The Land Grab
At a time when our City services are already stretched too thin, the Chula Vista Mayor and Council want to expand the City’s redevelopment areas to include residential properties. This proposed land grab will divert funding away from essential services, such as police and fire, and staff needed to run libraries. By law, redevelopment funds cannot be used to pay for ongoing city services. Instead of paying for city services, the money ends up in the pockets of developers in the form of subsidies, studies or redevelopment staff slush funds.
Can anyone name something positive that has been accomplished as a result of actions taken by this redevelopment agency? I can’t. The truth is that this agency, now comprised mainly of outsiders and people in the development industry, has done nothing but waste tens of millions of our tax dollars on failed projects, studies and redevelopment staff budgets. Now, the redevelopment staff has the gall to ask for even more money without being able to justify their current budget.
Chula Vista simply cannot afford to sacrifice any more of our tax dollars on a wasteful redevelopment agency. I encourage everyone to speak up at the Dec 15th council meeting and oppose this senseless land grab, because if we don’t, I’ll bet you that our noble elected officials will surely slice off another piece of our pie and hand it over to their developer friends and those who provide campaign contributions.
Robert Garcia
Chula Vista
January 10, 2010 at 11:07 pm
Here is one City of Chula Vista plan I agree with:
“The purpose of the Arts Master Plan is to provide recommendations regarding how the City of Chula Vista can increase the contributions of the visual and performing arts to the quality of life of the residents of Chula Vista, build upon and expand existing arts programs, provide recommendations for appropriate new facilities for the arts, and integrate the arts with the ongoing development and revitalization of the City.”
The Arts Master Plan notes that the benefits of providing a comprehensive community based visual and performing arts program would: “…create a more livable city, stimulate the local economy, enhance the urban environment, celebrate the natural environment, engage a wide spectrum of people, and empower neighborhoods. Art has the power to draw the community together, creating opportunities not only for enjoyment and appreciation of beauty, but also for increased dialogue, cross cultural understanding, and intellectual growth.”
Trinidy, Incorporated has offered to implement the CVAI program for FREE, if the City of Chula Vista would provide a suitable location in South Chula Vista. 3525 Main Street has been vacant for over six years, maybe even eight years. The building has been severely neglected, vandalized and robbed of its electrical systems. The land is a brownfield (land is toxic with pollutants) which makes it almost impossible to sell.
The City of Chula Vista offered support in ridding the toxic pollutants if the place were used by Trinidy, Incorporated to implement the CVAI program and its other community programs. Trinidy, Incorporated also offered to clean up the building, replace the electrical system and make all the needed repairs, but the real estate company that represents 3525 Main Street refused to discuss any use of the property other than its purchase: asking nearly two million dollars – that’s a Rip Off, since a very nice property of half the size in the same area recently sold for less than two hundred thousand dollars – don’t forget that this is the low-income area! Read More here >> http://www.trinidy.org/3525.html
Help us (the community) get the building! Join our efforts here >> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/badfinger-cafe/