Findlay Council committee splits on Vision tax break

FINDLAY — Findlay City Council's Finance Committee split on its vote to recommend a tax abatement package for Vision Companies, Columbus, the developer planning a high-density apartment project on the former Shady Grove Golf Course. In a meeting held July 7, the committee voted 3-2 in favor of a 75% property tax reduction over 15 years, with councilmen Rodney Phillips, R-6, and Dan DeLong, R-7, opposed. The committee is chaired by Councilman BJ Preston, R‑2, and includes councilmen Dan DeArment, R‑4; Reed Needles, R-at-large; Phillips and DeLong. The subsidy is being offered under Findlay's new post-1994 Community Reinvestment Area (CRA). Cities use CRAs to encourage development by reducing the property taxes a project would normally pay on the new value it creates. Because the site on U.S. 224 East was annexed after the city's final pre-1994 CRA map update, it is not eligible for the older automatic program. It requires a negotiated agreement under the new framework. The 40-acre, high-amenity apartment development includes a six-year, two-phase buildout totaling 480 units, with construction costs of about $44.5 million and $50 million for each phase. Plans include multiple pools, ponds, courts and other recreational features, with green space between the creek and the Brookstone subdivision. Rents are projected to average $1,400 to $2,000. Vision Development has cited rising construction costs and financing challenges as justification for the abatement. Phillips said he was uncomfortable with the developer's posture, describing it as "you're going to play with us, or we're not going to do it," and warned that such leverage could set a precedent for future projects. Committee members also raised questions about the cost of rent, school district impact, income tax uncertainty and whether the project's phased construction could limit future build-out if demand falls short. Mayor Christina Muryn said both school enrollment and income tax effects are difficult to predict, noting that open enrollment and regional commuting patterns complicate projections. Preston said the city needs to use incentives like the CRA to get housing built, arguing that developers will not move forward without some form of support. He emphasized that Findlay's housing shortage is already limiting growth and that without new units, the city cannot expand its future tax base. He acknowledged that abatements frustrate residents who feel newcomers receive breaks they never had, but he maintained that the city has few alternatives if it wants projects to advance. Preston described the CRA as an uncomfortable but necessary tool and indicated he would support it because he does not see another practical way to meet the community's housing needs. The Strategic Planning Committee voted on June 25 to place the agreement on council's agenda.