Free ride not needed
A developer would like to turn 853 vacant acres in Springhill Township into a golf course community with two 18-hole courses surrounded by upscale housing. We have no quibble at all with such a development and think it could only help in making Fayette County a more attractive place to live and play. But Crystal Springs Properties Inc. has a long way to go to convince us that we should pick up the tab for this one. Crystal Springs is asking the county for two things. The first, a change in zoning, is an easy call and few, if any, should voice objections. The second request is the stickler. The developer wants the whole project included in a Keystone Opportunity Zone which means that neither the business nor any of the residents in the proposed resort community would pay any state or local taxes for the next decade.
While technically KOZ allows for residential exclusions – and we would not be adverse to such if it were used as a tool to rebuild a dying neighborhood – it would be a colossal mistake to exempt the wealthiest from paying taxes at the burden of poorer and elderly residents already struggling with property tax bills.
More families added to Springhill Township will mean an additional burden in services for the township and for the Albert Gallatin School District, which is already struggling financially. The developer envisions 100 to 300 homes, which most likely will be filled by families with school-aged children.
No one likes to pay taxes, but we recognize that services don’t come free. A fair, equitable tax system where the burden is spread out over all residents with those most able to pay pulling their weight is the only reasonable approach.
From the initial presentation of Crystal Springs it appears the developer has hit on filling a niche in the county’s housing market that doesn’t exist. And for this reason buyers can be found without giving them a free ride. There might be compelling reasons to grant the KOZ status, and we are willing to hear them, but for now we can’t think of one.