Sent: Friday, June 29, 2018 9:21 PM
To: 'council@topeka.org' <council@topeka.org>
Cc: 'Brenda Younger' <BYounger@Topeka.org>; 'Cook, Kevin' <Kevin.Cook@snco.us>; 'tanderson@tps501.org' <tanderson@tps501.org>
Subject: You have a fiduciary responsibility to see shovel ready land be developed today and not approve the Bark Park.
To: 'council@topeka.org' <council@topeka.org>
Cc: 'Brenda Younger' <BYounger@Topeka.org>; 'Cook, Kevin' <Kevin.Cook@snco.us>; 'tanderson@tps501.org' <tanderson@tps501.org>
Subject: You have a fiduciary responsibility to see shovel ready land be developed today and not approve the Bark Park.
We need to protest the Zoning case to allow the land in the College Hill to become a Bark Park. This is bad for Topeka and College Hill.
We have a $311K shortfall in the TIF bonds that were floated to support $6 Million in bonds for the infrastructure for the College Hill project. The original developer never built on the proposed site for the “Bark Park”. These are shovel-ready sites to build 8 townhomes.
Public monies were used to purchase the land and to make them shovel ready for the developer. The development agreement is in default due to the developer never building on the land designated for “Building J” and because when the property was sold the City and the developer never assigned the development agreement. This zoning case is total irresponsible on planning to even bring this forward due to the shortfall in the bonds, default of the development agreement and the economic development plan of the City of Topeka.
I do not understand why 501 and the County are not obligated to amend the original TIF district due to this major change to the original plan presented in the TIF process.
As a minority owner of the College Hill Pizza Pub this will not be good for our patio business. Sales will suffer and the ability to sale the business will dwindle.
I will not be able to protest this in person tonight. We filled the chambers with voters to support this project from its inception. The BARK PARK was not what they supported and should rise again to NOT let this land go to the dogs.
The current owner should be mandated to build the 8 Townhomes by a date certain; or the land be turned over to the public for development. Including myself; I have three developers interested in fulfilling the original development agreement.
From: Henry McClure <mcre@cox.net>
Sent: Monday, June 25, 2018 3:03 PM
To: brian.armstrong@bartwest.com; ariane.messina@redcross.org; lawsoncorliss@yahoo.com; marc_fried@sbcglobal.net; dennishaugh@gmail.com; 134broadmoor@att.net; skannarr@cox.net; kringler@kshs.org; mattw@batisdev.com
Cc: council@topeka.org; 'Brenda Younger' <BYounger@Topeka.org>; 'Cook, Kevin' <Kevin.Cook@snco.us>; tanderson@tps501.org
Subject: You have a fiduciary responsibility to see shovel ready land be developed today and not approve the Bark Park.
Sent: Monday, June 25, 2018 3:03 PM
To: brian.armstrong@bartwest.com; ariane.messina@redcross.org; lawsoncorliss@yahoo.com; marc_fried@sbcglobal.net; dennishaugh@gmail.com; 134broadmoor@att.net; skannarr@cox.net; kringler@kshs.org; mattw@batisdev.com
Cc: council@topeka.org; 'Brenda Younger' <BYounger@Topeka.org>; 'Cook, Kevin' <Kevin.Cook@snco.us>; tanderson@tps501.org
Subject: You have a fiduciary responsibility to see shovel ready land be developed today and not approve the Bark Park.
As a minority partner in the College Hill Pizza Pub.
This will not be good for business. The aroma of the pepperoni will be lost in the fragrances emanating from the Bark Park.
As a shepherd of the public funds. - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1t41JYEqctEp69Lo0xy3PsUqSqRL18k97
There is a market to build on this land and fulfill the development agreement and Finnish the TIF districts as proposed. The current owner has 2200 units in Topeka and the majority around Washburn. He wants to buy the buildings where Pizza Pub and Oscars is located too. (I offered to sell him Pizza Pub and his price was too low). If 8 more unit were built on this land he would buy them in a heartbeat.
If I still owned an interest in this project there would be an uproar do the all the public monies to acquire the subject land, demo the buildings and provide the infrastructure to build the 8 units as we told the City, 501 and the County to get the TIF district approved in the 1st place. Do not feel bad for the current owner. He did not pay for the land. He purchased the property based on the cash flow and the land was free to him too.
The new owner is as responsible for the TIF development agreement as the original developer. I’m sure the assignment is being worked on in the shadows. It a shame the listing Broker did not disclose this issue; it was brought to their attention while I was showing the project to one of my clients.
If the existing owner is unwilling to build today this must be offered to the public due to the shortfall in the TIF bonds. The taxpayer subsidies annually due low retail sales taxes and diminished property values. This creates a $311K shortfall annually. I how you all have had TIF 101 schooling sponsored by planning.
Subject to favorable terms I can bring forward 3 developers willing to build on this land today.
You have a fiduciary responsibility to see shovel ready land be developed today and not approve the Bark Park.
Due to other commitments I will not be able to protest this in person.
Henry McClure
