After more than an hour of discussion and public comments Tuesday, the St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners approved a Brownfield plan for WITT Properties LLC Development, White Pigeon with a 4-2 vote.
WITT Properties intends to construct a 48-unit housing development on 5.72 acres in White Pigeon. All 48 units will be targeted to individuals who earn 120% of St. Joseph County’s area median income or below.
“Rents may be adjusted annually but will remain within the Michigan State Housing Development Authority’s (MSHDA) annual rent limits for two-bedroom units for the duration of the Brownfield plan term,” WITT Properties stated.
Comments included objection to WITT Properties seeking a 30-year tax abatement, at 25 years for the developer and five years for the County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority Local Brownfield Revolving Fund. Before the vote, it was mentioned that the abatement was tied to the project size. If the abatement was lessened, the development could no longer be 48 units.
According to WITT Properties, the school debt millage would not be impacted by its plan. Special assessments would continue to be captured by the village.
Dissenting votes came from Commissioners Rusty Baker and Terry Conklin. Before the vote, Commissioner Rick Shaffer said he supports the project but is disappointed that its paperwork was not given to the St. Joseph County Planning Commission. It was mentioned earlier that because the Village of White Pigeon Council reviewed the plan, it was felt that presenting it to the county planning commission was not necessary. Doing so would have helped alleviate miscommunication, Shaffer said.
People speaking on behalf of the Brownfield plan included developer Craig Wittenberg, plan author David Stegink, a vice president and Brownfield program manager with Fishbeck in Kalamazoo, and Kenneth Jones, chairman of the St. Joseph County EDGE economic development board.
“We’re in a housing crisis in Michigan,” Stegink said. “To incentivize more units being constructed, the Michigan Legislature forwarded any housing development project to be eligible to use Brownfield tax increment financing as an incentive to build housing of any kind.”
People commenting on the plan included Jason Trosper, recently nominated the Republican candidate for White Pigeon Township supervisor. Trosper shared concerns including increased responsibilities for local police and the likelihood of higher ambulance service costs. The burden of those payments will go to the rest of White Pigeon Township’s taxpayers, he said.
“I cannot blame (WITT Properties) for asking for (an abatement),” Trosper said. “But I think we need to look at what the burden is going to be. We’re elected to take care of the entire town, the entire township, and not put the burden on someone else for a business owner and what they would be receiving financially down the road.”
Michael Swinehart, vice president of the White Pigeon School Board, said the district neither endorses nor opposes the development project. WITT Properties estimates 36 new students for community schools because of families that will move into the development.
“Our school is able to accept more students. We have the capacity for it. But we’re not in support of this or against it,” Swinehart said.
Commissioner Luis Rosado also read a letter from White Pigeon Community Schools Superintendent Shelly McBride. The schools are fully prepared to accept and serve any additional students resulting from new housing, McBride wrote. At the same time, the letter neither endorses nor opposes the project.
After the vote, Commissioner and Board Chairman Ken Malone said he hopes the project will be successful.
“I wish you well moving forward with this,” Malone said to Wittenberg and his part. “Hopefully, you don’t have many more hurdles and there will be something that the community will benefit from.”
Frank Stanko is a staff writer for Watershed Voice.
