REDEVELOPMENT
What is Redevelopment? There are a variety of
answers, depending upon whom one asks. There is a pamphlet named Redevelopment,
The Unknown Government (published by
Municipal Officials for Redevelopment Reform (MORR), August 1998), which paints
a very negative picture. The websites of cities with Community Development
Agencies attempt to paint a very rosy picture. The many people relocated from
their homes by various redevelopment projects in San Diego certainly have their
opinions. The owners of businesses replaced by Redevelopment Agencies that
thought they were not “the best use” for a given piece of land also have their
opinions.
What is clear is that Redevelopment
Agencies are state agencies and as such are not bound by local laws nor
accountable to local residents for their actions--unless the Redevelopment
Agency is comprised of members of the City Council. When local elected
officials choose to keep control of the actions of the agencies, citizens may
have some say in what happens, but if, as recommended, local elected officials
remove themselves entirely from the actions of the agency citizens loose any
leverage they may have.
There is a financial advantage to the agencies to encourage the change of ownership and/or upgrades of properties in redevelopment areas. Any increase in property taxes generated by a reassessment triggered by a sale or upgrade of property in a redevelopment area is split 20% to affordable housing 20% to the county and schools and 60% to the redevelopment agency, except in Southwest Chula Vista where 20% goes to affordable housing, 20% to schools, 20% to the county and only 40% to the Redevelopment Agency. This financial windfall is what makes eminent domain so popular in other cities. Chula Vistans are fortunate that Proposition C protects them from eminent domain, but not necessarily from pressure to sell or redevelop property.
Frequently Asked
questions:
Southwest Redevelopment Areas are in blue.
Chula
Vista sites:
http://www.chulavistaca.gov/city_services/Development_Services/Community_Development/Default.asp
REDEVELOPMENT ABUSE
EMINENT DOMAIN ABUSE
http://www.castlecoalition.org
PROPOSITION C in Chula Vista
http://www.smartvoter.org/2006/06/06/ca/sd/prop/C/
Because proposition C passed (73.8%) the city of
Chula Vista can not use eminent domain to take private property for
non-public use. The reason why the proposition has authority over the
Redevelopment Agency, which is actually a state agency, is that the city needs
to lend the Redevelopment Agency money each year to help with its deficit. Last
year the agency had a deficit of $27 million. It also has over $50 million in
debt.
The southwest actually produced the most income for
the Redevelopment Agency in 2006 and was second to BF Goodrich in 2005:
Before proposition C the southwestern arm of
Redevelopment used eminent domain for non-public uses. The Walgreen building on
Third Avenue was built on property previously occupied by six small mom and pop
businesses, which were taken by the city by using eminent domain, so that this
big box major retailer could come in. This site shows that the notion that a
city is better off with a national company than with small mom and pop
businesses is false: http://www.cdexchange.org/stories/storyReader$80
Another even worse example of abuse is what happened
to the original owner of the property that the Palomar Trolley shopping center
(Palomar and Broadway) was built upon. This was the land of a tomato farmer and
small businessman. When Community Development wanted to develop his land he
asked to be allowed to do it. At first they agreed. At first they offered him
several million, but along came a big developer with a plan for the whole area.
Community Development decided $700,000 was enough. When he would not take this
they called the police who evicted him at gunpoint. Now we have a big shopping
center and one less resident.