Make Work Project: Expand Redevelopment
It takes a lot to keep the eight full time redevelopment staffers busy. With the economy tanking, widespread commercial vacancies and developer money drying up, the wheeling and dealing–at taxpayer expense–is a thing of the past!
Falling property values mean tax increment revenues are slowing to a trickle. Even the bond market is looking murky for RDAs.
So what’s a bored staff with a lot of time on its hands to do? With the only recent feather in their cap (a black eye) really is the $6 million McDonald’s move (150 feet west, right across from Fullerton H.S.) They need more self-justification.
Hence, the 18-month effort to expand the Fullerton Redevelopment Area by 25%, All the hearings, studies, consultant reports and pricey legal advice could keep any self-respecting bureaucrat busy in justifying their jobs. Never mind that the proposed new area does not meet the barest minimum legal justification for blight. Never mind that the County of Orange has found the legal backbone to oppose the $20-30 million in theft from its general fund.
Never mind that none of the hundreds of businesses affected have requested any redevelopment subsidies, nor the use of eminent domain to purloin property from their neighbors. Never mind that the state is moving to recapture lost redevelopment money.
Turf protection and self-preservation is the first law of any government agency or bureaucracy. The redevelopment staff has a tough charade to maintain. They must pretend that thy are curing blight while at the same time trying to prove that blight in Fullerton is actually growing.
It will be interesting to see what kind of math these redevelopment agencies use to verify “success” over the next few years. They haven’t had natural inflation pushing up their so-called results for quite some time.
just a guy, not even a chance anyone in government would think to “verify success”. First off, in order to “verify success” that would mean “results” would be of concern. Since when did “results” concern anyone in government?
fullerton city council and its pet project RDA is out of control. where is shawn nelson? why doesnt he make a statement on this theft from the taxpayers?
What can redevelopment do for us in Southwest Fullerton? We already HAVE have a McDonald’s across the street from a school (Orangethorpe School). They can’t move it any closer!
Sorry, WestFulGuy. To those up on the hill where the council lives, anything south of Chapman is presumed to be blighted. Besides, having that giant Harley dealership there on West Orangethorpe only proves their case… must be a lotta Raider fans down there!
Sounds like you’re having second thoughts, WestFulGuy–or talking to yourself. Have you reread the blight report? Pretty convincing stuff! RDA to the rescue! Better you then us. Not much blight up here in Sunny Hills.
I went to H.S. with Quirk and she loved going to the McDonalds, all the kids loved going there for lunch. After the City builds Frizbies a new building closer to the H.S. the kids can go there between classes. Government wins, again!