title
EASTSIDE CRA EXPANSION - BLIGHT FINDING RESOLUTION (B)
Resolution No. 110281
A resolution of the City Commission of the City of Gainesville, Florida, finding that the conditions in a certain area adjacent to the existing Eastside Community Redevelopment Area of the City of Gainesville, as more specifically described in this Resolution, constitutes blight, and that the rehabilitation, conservation, redevelopment, or combination thereof of such area is necessary in the interest of the public health, safety, morals or welfare of the residents of the City; and providing an immediate effective date.
recommendation
The City Commission 1) accept a report from the consultant addressing blighted conditions in the proposed Eastside expansion area; 2) receive public input; 3) adopt the proposed resolution; and 4) refer the report and the resolution to the Community Redevelopment Agency and recommend the CRA propose amendments to the Eastside Area Redevelopment Plan as appropriate.
explanation
On February 18, 2010, the City Commission considered conducting a study to analyze expanding the Eastside Redevelopment Area to the southeast and on July 20, 2010, approved funding for a blight finding study. The City retained WilsonMiller Stantec to conduct the study which has been completed and is now on file in the office of the Clerk of the Commission. A map of the study area is included in the WilsonMiller Stantec Report.
In order to be eligible to be included in a community redevelopment area, State law requires a finding, supported by data and analysis, that the property constitutes a "slum area" or a "blighted area". Florida Statues set forth a two part test to determine if blight exists in an area. The first part requires that the area must contain a "substantial number of deteriorated or deteriorating structures..." The WilsonMiller Stantec Report contains data and analysis indicating the presence of a substantial number of deteriorated or deteriorating structures within the study area. Therefore, the study area meets the first test.
The second part requires at least 2 of 14 factors listed in the Statute to be present within the study area. The WilsonMiller Report contains data and analysis indicating the presence of 4 of the 14 factors, including "unsanitary or unsafe conditions", "deterioration of site or other improvements," "inadequate and outdated building density patterns," and "diversity of ownership or defective or unusual conditions of title which prevent the free alienability of land within the deteriorated or hazardous area." Therefore, the study area also meets the second test.