HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 04271993 - 1.79 471
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Community Development Department _
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Redevelopment Agency - (510) 215-438 IVED
APR 1 6 1993
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CLERK BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
CONTRA COSTA CO.
April 12, 1993
Ep App F
The Honorable Tom Torlakson �9
Chair
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
300 East Leland Avenue, Suite 100
Pittsburg, CA 94565
Dear Supervisor Torlakson:
I was disappointed and dismayed to receive the County's Superior Court lawsuit against the City
of El Cerrito and the City of El Cerrito Redevelopment Agency asking the court to invalidate the
recently adopted Amendment to the El Cerrito Redevelopment Plan.;Last year.discussions began
among the,elected officials of the cities. of Contra.Costa County and the. County Supervisors
centering around.the;need .for...more cooperation,;.for working together to. reverse..previous
adversarial relations._ This.year at the,.Contra Costa Mayors' Conference, withfull participation
by all of the..Supervisors,we.seemed to.be;making progress.in our discussions on how to pursue
this cooperative relationship.
However, I believe that actions speak louder than words. The actions by the Board in suing the
City of El Cerrito call into question the sincerity and the true intent of the County to form any
meaningful cooperative arrangement with the cities of Contra Costa County.
I am also disappointed that the Board of Supervisors has chosen to unilaterally apply to the City
of El Cerrito a policy of being made financially whole by new city redevelopment plans or plan
amendments, regardless of actual impact on the County and regardless of the legitimacy of the
redevelopment program. Admittedly, abuses of redevelopment do exist in California and,
possibly, in Contra Costa County. The City of El Cerrito, however,has utilized its redevelopment
program to eliminate genuine blighting influences and replace them with viable residential and
commercial projects which are of true benefit to the City and the County. Moreover, the City of
El Cerrito has a record of cooperation with the County in.several of our redevelopment projects
and had expected to continue this cooperative effort.
The City.is proud.of.the physical,proof:of.its commitment to:providing affordable housing.. TWO
affordable housing projects in the redevelopment area,Del Norte Place and El Cerrito Royale,are
a.product of:.a .cooperative partnership :with:.the County,.which sold tax-exempt,..Multi-family,
housing bonds to help.finance their.development. A total of 237 residential units, 78 of which
are affordable to low income persons;were created. We also assisted in negotiations with the.Del
Norte Place developers.that enabled the West County Older Adults Clinic to.lease space in the
CITY HALL 10890 San Pablo Avenue EI Cerrito, California 94530 Fax (510) 233-5401
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LETTER'PO'POM TORLAKSON
APRIL 12, 1993 PAGE 2
project. This location is highly accessible to the West County senior population because of its
proximity to public transportation, both bus and rail. Additionally, at no cost to the County, we
have allowed the County to create temporary parking for the Clinic across the street on
Redevelopment Agency property. ,
Cooperation with the County includes future commitments. As you know, the probation
department vacated their facility in El Cerrito to allow the Agency's development plans to
proceed. Unfortunately, your lawsuit will negate our financing ability and may preclude us from
carrying out our deveiopment plans. Thus, it is possible that we will not be able to assist the
County in its relocation. We had also offered to build a new library as part of the redevelopment
plan amendment and to buy-out your 15% ownership of our Public Safety building. Your legal
action against the Redevelopment Plan Amendment makes it extremely unlikely that we will be
able to assist you should you elect to move the juvenile court from that building. Financing of
a new County library will be impossible.
I would like to point out that other taxing entities, six in total -- Richmond Unified School
District, East Bay Regional Park District, AC Transit, Contra Costa College District, Mosquito
Abatement District and the Contra Costa County Office of Education -- have reached agreement
with us regarding the Amendment. I believe those who settled recognize our redevelopment
program is not one focused on merely capturing tax increment but of putting tax increment to
work for the betterment of our community and, ultimately, .for the betterment of each taxing
entity. I believe the County should be among those who are able to recognize and support an
effective program for creating investment in jobs and affordable housing.
In conclusion,I regret that you found the need to pursue the costly avenue of litigation rather than
meaningful negotiation, especially in these days of budgetary constraints and criticisms of
inordinate amounts of monies spent on litigation by your offices. Beyond that I regret the
precedent this action sets and its impact on discussions with the Mayors' Conference.
Sincerely,
ORMA J SON
Chair
El Cerrit edevelopment Agency
cc: El Cerrito Redevelopment Agency Board Members
Supervisors Bishop, McPeak, Powers, and Smith
Members, Executive Committee, Contra Costa Mayors Conference
George Livingston, Chair, West County Mayors and Supervisors Association