With the demise of redevelopment in California, one idea put forth -- by me, among others -- is using publicly owned land as equity in a real estate deal as a way of subsidizing it. If you can't "write down" private land (selling it to a developer for less than your bought it), maybe you should look at real estate assets your city – or some other public agency – already owns.

Here's CP&DR's roundup of recent events around the state regarding the redevelopment wind-down. Just click on the headline to read more -- sometimes from us, sometimes from other sources.

West Sac passes Chiang's test, Hercules struggles, Morgan Hill sues
CP&DR

West Sacramento has become the first city to emerge unscathed from a redevelopment audit by the State Controller's Office. Meanwhile, the Bay Area city of Hercules finds its asset transfers caught in the crossfire of a variety of other problems, including alleged long-term mismanagement of the redevelopment agency.

There is some irony in contemplating the demise of state affordable housing programs at this moment. Residential values have taken a major haircut and interest rates are at record lows, the two factors together resulting in new levels of affordability. Nevertheless, over the long run, state programs have served a vital role in affordable housing and from a long term policy perspective, should remain funded and operational. The most recent decision in this area, in Housing Partners I, Inc. v. John C.

Mobile home parks often represent meaningful opportunities for cities to provide affordable housing. Conversions of rental mobile home parks to individual ownerships can lead to thorny issues. They can create affordable ownership opportunities for lower income families and individuals, or they can displace the same economically disadvantaged households burdened with a difficult-to-relocate housing asset. 

Ideal Boat & Camper Storage began operating as an equipment storage yard in 1964, and in subsequent years, obtained various county approvals, including two site development review (SDR) approvals, the latest in 1990. In 1993, the county adopted a new area planning document which sought to promote viticulture in the area and in 1994, the area plan was incorporated in the comprehensive general plan for the east area of the county. 

If skepticism about growth is an indication that the economy is on the rebound, then Tuesday's land use elections throughout California might be called good news.

About a dozen land use measures were on the ballot Tuesday and most cases the anti-growth forces won. Most of those that did win were focused on job creation. Several measures focused on downtown development in small cities, with mixed results.

Everybody in Northern California is proud of the World Champion Giants., but apparently the 49ers are a different story. The Department of Finance beancounters in Sacramento have nixed a negotiated agreement between the City of Santa Clara and other taxing agencies that would have allowed the city to keep $30 million in tax-increment funds to help finance the 49ers new $1.2 billion stadium.

Last week, I posted a blog from the American Planning Association, California Chapter, conference suggesting that the new guidelines to implement the streamlining of environmental review for infill projects under SB 226 might be making the whole process even more complicated. Relying on comments by Ron Bass and Terry Rivasplata of ICF International, I titled the blog, "Streamlining CEQA is Really Complicated," and I concluded that because CEQA is a complicated law, simplifying it really is a complicated matter.

Though painful, the unwinding of redevelopment would seem to be a pretty straightforward process for most cities: Designate yourself as the successor agency, negotiate with your oversight committee to keep as much stuff going as possible, and try to keep the state Department of Finance from vetoing the whole situation.

The $188 million Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC), which broke ground earlier this month, is the most recent example of a fast-growing list of public facilities with big ambitions: the local transit hub that connects local and regional transit rail lines with bus service, taxies, bicycle locks and sometimes business services for travelers.  The anticipation of high-speed rail also adds some drama to the Anaheim transit center. 

Ever since the passage of SB 226 -- the law designed to streamline environment review for infill projects -- the state has been working on changes to the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines to implement the law. There's a draft of the guidance out (you can find it here), and CEQA-sters Ron Bass and Terry Rivasplata of ICF International did a good job of laying out what the draft says at a session at the American Planning Association, California Chapter, conference.