proposed project would be evaluated on statutory requirements, anticipated public benefit, consistency with local objectives, and long-term fiscal implications. No funding commitments or approvals of specific Brownfield plans were made at the meeting.

Next steps: Shelby Holdings may proceed with site evaluations and submit individual Brownfield plans for the Village and the County authority to review under the statutory process; any formal plan would return to the council for action.