HOUSING, ANNEXATION, COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT AREAS TAKEN UP AFTER LEGISLATURE RETURNED FROM BREAK
Returning from a two-week break, the legislature has returned with a flurry of activity. The Budget (HB 96) is now being negotiated in the Senate with hearings and speculation on amendments to the House passed version. While pro-housing policies are a focus on one hand, various residential development tools are under attack on the other. During the April 30th House Local Government hearing, HB 113 Annexation and Property Tax Exemptions (Bird, Newman) proponents testified on the proposed modifications to annexation and CRA policy. The testimony is a good reminder of the challenges and sentiment for housing development in some areas. HB 113 starts at 1:33 of the hearing at the link below.
Also, this week, Senator Reynolds introduced SB 184 Development Districts to establish residential economic development districts and to create a grant program for housing developments within such districts. These districts would be areas where there is a (1) “Major economic development project” means a project in this state that meets both of the following criteria: (a) The project is reasonably expected to create, retain, and attract jobs or otherwise improve the economic well-being of the area surrounding the project site; (b) At least seven hundred million dollars in private investments are committed to establish, expand, renovate, or occupy a facility as part of a single project at a designated project site, including investment in new buildings, additions or improvements to existing buildings, machinery, equipment, furniture, fixtures, and inventory.
A county, township, or municipal corporation that is fully or partially located within a residential economic development district may apply for a grant under this section in the form and manner prescribed by the department of development, including pro-housing policies and density considerations, among other items. “Residential economic development district” means all parcels of land within a twenty-mile radius of a major economic development project.
OHBA is reviewing the proposal and would welcome any feedback. SB 184 can be found at the link below.
https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/136/sb184
HB 154 Community Reinvestment Areas Thomas, D. Glassburn, C.
To require school district approval of residential community reinvestment area property tax exemptions.
HB 154 is scheduled for a proponent hearing next week in the House Local Government Committee.
OHBA continues to have meetings with the Chairwoman of the House Local Government Committee and Sponsors of HB 113 and 154 to express concerns over the changes proposed to Type II Annexations and Residential CRAs. OHBA urges members to contact members of the committee to express the benefits of current CRA and Annexation policies. Most recently, OHBA and NAIOP, met again with Representative Dave Thomas on the importance of such residential development tools. The Committee contacts for HB 113 and HB 154 can be found below.
https://ohiohouse.gov/committees/local-government
SB 173 School Districts Schaffer, T. Brenner, A.
Regards school district territory annexations. Am. 3311.06
SB 173 was scheduled for sponsor testimony this week, but was removed from the agenda of the Senate Education Committee. SB 173 Requires the automatic transfer of territory to the city school district serving an annexing city if certain conditions apply, including that the territory is located in a county in which a megaproject is located.
