St. Joseph City Commissioners have recommended that Berrien County make some changes to the Brownfield plan for properties near Harbor Shores so new housing developments planned on some of those parcels can proceed.

Speaking to commissioners this week, Berrien County Community Development Director Dan Fette said Harbor Shores is preparing to construct new housing on three parcels that are in the current Brownfield plan, approved way back when Harbor Shores was just getting started.

“The challenge that we’re facing is because the development of that site has been delayed for so long, we’re starting to run out of time,” Fette said. “There may not be enough time in the existing plan to reimburse all of the eligible costs that Chris [Cook] and his team are going to undertake there — the roadways, the water, sewer, storm, site preparation, and some private infrastructure work as well.”

Fette tells us the existing plan will start to expire in 2037, not leaving Harbor Shores enough time to recoup some of the development costs for the new housing. Therefore, he told commissioners it has a request for the county.

“What we’re looking to do is to terminate the TIF plan on the existing developed 425 parcels after 2026, terminate the plan entirely on parcels 1 and 2, and start a new plan on those parcels, literally this year if we can get it done in time.”

Fette says the three parcels in question are across the river from the band shell, where the old water tower used to be, bound by Upton Drive, Whitwam Drive, and M-63.

If the county approves a new Brownfield plan for those three parcels, it would likely be for about 20 years. St. Joseph Commissioners Monday voted to make that recommendation to the county.