09/01/2026
Skyview seems to have done their homework on property information.
SHADY GROVE TAX BREAK HEADS TO THIRD READING: 75% FOR 15 YEARS
FINDLAY, Ohio — A proposed 15-year, 75% property-tax abatement for the large apartment development planned at the former Shady Grove Golf Course is headed to third reading before Findlay City Council Tuesday night.
The proposal has drawn attention because it could affect how much new property-tax revenue local schools, the library and other public services receive from the development for years to come.
The Sept. 1 City Council agenda lists Resolution 033-2026 for its third reading. The resolution would approve a Community Reinvestment Area agreement between the City of Findlay, VC Links LLC and Vision Acquisitions LLC for what the city now describes as an approximately 454-unit multifamily residential development.
The proposed agreement calls for a 75% property-tax exemption on qualifying new improvements for 15 years.
That does not mean 75% of every property tax tied to the property disappears. The exemption applies to qualifying new value created by the development. Taxes would still be paid on the remaining 25% of that new value, along with property value that is not covered by the agreement.
The potential value of the incentive is still significant.
The project has previously been estimated at approximately $94.5 million in total investment. Using that amount as a benchmark, Ohio's 35% real-estate assessment ratio and current Hancock County tax rates, a SkyView Media calculation estimates the completed development could generate roughly $1.29 million per year in property taxes if the full new value were taxable.
Under a 75% exemption, roughly $965,000 per year could potentially fall within the exempted portion, leaving approximately $321,000 taxable.
If you simply carried that estimate across 15 years, the exempted amount would approach $14.5 million.
But that should not be viewed as a guaranteed final number. Construction cost does not always equal taxable market value, the project will be built in phases, tax rates can change and the Hancock County Auditor will determine the property's actual assessed value.
Who receives the property-tax money?
The property remains in the Van Buren Local School District, but the tax revenue reaches far beyond the school district.
Property taxes from the development would normally help fund Van Buren Local Schools, the Findlay-Hancock County Public Library, Hancock Park District, Hancock County government, developmental disabilities services, ADAMHS mental-health and addiction services, Agency on Aging and Children Services.
During the abatement period, those entities would receive property taxes on the portion of the qualifying new value that remains taxable rather than the full amount that would be collected without the exemption.
Exactly how much each entity could receive or forgo will depend on the final property valuation and tax rates during the life of the agreement.
That puts more behind Tuesday's vote than simply whether a developer receives a tax incentive. Council will also be deciding how much of the new property value created by this project will be taxed and how much will be exempt for the next 15 years.
The Shady Grove development has already moved through several other city approval steps.
Documents from June show 222 apartments planned for Phase 1.
The Findlay Board of Zoning Appeals approved a variance allowing 12 of those apartments to contain 355 square feet of living space instead of the city's normal 500-square-foot minimum.
The board also approved reducing required parking from two spaces per apartment to 1.75 spaces per unit.
Findlay staff supported both requests.
Now the tax agreement moves to the front of the discussion.
Resolution 033-2026 is officially listed for third reading at the Tuesday, Sept. 1 Findlay City Council meeting. Council could vote on the agreement that night, although members could also table it or delay action.
For residents watching the Shady Grove project, Tuesday's question is straightforward:
Should 75% of the qualifying new property value be exempt from property taxes for 15 years?
SkyView Media will continue following the Shady Grove development and Tuesday night's City Council action, bringing you the records, numbers and facts behind the decision.
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