IF YOU GO
WHAT: Public hearing for iLoft of West Chester
WHEN: 7 p.m. Tuesday (August 26)
WHERE: West Chester Twp. Administration Building, 9113 Cincinnati-Dayton Road, West Chester Twp.
A public hearing will be held Tuesday to consider zoning changes requested by a developer proposing to build luxury apartments, as well as retail and office space off Union Centre Boulevard.
Earlier in 2014, Indiana developer Anderson Birkla Investment Partners LLC submitted plans calling for more than 250 multi-family units, 100,000-square-feet of office space, 20,000-square-feet of retail space and a 406-space parking garage in West Chester Twp. near the intersection of Union Center Boulevard and Centre Pointe Drive.
The project has had several working names, including The Square and iLoft at West Chester.
However, soon after plans were submitted, they were tabled to make changes. Among the reasons to table the plans were concerns about adequate parking spaces, according to zoning records.
Since then, revised plans were submitted in July to the township, also according to zoning records. Scaled-back updates reduced the amount of apartment units from 257 to 247; and reduced office space from 100,000-square-feet to 81,600-square-feet. However, the number parking spaces in an outside private lot was boosted from 85 to 160.
Trustees are scheduled to hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. next Tuesday on the zone change application. It’s to be held at the township building, at 9113 Cincinnati-Dayton Road.
The project described as “resort-style living” would sit on 8.2 acres covering two properties, one zoned for business use and one zoned for commercial planned unit development use.
If trustees approve the zoning changes, it would allow for the combination of residential and business development where now only commercial development is allowed, said Barb Wilson, township spokeswoman.
Butler County Planning Commission recommended approval of the rezoning on June 10 and West Chester Zoning Commission recommended approval of the rezoning July 21.
The number of parking garage spaces — 406 — that the developer is proposing has been okayed by the zoning commission, per its recommendation.
Anthony Birkla, a principal with the developer, did not return calls seeking comment.
Meanwhile, Township Administrator Judi Boyko said Anderson Birkla approached the township earlier this year and that the developer believes iLoft at West Chester would bring vibrancy and more people to the township’s downtown.
The developer then asked the township if it would consider using tax increment financing to help finance the parking garage, Boyko said.
Boyko said she took the matter before trustees individually and asked if each one might be interested. After some dialogue, trustees asked her to explore the matter, she said.
“I’ve had several dialogues and meetings with the developer on the parking garage request and it’s been totally separate from the zoning process,” Boyko said. “These two processes are unique and separate and they’re not to be crossed.”
Any discussion or decision to use TIF money would need to be discussed and voted upon publicly by trustees.
A TIF district is a type of property tax incentive. Once built, some portion of the property taxes that would be paid on the real estate improvements might go to pay down any debt borrowing for the cost of the garage.
Another West Chester Twp. developer, Schumacher Dugan Construction Inc., has raised concerns about parking. Vice President Mark Schumacher said, “that there’s not going to be enough parking spots for the office building and apartments.”
He also questioned the consideration of using public financing to pay for what he calls a private garage.
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