Council to meet on eve of redevelopment's demise

As the deadline to eliminate redevelopment agencies in California nears, Porterville city officials have been hard-pressed preparing for a special meeting to address the local agency’s anticipated demise.

“We’ve been really busy with redevelopment,” said Community Development Director Brad Dunlap. “There’s been a lot of discussion, a lot of energy. We’ll see where it’s all going to end up.”

Last week, the Porterville City Council, in a 4-1 vote, endorsed SB 659 — a bill intended to extend the agencies’ dissolution date from Feb. 1 to April 15. City staff said the extension would allow time for agencies to discuss alternatives and options in lieu of eliminating redevelopment.

Councilman Greg Shelton, who cast the dissenting vote, called the bill “a waste of time.”
“I don’t like the idea of redevelopment agencies having condemnation rights. I think it’s a boondoggle and a scam and I think it needs to go away,” he said.

On Thursday, Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Stienberg criticized the bill, saying the extension was, “not going to happen.”

Redevelopment agencies subsidize local projects in blighted areas.

The Porterville Redevelopment Agency has been in existence for more than 30 years. The redevelopment project area was established in the early 1990s, encompassing the Walmart Distribution Center site. The 450-plus acre area was expanded in 2010 to include more than 1,600 acres.

Dunlap said redevelopment has contributed to the realization of several projects, including the Casas Buena Vista affordable-housing subdivision on Date Avenue, the new Villa Siena low-income apartments on E Street and Putnam Avenue, and the entire downtown Porterville streetscape.

For years, city officials have hoped to use redevelopment funds to demolish the Porterville Hotel, which also lies within the redevelopment project area, to make way for new development.

Dunlap said that if the state legislation takes effect Feb. 1, there is a chance that funding for the hotel’s demolition will be affected.

“We’re working through that right now. The problem with the legislation that was adopted is that while it accomplishes the dissolution, it does little to define the details as to how this is going to be implemented and how existing redevelopment agencies are unwound. While we know the date, the devil’s in the details,” he said.

The council is scheduled to meet at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, in the council chambers at City Hall, 291 N. Main St.

City staff will provide an overview of where things stand and will also vote on approving an enforceable obligation payment schedule and an initial recognized obligation payment schedule.

The council will also consider the creation of a local housing authority to continue the Redevelopment Agency’s housing operations, and discuss the Porterville Hotel.

Contact Denise Madrid at 784-5000, ext. 1047 or dmadrid@portervillerecorder.com. Follow her on Twitter @DeniseMadrid_