Comments on: Kelo… redevelopment project area.. four year later

By: Larry Gilbert

Larry Gilbert — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:58:03 +0000

Robin Marcario
Sadly we lost in our effort to protect private property when Prop 98 was defeated.

As to the city acquiring and assembling properties for a redevelopment project there is nothing that can be done IF, and I cannot emphasize enough that word, it is for a valid public use such as a school, park, firehouse or to widen a road.
The law just changed with passage of Prop 99. If these are single family owner occupied homes, in which the owners have been there for more than one year, and they are being acquired for a commercial project you can oppose that effort. The key is the timing of the acquisitions.

Is his excellency Bulldozer Broadwater still up to his old tricks?

By: David Zenger

David Zenger — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:59:56 +0000

#2, because it’s Redevelopment – where any city bureaucrat or council person can play big time developer – on the taxpayer’s dime. It’s fun and it’s freeeeeee!

By: Robin Marcario

Robin Marcario — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:46:35 +0000

This evening at 6:30pm the Garden Grove City Council will decide on the Brookhurst Triangle area, at Brookhurst and Garden Grove Blvd. This 13.9 acre site is set for a decide whether to “pre-approve” a project with 20,000 sqft of commercial space and 800 units including a 23 story condo tower.
The city staff has assembled the property over the past dozen years and is now designing and conducting public hearings before a developer has been selected.
Why are taxpayers paying for property, designing plans, reports and public hearings which are normally paid for by developers?

By: Larry Gilbert

Larry Gilbert — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:25:05 +0000

email response:
Larry,
Thanks for sending this. The slogan for economic development takings should be “Hurry up and wait!”
What a disgrace. Unfortunately, it’s not an unusual story. You may recall at the 2006 IJ conference John Allison (of BB&T Bank) spoke and he told a family story about his elderly aunt, who was forced out of her home, only to see the property lie idle for 15 years. I’ve heard many stories like that.
Best,
Carla

Gilbert note: Carla is the author of Bulldozed. She was sued for publishing the story of the Gore family shrimp business in Freeport TX.
She is a “former opinion page editor at the National Law Journal.”