The township has been working with developer Ron Coffman for three years but if eventually approved is still years from becoming a reality, according to retired township administrator Bob Bass, who has been shepherding the project on a contract basis. He said the forum was necessary to clear up misinformation that has been rampant on social media.
“Typically the type of forum we were having is held during the zoning phase of the project,” Bass said. “But because of some social media misrepresentations of the project we thought it was important to get out in front of it to let people know there are a lot of things being said on social media that are just factually incorrect.”
A big one is still being debated on Facebook since the meeting and that is that Elda Elementary School could be used as part of the project and another school would have to be built..
Bass told the Journal-News Coffman met with the school board’s finance committee and the issue came up but that is as far as it went. Ross School Board President Sean Van Winkle told the Journal-News the full board has not discussed it.
“Our board of education has had no negotiating or conversation in depth with anyone about that topic,” Van Winkle said. “We have no intentions of giving up our building or land anytime soon at all. And we sure as heck wouldn’t do it without having the finances to build another place and it not being on the taxpayers of Ross.”
Russ McGurrin, who has been very vocal about the development, said he was very pleased with the turnout at the meeting.
“The most important thing to me is that the people of Ross Twp. are engaged, stay engaged and their will be listened to and adhered to by the people that have been elected to do their will ie. the trustees...,” McGurrin told the Journal-News. “What has gotten lost in this whole thing is there are people who are not in favor of changing the landscape and lifestyle of Ross and I don’t believe the township trustees and Bob Bass understand that.”
The Butler County Auditor’s Office has the prime property valued at $2 million. McGurrin said he understands the sellers have a right to sell their property to whomever they want but there have been other developers interested in the property who might build a more palatable project.
Ross Trustee Board President Ellen Yordy said she thinks people understood nothing is written in stone, “a lot of things can be changed, people had concerns about apartments and hotel, this is a proposed plan it’s not the final plan.”
“It’s a proposed development but nothing is final,” Yordy said. “I think the people realized that, things can be changed at this point, nothing is final. We’re going to proceed with the process.”
Residents have also worried the housing-heavy project will inundate the schools. Van Winkle said they commissioned a study to gauge the impact on future development but they aren’t going rely on one study “are we going to stand by those numbers, absolutely not.”
“When the time comes we’ll dig into it more and more if we need to, we’ll kind of cross that path when it comes,” he said. “It’s not like we’re ill-prepared... We’re prepared for growth right now.”
Bass said there are several next steps, getting zoning approved, traffic studies and figuring out a way to finance an estimated $46.6 million worth of infrastructure — including improving the major intersection — for the project. They thought they had the answer but the county commissioners shot down creating a new community authority late last year.
A new community authority would have the power to sell bonds to pay for the infrastructure and impose a 10-mill tax levy on new developments within the farm property. It is similar to the Liberty Community Authority formed for Liberty Center. The NCA could also impose higher sales taxes but that is not part of the current funding the plan.
Coffman told the commissioners it is essential for the development to proceed, because he is not going to “commit financial suicide” to build it without the new community authority.
“It won’t work financially at the current price the seller is asking for the property,” Coffman said. “If it’s not going to have the NCA I’m sorry I’m out, I can’t make it work.”
Bass told the Journal-News no decisions have been made yet but they might ask the commissioners to reconsider their decision. The commissioners, especially Don Dixon were pretty adamant they won’t allow the NCA.
“Absolutely not,” Dixon said about reconsidering their decision. “Look if we don’t think it’s good and we see that it’s not a benefit to the taxpayers, look those are our constituents too, not just Ross’ constituents and we listen and we hear them loud and clear.”
Commissioner T.C. Rogers agreed.
“I think it’s a good project but to have that NCA involving another governing body in regard to property taxes, I’m not going to do that.”
Bass said they are also considering different types of community authority funding and special improvement districts “all that is being reviewed to make it a fundable project that economically meets all needs to ensure it’s successful going forward.”
The trustees already established a tax increment financing district (TIF) to collect the new 10-mill levy and a 120-acre joint economic development district (JEDD) to prepare for the 1.3 million-square-foot Spooky Nook complex under construction in Hamilton that is expected to draw crowds from around the region. Bass said if the new development is approved it will be added to the JEDD.
Financial Advisor Andy Brossart said the JEDD revenue figures are very preliminary, but that vehicle will bring in an estimated $638,00 annually when the development is built out. The 10-mill levy will collect about $1.2 million a year.
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