Vote expected on tax deal for Vision Companies

FINDLAY — Findlay City Council is expected to vote Tuesday on a tax subsidy for Vision Companies, Columbus, the developer planning a high-density apartment project on the former Shady Grove Golf Course, U.S. 224 East. Council will meet in regular session at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Findlay Municipal Building, 318 Dorney Plaza. All council meetings are open to the public and livestreamed on the city's YouTube channel: FindlayOhio. The measure arrived at council with a split recommendation from the Finance Committee. The committee voted 3-2 on July 7 to endorse a 75% reduction in property taxes over 15 years. Councilmen Rodney Phillips, R-6, and Dan DeLong, R-7, opposed the recommendation. The committee is chaired by Councilman BJ Preston, R-2, and includes council members Dan DeArment, R-4; Reed Needles, R-at-large; Phillips and DeLong. The Strategic Planning Committee voted unanimously June 25 to place the agreement on council's agenda. The Strategic Planning Committee is chaired by Councilwoman Heather Kensinger, R-at-large, and includes council members Nichole Coleman, R-1; Brad Wagner, R-at-large; BJ Preston, R-2; and Carol Smith, R-3, along with Mayor Christina Muryn, who is also a voting member. Matt Cordonnier, of the Hancock Regional Planning Commission, and Auditor Jim Staschiak serve as ex officio members. The abatement would be offered under Findlay's post-1994 Community Reinvestment Area (CRA), which requires negotiated agreements for sites annexed after the city's final pre-1994 CRA map update in 2025. The Shady Grove property on U.S. 224 East falls under the new framework. Vision Companies is planning a 40-acre, high-amenity apartment development with a six-year, two-phase buildout totaling 480 units. Construction costs are estimated at $44.5 million for the first phase and $50 million for the second. 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. The developer has cited rising construction costs and financing challenges as justification for the abatement. Public opposition surfaced throughout the zoning and annexation process of the former golf course. Neighbors argued that a three-story, high-density complex did not fit the lower-density residential character of the surrounding area. Residents raised concerns about increased traffic on U.S. 224 and Township Road 237, water pressure limitations, fire suppression capability and pedestrian safety. Others pointed to longstanding flooding issues and said additional pavement and stormwater runoff could worsen conditions downstream. Some longtime community members expressed frustration over losing a 50-year-old recreational landmark and green space. Process concerns also contributed to the pushback. The property moved into the city through an expedited Type-1 annexation, a step that Marion Township and city residents said happened without adequate advance notice. Opposition included a Change.org petition titled "Stop M-2 Zoning at Shady Grove," packed public hearings and a referendum effort following council's 7-2 vote in June to approve annexation and high-density zoning. A citizen referendum attempt to force the annexation and zoning onto the November ballot fell short on signatures. Changes to Ohio's petition laws written into the new state budget, House Bill 96, approved in June 2025, have made it significantly harder for residents to place local issues on the ballot. The amendment raises the signature requirement for municipal initiative and referendum petitions from 10% to 35% of the votes cast for governor in the most recent regular state election. A parallel change applies the same 35% threshold to township zoning referendums. At the July 7 Finance Committee meeting, 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. Members also raised questions about rent levels, school-district impact, income-tax uncertainty and whether the project's phased construction could limit future build-out if demand falls short. 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 said 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 described the CRA as an uncomfortable but necessary tool.