Whitehall City Council is expected to vote Tuesday on a proposed trio of tax incentives for a controversial townhome development that has angered some residents because it would divert tax money from city services.
Developer JDS Companies has proposed building 50 townhomes, dubbed Fairway Cliffs, on a 10.27-acre site along Fairway Boulevard that’s split between a smaller parcel on the west side of the roadway and a larger parcel to the east. Of the 10.27 acres, about 3.8 acres of the eastern parcel would be developed into a city park along Big Walnut Creek, said Whitehall Economic Development Director Joe Long.
An example of the townhomes proposed by developer JDS Companies for a 50-townhome development dubbed Fairway Cliffs, to be located on a 10.27-acre site along Fairway Boulevard in Whitehall. City Council there is expected to consider a trio of tax incentives for the development at its meeting on Tuesday.
Fairway Cliffs, Long said, would be Whitehall’s first new housing development in more than 20 years.
The city has proposed a series of tax incentives that would redirect some property taxes toward public improvements, such as roads and water and sewer infrastructure, Long said.
While one incentive would give the development a 100% property tax abatement for 15 years, another would levy an assessment on property owners for that same time period that would be roughly equal to the property taxes being abated, Long said.
“That allows for not only the reimbursement to the developer for any public improvements that they paid for upfront, but it also allows the project to give funds to the (Whitehall) school district, to the city, and then, for a certain number of years, the county as well,” he said.
Once the first two incentives end after 15 years, a third incentive called a tax increment financing incentive district, or TIF, would be in effect for another 15 years. That TIF would direct a portion of property taxes into a fund to maintain public infrastructure related to the housing development.
By the city providing these incentives to reimburse for public improvements,Long said, the developer can increase the quality of the townhomes and give the land for a public park that the entire Whitehall community can enjoy.
“Without these incentives, it would be hard to kind of make it work as a for-sale product, and then they would want to keep the park as a private amenity for just those, folks who are in the development,” he said.
But many Whitehall residents are not supportive of the tax incentives or the development plan for the site, which has led to standing-room-only city council meetings as people voice their opposition.
“I think the reason why is because people are upset because they think they’re being taken advantage of,” said Whitehall resident Holly Stein, who has fought against the project since it was initially proposed in 2023.
Stein said there are numerous reasons why Whitehall residents are against the Fairway Cliffs development, such as the density and appropriateness of the townhomes in a neighborhood of single-family homes. But the biggest reason is the tax incentives, which will divert money from city services, such as the police and fire departments, roads, and water and sewer services, she said.
“If it’s a for-profit developer, why are we providing those tax-abated funds to them? If it’s truly capitalism, just let him take on that risk,” she said.
Stein is a candidate for a ward seat on Whitehall City Council on the November ballot. However, the city council and another council candidate are challenging a decision by the Franklin County Board of Elections to leave Stein on the ballot in a complaint to the Ohio Supreme Court. The plaintiffs argue Stein has not lived in Whitehall for a long enough, consecutive period of time to meet the city charter’s residency requirement to hold office. Stein argues the city charter language is not specific and that she meets the two years required.
Eastern suburbs Reporter Maria DeVito can be reached at mdevito@dispatch.com and @mariadevito13.dispatch.com on Bluesky and @MariaDeVito13 on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Whitehall council to vote on tax incentives for townhomes development