Petitioners Seek To Block Tax Break for Outlet Developer

Opponents of a potential tax break for developers of an outlet mall in Chesterfield Valley used Election Day to gather petition signatures to block any such deal.

Chesterfield Blue Valley LLC got the green light in February from Chesterfield's city council to pursue a Community Improvement District (CID) where a proposed outlet mall would be build.

The CID creates a special taxing district that bets the promise of future sales tax revenue for the city against the cost to develop an area. In other words, a tax hike on consumers at the future outlet mall provides a developer with advantages to build the outlet mall in the first place.

An organization named Fieldworks posted workers outside polling places Tuesday with clipboards and information, gathering signatures to deny any such taxing deal to Blue Valley.

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A petitioner at Chesterfield City Hall said he had six signatures, so far. Another worker at Green Trails school said she had 23 signatures.

A non-scientific observation at the sites by Chesterfield Patch found residents' comments fell into one of several categories:

• business is good for the city
• we don't need two outlet malls
• let them build, but no taxpayer dollars involved
• no, thank you.

Chesterfield Patch will continue to monitor the anti-CID drive.

A second outlet mall developer, T-O Ventures, started digging on Tuesday at the site in Chesterfield Valley. The group has not asked the city for a tax advantage to build. Watch for follow up on that mall's progress.