With four ayes, the four-member city council approved a motion for the City of Newark to become the replacement agency for the Newark Redevelopment Agency at its Jan. 12 council meeting.
The vote was made as a result of a California Supreme Court ruling, made on Dec. 29, that ordered for the dissolution of redevelopment agencies throughout the state.
City staff recommended for the city to be the successor.
Current redevelopment projects areas include industrial areas near Mowry and Central avenues and about a quarter of the land designated for the Dumbarton Transit-Oriented Development project.
Elimination of the agencies would not impact the project, a 205-acre project development that would establish up to 2,500 homes.
Grindall has told Newark Patch that none of Newark's planned projects are immediately reliant on redevelopment, but that the dissolution of redevelopment could delay or remove some of the amenities.
City Manager John Becker has also said that the elimination of redevelopment has hindered long-term plans to redevelop Old Town.
Cities across California are contesting the law passed calling for the shut down of redevelopment agencies or pay the state millions of dollars to continue redevelopment.
to read more about the Dec. 29 ruling and how it impacts redevelopment.
Also at the Jan. 12 meeting:
- Council voted to adopt an urgency ordinance that would repeal a former ordinance that will repeal a sales and use tax ordinance for the Newark Redevelopment Agency
- Council recognized retiring police K-9 Henk, a 7-year veteran of the Newark Police Department for his service to the community (Newark Patch will post a separate story on Henk in the near future.)
