AgdaPkt 2011-03-07 - Laserfiche WebLink

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8.0 MayorJefflra Page 1 Vice Mayor Alicia C. Aguirre City Hall 1017 Middlefield Road Council Members i. Redwood City, CA 94063 Ian Bain 1 Voice (650) 780 -7220 Jeffrey Gee Illhv Fax (650) 261 -9102 Rosanne Foust wag JINNI= mail ©redwoodcity.org Barbara Pierce / www.redwoodcity.org John D. Seybert / March 8, 2011 The Honorable Rich Gordon Note: letter also to be sent Member, Califomia State Assembly to Senator Joe Simitian State Capitol P.O. Box 942849 Sacramento, CA 94249 -0021 Dear Assembly Member Gordon: 1 am writing on behalf of the City of Redwood City to express our firm opposition to provisions in the Govemor's Budget Proposal, recommending elimination of redevelopment agencies in California. Eliminating this program will have serious and permanent detrimental effects on the community of Redwood City. It will dramatically reduce Redwood City's ability to continue its Downtown revitalization, and make it extremely unlikely that we can support the provision of much - needed below market rate housing in our community. The loss of redevelopment will also remove a key driver of our economic recovery, not to mention the loss of local construction jobs (an estimated loss of nearly 800 in Redwood City). Further, it will erase any ability to address existing blight conditions in our community. Such a proposal not only violates the will of the people, but will have grave and dangerous consequences for California's economy. As you know, Califomia voters approved Proposition 22 last November, reaffirming the message that local governments and their communities have sent to the state time and time again: local funds should remain local and pay for services and programs in their own communities. This is a message that you certainly helped to spotlight during your tenure in local government. That constitutional amendment prohibits the state from requiring a community development agency to remit property tax to or for the benefit of the state or any jurisdiction directly or indirectly. I urge you to consider this: in Redwood City, redevelopment was absolutely crucial to the creation of housing developments with below - market rate elements including City Center Plaza, Franklin Street Apartments, Villa Montgomery, and others. It has been responsible for revitalization projects such as downtown streetscape improvements and storefront improvement programs, enhancing the retail environment. It helped create our parking garages in support of downtown events and retailers. And redevelopment was largely responsible for our Courthouse Square, which has become the community's central gathering spot and location for hundreds of special events each year, many supported by redevelopment, bringing tens of thousands of people downtown and creating local economic activity estimated at $3 million last year. Clearly, from a policy standpoint eliminating this important program makes no sense. Redevelopment is a tool for building things, an essential instrument for the economic recovery at both the local and state level. It builds and improves communities, spurs job growth and taxes and is the most significant provider of infrastructure, urban development, and affordable housing in the state.