FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RUSSIAN RIVER REDEVELOPMENT AREA
The following questions and answers provide general
information about redevelopment and the Russian River Redevelopment Project,
specifically. If you should have any additional questions, please do not
hesitate to contact the Redevelopment Manager, at 707.565.7508.
What is redevelopment?
Why do we have redevelopment? What is it for?
Where does the money for redevelopment come from?
Will redevelopment raise my property taxes?
Who governs the Russian River Redevelopment Project?
What is the Russian River Redevelopment Plan’s
intent?
Does being in a redevelopment project area mean
the redevelopment agency can take my house away from me?
What happens to the owners and occupants if the
Agency does acquire a property?
Does the Russian River Redevelopment Project afford
any opportunity for cooperative projects with private developers, homeowners,
non-profits or others?
How would the redevelopment project affect the
environment?
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What is redevelopment?
Stated simply, redevelopment is the reinvestment of local property tax
dollars in the community from which they came, under local control, according
to a locally approved plan. This simple statement covers a lot of important
ground, however. “Reinvestment of local property tax dollars”
means that funds identified for the Russian River Redevelopment Project
can only be spent for the benefit of the Russian River Redevelopment Project
Area. “Under local control” means that all of the decision
making for how the project’s funds will be spent will be made locally,
not in Sacramento or Washington, D.C. “According to a locally approved
plan” refers to the general provisions of the Plan approved by the
Board of Supervisors and the detailed plans to be developed and approved
through the process of local citizen/elected official/County staff interaction.
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Why do we have redevelopment? What is
it for?
The law governing community redevelopment resides in the Health and Safety
section of the California Constitution. At its roots, then, redevelopment
is about improving the health and safety conditions and, consequently,
quality of life in a designated project area. Redevelopment focuses on
eliminating “blighting conditions,” a broadly defined term
that can refer to physical conditions, economic conditions or social conditions,
which adversely affect the local community. Redevelopment is also focused
on the preservation and expansion of employment and affordable housing
opportunities.
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Where does the money for redevelopment
come from?
Funding for redevelopment projects comes from a dedication of part of
the property taxes that are paid on parcels in the designated redevelopment
project area. The Redevelopment Project shares in the growth of property
tax revenues over the life of the project, typically forty-five years,
along with the County, school districts, fire districts and other taxing
entities that receive part of the property taxes. Over the life of the
Russian River Redevelopment Project, it has been projected that as much
as $170 million dollars may become available for investment in affordable
housing and other projects in the Project Area.
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Will redevelopment raise my property
taxes?
Redevelopment agencies are not “taxing entities.” They have
no authority to levy additional taxes. Property taxes are based on assessed
value. Proposition 13, passed by California voters in 1978, limits property
taxes to one percent of the assessed value per year and limits the increase
in property value assessment to no more than two percent per year. Typically,
the assessed value of a property changes when it is sold, developed or
rehabilitated.
Who Governs the Russian River Redevelopment
Project?
The Russian River Redevelopment Project is perhaps unique in that the
Board of Supervisors has extended an opportunity for uncommon sharing
of the responsibility for shaping redevelopment of the Project Area. Under
California Redevelopment Law, the Board has ultimate responsibility for
the success for the Russian River Project. However, the Board directed
the formation of the Russian River
Redevelopment Oversight Committee (RRROC) to provide direct citizen
input to the project and program approval process and given the RRROC
veto authority over any proposal. This sharing of responsibility means
that, though the RRROC will not have the final approval of project and
program proposals, the Board will not be able to approve such proposals
without the RRROC’s concurrence. The Sonoma County Community Redevelopment
Agency (Agency) provides the primary staffing to the Russian River Redevelopment
Project.
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What is the Russian
River Redevelopment Plan’s intent?
A redevelopment plan is the legal document that describes the general
purposes, goals, authorities and limitations for redevelopment in a designated
project area. It does not identify specific projects but, rather, provides
a framework for the redevelopment process. The Russian River Redevelopment
Plan states twenty-three Specific Goals and Objectives that include: restoration
and expansion of the Project Area as a desirable visitor and tourist destination;
revitalization, as appropriate, of the Project Area’s businesses
and business districts; enhancement and protection of the physical environment
and sensitive habitat areas; preservation and enhancement of architecturally
and historically interesting buildings and neighborhoods; improvement
of substandard housing conditions; improvement of streets to ensure safe
motor vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian movements; upgrading and improvement
of utility services to reduce power outages; assistance in the repair,
expansion or development of sewer facilities; and assistance to public
safety entities in the provision of capital facilities and equipment to
serve the Project Area and environs. These broad goals and objectives
are refined through the interaction of the RRROC, other members of the
local community, elected officials and staff. Two of the RRROC’s
early responsibilities will be to develop a set of design guidelines for
the Russian River area and review/revise a more specific plan to guide
the implementation of redevelopment activities over the next five years.
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Does being in a redevelopment project
area mean the redevelopment agency can take my house away from me?
The Russian River Redevelopment Plan specifically prohibits the “taking”
(i.e., exercise of eminent domain authority) of any occupied residential
property. The Plan also prohibits public improvement projects that would
result in substantial displacement and relocation of low- and moderate-income
persons. Since the Sonoma county Community Redevelopment Agency was formed in 1975, it has never exercised its
eminent domain authority in any of the three project areas previously
formed in the County.
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What happens to the owners and occupants
if the Agency does acquire a property?
Any need to acquire a property will be communicated to the owner and,
if applicable, the tenant well in advance of any action being taken. If
the Agency acquires the property, California law insures that the owner
will be paid full market value and that full relocation benefits will
be paid to any businesses or residents displaced by the purchase of the
property. Full relocation benefits include helping to find a new home
or business location, direct moving expenses and, to the extent necessary,
subsidizing the cost of renting or owning a new home or business. The
Plan prohibits discrimination or segregation by reason of race, color,
religion, creed, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, national origin
or ancestry in the sale, lease or occupancy of any property.
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Does the Russian River Redevelopment
Project afford any opportunity for cooperative projects with private developers,
homeowners, non-profits or others?
California Redevelopment Law anticipates that redevelopment agencies alone
cannot accomplish the objectives of project area plans. The Russian River
Redevelopment Plan includes specific provisions for working with business
owners, business tenants, landowners, homeowners, landlords, non-profit
organizations, and other government agencies in order to achieve the goals
of the Project.
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How would the redevelopment project
affect the environment?
The Russian River Redevelopment Plan is specific and exhaustive regarding
recognition and preservation of the beautiful lower Russian River watershed,
its natural ecosystem and abundant resources and wildlife habitat. The
fifth Specific Goal and Objective is “the enhancement and protection
of the physical environment and sensitive habitat area, such as forests
and riparian ecosystems.” Other Specific Goals and Objectives include
“the elimination, over time, of adverse conditions that contribute
to soils, groundwater, and river contamination” and “the protection
of endangered species consistent with local, state and federal law.”
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