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Council authorizes staff to seek state review of RHID for Lawrence Bay subdivision
Summary
Council authorized staff to submit a Reinvestment Housing Incentive District (RHID) application to the Kansas Secretary of Commerce for 52 lots in Lawrence Bay, allowing reimbursement of horizontal infrastructure costs; the measure passed 7–2 with two council members opposed.
On July 21 the Topeka governing body authorized staff to submit an application to the Kansas Secretary of Commerce seeking RHID review for a proposed Reinvestment Housing Incentive District covering lots in the Lawrence Bay subdivision.
City manager Robert M. Perez and deputy city manager Rex (speaker 23) briefed the council. Staff said Deltmeier, Rowland Hagen LLC purchased 52 lots at a recent county tax-foreclosure sale and that an RHID designation would allow reimbursement for site-related costs (land acquisition, roads, gas, electric and fiber), not for vertical construction. Rex told council preliminary horizontal infrastructure estimates for bringing utilities could be up to about $1,000,000 and that staff would require a pro forma and a financial "but for" analysis before negotiating any development agreement.
Public commenter Daniel Twimlow opposed moving forward without stricter guardrails, arguing that RHID programs can extend tax abatements and citing prior council debate over incentives. Councilmember Valdivia Alcala said she had concerns and would need to withhold support until details were worked out; Banks also voted no. The clerk announced the final tally: 7 yes, with council members Valdivia Alcala and Banks voting no.
The resolution authorizes staff to submit RHID findings to the Secretary of Commerce for review; it does not finalize any development agreement, nor does it commit the city to specific incentive amounts. Staff said subsequent steps would include a full financial analysis, negotiation of eligible RHID expenses, and negotiation of a development agreement if the state approves the district.
What happens next: State review by the Kansas Secretary of Commerce, followed by in-depth financial analysis and potential development-agreement negotiations if the state indicates the proposal meets RHID statutory criteria.
