Redevelopment Agenda OKd for La Canada

The La Canada Flintridge Redevelopment Agency identified four areas of concern for future agency meetings and set up a tentative schedule that will carry redevelopment discussions into at least late spring or early summer.

The agency agreed to discuss the topics at regularly scheduled meetings beginning at the second meeting in April. City staff will research the topics and report back to the agency.

Whether La Canada Flintridge will be able to avoid building low-income housing within the city limits and still qualify for redevelopment funds will be the first topic addressed.

Other agency items include a discussion of the method of determining property valuation increases for the city, a review of redevelopment laws regarding blight and examples of blight within La Canada Flintridge, and the agency’s power of property condemnation.

Constant Concern

“Basically, these four items have been brought up a number of times in discussions,” City Manager Don Otterman said, “and I think these are areas where there are still concerns.”

The housing fund has been the subject of debate for months. State law requires that 20% of all tax increment money received by a redevelopment agency be used for building and maintaining low-income housing within the community.

Meanwhile, the city has been looking for ways to meet state requirements while appeasing those who object to building low-income housing within city limits.

A bill to exempt certain communities from the 20% housing fund requirement was recently introduced in the state Legislature. Under that proposal, the money would be used for building low-income housing on adjacent county property, rather than within city limits.