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Developer will use CID money to buy city’s land

Debbie Coleman-Topi by Debbie Coleman-Topi
March 15, 2019
in Parkville
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A Parkville developer will use $10.5 million established in a special community improvement district (CID) fund to finance his purchase of city-owned property for his use in a 350-acre development.

The city acquired the land when a previous developer defaulted on payment. The purchase agreement will end $300,000 in annual payments the city has been making toward Neighborhood Improvement District (NID) debt since acquiring the property several years ago.

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The tract of land is located near the Thousand Oaks residential development in Parkville and represents the largest tract in the planned development.

Brian Mertz, who owns Parkville Development, will use the CID money to purchase the land from the city for $4.8 million and will keep the additional $6 million.

City administrator Joe Parente previously had stated the CID money would be used to cover the cost of infrastructure, such as roads, bridges and other improvements at the development site, which is near Interstate 435 and Hwy. 45.

At Landmark deadline, Parente and Mayor Nan Johnston had not yet responded to a request for comment for this article.

Ed Greim, an attorney for Jason Maki, a member of a citizens’ group opposing the handling of the development, said “Maybe they (Parkville city officials) have got other money for sidewalks.”

Greim said the CID maneuver is “just swapping out one form of debt for another” and said the city could have sold the property for more than the amount being granted to the developer.

The city took over the payment of principal and interest in bond debts when a previous developer who owned the land could not make payments and the land was forfeited during a judicial sale, said Greim, an attorney with Graves Garrett Law Firm in Kansas City.

“I think this is a good deal for the developer,” he said during a telephone interview, adding that “the land could be worth a lot of money in the future.”

Greim said he’s unsure of the legality of the use of CID money for land purchase. “The question is, ‘what’s an appropriate purpose for a CID?’” he said, adding, “The answer can be found in Missouri law.”

Greim added that he’s unaware if checks-and-balances exist.

“Maybe there’s nobody out there interested in policing this,” he said, adding that he’s not sure if the practice is a common incentive used by cities to spur economic development. If it is, perhaps citizens are unaware of the practice, he said.

“It’s rare to have somebody like Mr. Maki who’ll step up and put up the fight,” he said.

The Parkville Board of Aldermen approved the sale of the property to Mertz during a March 5 meeting. The agreement allows the developer to tax apartments and houses within the CID boundaries for up to 30 years. When the $4.8 million is paid, the developer may continue to tax residents to offset development costs, according to the agreement.

The latest incentive is in addition to a $52 million Tax Increment Financing (TIF) earlier approved by the Parkville Board of Aldermen.

Tags: Nan Johnstonparkvilleplatte countytax incentivestaxes
Debbie Coleman-Topi

Debbie Coleman-Topi

Debbie's journalism career began at the University of Missouri School of Journalism, where she was trained.

Her works have appeared in The Kansas City Star and its Sunday magazine, The (Independence) Examiner and TWINS Magazine. Debbie has written for The Landmark for the past four years where she has reported on a wide range of Platte County area issues and people.

These include the longest-running issue of her three-decade career--a massive development in Parkville, which spawned a citizens' movement that objects to the way city officials manage the city.

She is the author of "TWINformation: The Biology, Psychology and Development of Twins”, written in response to having and raising fraternal male twins (she and her husband later welcomed a girl to the family.)

She is also the author of “Memories of A War Bride,” which chronicles the life of her husband's Godmother, a WWII English war bride.

Debbie and her husband, John, live in Blue Springs, a long car drive from events and meetings she covers for The Landmark. In fact, when she first met publisher Ivan Foley, after answering his ad for a reporter she told him she should have packed a lunch for the long journey. When she heard no response following the job interview, Debbie called to ask if Foley was not interested in her joining the staff. He was interested, but assumed the drive was too long.

Obviously, he was wrong.

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