Lindenhurst shifts funding ideas | Chicago Tribune
We live in Lindenhurst, where a little drama has played itself out recently that shows the interplay between HOAs and TIF districts in suburban real estate development. There is one big parcel of good land for development left here. A big San Diego developer proposed to use the 200 acre parcel for 800 homes and 700,000 feet of retail space. Sounds good, right? Except that at the last minute it was disclosed that the developer wanted it to be a TIF. And that's what led 600 people to show up at a Village Board meeting and object to the TIF, and three school districts to threaten a lawsuit if the village approved the TIF. Outcome: board says no to the TIF. They are up for re-election in April, by the way. I will have more to say about HOAs and TIFs, but I see both as forms of special districts that allow municipalities to do development in non-traditional ways and make out well financially. And both have effects on other aspects of public life and public financing that others find very objectionable. The article lays out what a TIF is, in case readers of this blog don't know.