Findlay Council Erupts Over $1M 'Swamp' Land Purchase to Back Developer Housing Project
BY CAREY MORGAN
FINDLAY, Ohio (AP) — Tensions flared at the Findlay City Council meeting Tuesday night as members clashed over a proposed $1 million city purchase of 21 acres of partially wetland land from interests linked to a major developer, with critics warning the deal risks subsidizing private growth that could exacerbate housing shortages, strain public services and accelerate an influx of immigrant labor in a community already facing rapid change.
Ordinance 2026-76, added to the agenda as one of several add-ons, would authorize Mayor Christina Muryn to enter into development agreements with Casto Finley LLC and Sunrise Hospitality Inc. for a 374-unit multifamily residential project east of Wellness Way near the Interstate 75 diverging-diamond interchange and County Road 99. The legislation includes the city acquiring roughly 21 acres — often described by skeptics as swampy or wetland-heavy land — from Mardic Investments Inc. at appraised value of approximately $1 million to $1.1 million. The parcel is designated for stormwater management, utilities, a key north-south connector road from County Road 99 to Midwest Court, and limited future “parkland” or public open space uses.
City officials argue the land purchase and associated 2024 Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district along the County Road 99/I-75 corridor are necessary to unlock development in a fragmented, environmentally constrained area. Developers have committed to $1.4 million from Casto over 10 years and $500,000 upfront from the Sunrise Hospitality entity, with long-term TIF revenues projected to reimburse the upfront General Fund expenditure over 30 years. Planned units would carry rents typically ranging from $1,300 to $2,000 per month.
However, the project drew sharp criticism during a lengthy and heated exchange. City Auditor Jim Staschiak II strongly objected to adding the ordinance, citing significant errors in recent drafts — including one that incorrectly described Findlay as a charter city rather than a statutory city — and insufficient time for thorough fiscal, statutory, IRS compliance and bond counsel review.
“I don’t appreciate the inferences. They’re lies. They’re inappropriate and they’re wrong,” Staschiak said, rejecting suggestions that he had delayed the project. “As the auditor, it’s my job to review what it is, make sure it’s correct... I want to tell you that if there’s a reason that you don’t need this by the next meeting, please state it on the record for the community to know. Otherwise, the community deserves a full and complete, fully worded, fully filled out piece of legislation for their review.”
Mayor Muryn countered that discussions on the Casto development dated back to late 2024, with the auditor included in correspondence since December 2025 — roughly 196 days earlier. She noted the project had been before the Finance Committee since January and argued that delays had gone on long enough to move forward with public review and potential amendments.
Councilman BJ Preston, Finance Committee chair, requested postponing the item for proper statutory review, warning of compliance risks. The add-ons package, including the contested ordinance and a replacement version of another measure, passed on a 6-1 vote, with Councilman Danny DeLong casting the lone nay. Due to three absences — Council members Dan DeArment, Heather Kensinger and L. Reed Needles, all excused for family matters — the seven present members lacked the supermajority needed for emergency declarations or suspension of the standard three-reading rule. The Casto ordinance received only first reading.
Critics question the priority of spending General Fund money on this “parkland” acquisition when Findlay already maintains ample park space and other recreational assets. The 21-acre tract’s primary function appears to be enabling infrastructure for the Casto project and surrounding parcels rather than providing new recreational amenities for existing residents. The broader I-75/County Road 99 corridor push — including the new diverging-diamond interchange, nearby Blanchard Valley Health System Wellness Park campus and additional hotel interest — is positioned for workforce housing to support manufacturing and service jobs.
Yet many residents worry this growth model could worsen existing pressures. Findlay and Hancock County face a severe housing crunch with near-99% occupancy rates and many cost-burdened households. New market-rate units are unlikely to provide meaningful relief for working families, while potentially attracting more newcomers. The area has already seen a notable influx of immigrant workers — estimates of around 1,000 in Findlay and 1,500 regionally — many placed through staffing agencies in local manufacturing. This has contributed to heightened competition for rentals, strains on schools, policing and social services, and integration challenges, leading Mayor Muryn to form an Immigration Task Force.
Opponents argue that further multifamily development in the corridor risks drawing additional labor migration without adequately addressing needs of longtime residents, potentially tightening the housing market even more and increasing demands on infrastructure and public resources. Traffic congestion near the interchange is already a noted concern that could intensify.
The meeting also approved a resolution commending retiring Police Chief James Mathias for 31 years of service. Mathias, who began as a patrol officer in 1995 and rose through the ranks to chief in 2023, received Officer of the Year honors in 1996 and the John Edward Seman Award in 2014. He thanked council and expressed confidence in the department’s future under new leadership.
Other business included advancing various ordinances on second or third readings covering capital projects and equipment, roadway extensions, zoning changes for Blanchard Valley Health System property, brownfield remediation at two sites, water treatment plant tank cleaning and intake structure rehabilitation, grant applications for police body armor vests and municipal court upgrades, and a replacement ordinance for court recording system improvements. An annexation petition for 41.366 acres in Allen Township (Huffman property) was filed, with standard city services outlined.
Fire department reports for May noted 57 overlapping calls but clarified that resources remained available without frequent mutual aid. New business highlighted Habitat for Humanity ribbon-cuttings and upcoming community picnic events.
As the Casto ordinance returns for further readings, with the auditor’s full review expected to play a key role, residents concerned about taxpayer exposure, developer subsidies, housing affordability and unintended demographic impacts will be closely monitoring the outcome. The episode underscores broader local tensions between ambitious economic development aspirations in key corridors and the need to protect quality of life, fiscal responsibility and community character for existing residents.
