The Bridgeport News

From Staff Reports

Bridgeport (Thursday, July 10, 2003)

Members of the Harrison County Commission have opted to let the public comment on the first proposed tax increment financing (TIF) districts in Harrison County. One of those districts is the 2,000 acre Charles Pointe development, which will be annexed into Bridgeport as it develops.

The public hearing for the project is set for 7:15 p.m. on Aug. 14. The hearing will be held in the meeting room of the Harrison County Commission.

Representatives of Genesis Partners, the developers handling the Charles Pointe project along Interstate 79 and State Route 279, gave a presentation to the HCC last week on their plans and how TIF would aid development. TIF was approved by West Virginia voters during the last statewide election and in laymen’s terms, allows tax dollars to be paid on construction to be used for infrastructure at the site, as well as locking in current tax rates for an extended period.

No area in Harrison County has taken advantage of the TIF option since it was passed by state voters. The county commission has to give approval on the project since the bulk of it is within county territory. Even if it was within Bridgeport’s city limits, it would still have to be approved by the county. Bridgeport’s population makes it Class III city, and only Class I and II cities can approve TIF projects without the oversight of the county commission.

The HCC also heard about plans for the proposed Pete Dye Golf and Sporting Club, which is located on Meadowbrook Road, just outside of Bridgeport’s city limits. The Pete Dye project, which is on 1,492 acres, includes housing and recreational activities, which is similar in some respects to plans at Charles Pointe.