City Council voted 6-1 to approve the 100% real property tax exemption for 15 years for the project proposed north of Evanston Road in the Northgate Commerce Center. The construction would be on land south of West Main Street (Ohio 571) between County Road 25A and the interstate.
The Tipp City school board also approved the abatement request last month.
Before its vote Monday, council heard from a half dozen residents expressing concern about the need for more information about NorthPoint and its business operations, about what businesses might go into the buildings and about increased traffic.
City resident Abby Bowling said she did not like the use of the CRA incentives for the project. Her understanding was CRAs were created to help develop in blighted areas, not empty fields, she said.
Bowling also pointed to signs seen recently in Vandalia calling for no more warehouses. Tipp City, she said, should look into what is causing those concerns.
Numerous large industrial/warehouse facilities have been built around the Dayton airport in the past several years, at least 10 of them constructed by NorthPoint.
Kathy Bone commented about potential traffic and its impact, particularly in Monroe Twp., where issues already are experienced with trucks from development in the Dayton airport area. “Truck traffic, it is tearing up the roads,” she said.
Others expressed concerns about added traffic on city streets and questions why a traffic study had not been done on the property and surrounding area.
A traffic study will be done, said Matt Gaston, a NorthPoint representative said.
Council member Joanna Pittenger cast the “no” vote on the CRA proposal. She said she also had concerns about traffic as well as some correspondence she received from the community about the project and developer.
Mayor Mike McFarland said the city is receiving requests for space for businesses that it cannot respond to today. “People out there are contacting us. We have to accommodate if we want to continue to grow,” he said.
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