HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC RES 04-002RESOLUTION NO. 04-2
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM
DESERT APPROVING PAYMENT BY THE PALM DESERT
REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY FOR THE COST OF THE INSTALLATION
AND CONSTRUCTION OF CERTAIN PUBLIC ONSITE AND OFFSITE
IMPROVEMENTS, INCLUDING IMPROVEMENTS FOR A 40 ACRE
AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT SITE
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM DESERT HEREBY FINDS,
DETERMINES, RESOLVES AND ORDERS AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. On June 14, 2001, the Palm Desert Redevelopment Agency (the
"Agency") approved a Disposition and Development Agreement with Palm Desert
Development for the construction of a 162-unit multi -family rental project on
approximately 12.43 acres (Parcel 1) of a 40-acre site (the "Site") located in the City of
Palm Desert between 42nd Avenue and Merle Drive, west of Cook Street in Project Area
No. 3 of the Agency (the "DDA"). The DDA requires that the units be rented exclusively
to very low and lower income households at affordable rents. A covenant is recorded
with the Riverside County Recorder which maintains the units as affordable for a period
of not less than 55 years. Pursuant to the DDA, the Agency is responsible for all costs
associated with bringing underground utilities, including water and sewer service, to the
site, providing street improvements on 42nd Avenue and Merle Drive, providing traffic
striping as conditioned by the Planning Department and other off -site improvements
required by the City, Agency or other agencies.
A portion of the remainder of the Site (Parcel 2) is proposed to be developed with
an affordable senior rental housing project consisting of 26 units and 109 single-family
for -sale homes that will be available to and occupied by persons and families of low or
moderate income. The senior rental housing project will be owned by the Agency and
the units will be made affordable for a period of not less than 55 years. The single- -
family for -sale homes will have covenants recorded with the Riverside County Recorder
to maintain the units as affordable for a period of not less than 45 years. Infrastructure
required to serve these units include street improvements along the border between
Parcel 1 and Parcel 2 between 42nd Avenue and Merle Drive and along the north side of
Merle Drive between the western boundary of the Site and Cook Street, including
pavement, curb, gutter and sidewalks. New sewer and water mains will also be
installed which will provide the main service to both the multi -family and single-family
units. Gas, electrical, telephone and cable television services will also be provided
internally.
The remainder of the Site is proposed to be developed with additional parking for
the City's soccer park (Parcel 3), and a City corporation yard expansion (Parcel 4). A
sidewalk will be installed and constructed on the north side of 42nd Avenue between the
western boundary of the Site and Cook Street and on the south side of 42nd Avenue
between the western boundary of the Site and the eastern boundary of Parcel 3 and
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Resolution No. 04-2
between the western boundary of Parcel 4 and Cook Street to serve the soccer park,
the corporation yard, and existing commercial development to the north of the Site.
Section 2. Pursuant to provisions of the Community Redevelopment Law
(California Health and Safety Code Section 33000, et seq.), and in particular Sections
33334.2 (e)(2) and 33445 thereof, the Agency proposes to pay for the cost of the
installation and construction of the above -described improvements (the
"Improvements"). That portion of the Improvements adjacent to, and/or serving, the
above -described affordable housing units to be constructed on the Site (the "Affordable
Housing Units"), including all of the improvements described in the first two paragraphs
of Section 1 hereof, will directly benefit such Affordable Housing Units. The street
improvements, including curbs, gutters and sidewalks, are necessary to provide
vehicular and pedestrian access for the Affordable Housing Units, mitigate safety
hazards, and help prevent flooding. The water and sewer improvements will eliminate
health and safety hazards and are necessary for the development of the Affordable
Housing Units. The utility improvements are necessary to provide basic services to the
Affordable Housing Units, such as electricity and telephone service. All of the foregoing
improvements are essential for the benefit of the health, safety and welfare of the
inhabitants of the Affordable Housing Units. The Agency will use moneys in its Low and
Moderate Income Housing Fund (the "Housing Fund") to pay for such portion of the
Improvements in a manner determined pursuant to Health and Safety Code Section
33334.2(e).
The remainder of the Improvements may not be of direct benefit to the Affordable
Housing Units, but will serve the residents and taxpayers of Project Area No. 3 (the
"Project Area") and the City. Prior reports to the City Council document, and this City
Council has previously determined that the Project Area is a blighted area requiring
redevelopment in the interest of the health, safety and general welfare of the people of
the City. The Project Area is an area which the combination of conditions of blight are
so prevalent and so substantial that it causes a reduction of, or lack of, proper utilization
of the areas to such an extent that it constitutes a serious physical, social and economic
burden on the community which cannot reasonably be expected to be reversed or
alleviated by private enterprise or governmental action, or both, without redevelopment.
Among other things, the Project Area contains vacant and underutilized properties,
properties that suffer from depreciated or stagnant property values, and deteriorated,
aged and obsolete buildings. In addition, the Project Area is characterized by the
existence of inadequate public improvements and public facilities, including inadequate
circulation improvements, which cannot be remedied by private or governmental action
without redevelopment. The lack of adequate public improvements hinders economic
development opportunities and contributes to the existence of depreciated and stagnant
property values and impaired investments in the Project Area.
As set forth above, the Improvements provide vehicular and pedestrian access,
mitigate health and safety hazards, help prevent flooding, and are necessary to provide
basic services. The Improvements assist in the elimination of conditions of blight within
the Project Area that are caused by inadequate public improvements. This in turn will
assist in eliminating a factor that prevents or substantially hinders the economically
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Resolution No. 04-2
viable use or capacity of buildings or Tots and will encourage private -sector investment
in the Project Area, thereby facilitating the redevelopment of the Project Area. The
installation and construction of the Improvements will promote the economic viability of
Project Area businesses, attract new businesses, encourage business expansion and
encourage private sector investment in the Project Area. The Agency will pay for that
portion of the Improvements that are not of direct benefit to the Affordable Housing
Units from any available revenues of the Agency, excluding moneys in the Housing
Fund.
Section 3. The City has no moneys available to pay for the cost of the
Improvements. The budget constraints of the City prevent the City from financing the
cost of these improvements. Traditional methods of financing such as the issuance of
general obligation bonds are unavailable as a practical matter because of the
extraordinary majority voter approval requirements of two-thirds of the electorate.
Assessment financing or special tax financing could overburden benefiting properties
with assessments or special taxes and, in addition, special taxes require a two-thirds
vote and assessments are subject to a majority protest.
Section 4. The City Council hereby finds and determines that based upon the
foregoing and other information presented to the City Council: i) The Improvements are
of benefit to the Project Area and the immediate neighborhood in which the project is
located; (ii) the payment of funds for the cost of the Improvements will assist in the
elimination of one or more blighting conditions inside the Project Area by remedying the
lack of adequate public infrastructure; (iii) the payment of funds by the Agency for the
cost of the Improvements is consistent with the Agency's implementation plan adopted
pursuant to Health and Safety Code Section 33490; (iv) no other reasonable means of
financing the Improvements is available to the City; (v) that portion of the Improvements
that are adjacent to and/or serve the Affordable Housing Units are part of the new
construction of affordable housing units for low or moderate income persons that are
directly benefited by such portion of the Improvements; vi) that portion of the
Improvements that are adjacent to and/or serve the Affordable Housing Units are a -
reasonable and fundamental component of such housing units; and vii) the Agency has
required, or will require, the Affordable Housing Units to remain available at affordable
housing cost to, and occupied by, persons and families of extremely low, very low, low
or moderate income for not less than 55 years with respect to rental units and 45 years
with respect to for -sale single-family units.
Section 5. The City Council hereby approves payment for the cost of the
installation and construction of the Improvements from any revenues of the Agency
lawfully available therefore, including funds held in the Housing Fund with respect to
that portion of the Improvements that are adjacent to and/or serve the Affordable
Housing Units, in an amount not to exceed $2,100,000 from the Housing Fund and
$350,000 from other available revenues of the Agency. Moneys in the Housing Fund
shall only be used to pay for that portion of the Improvements that are adjacent to
and/or serve the Affordable Housing Units and the proportion of costs of the
improvements to be paid for out of the Housing Fund shall be determined in accordance
with Health and Safety Code Section 33334.2(e)(2).
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Resolution No. 04-2
PASSED, APPROVED and ADOPTED this
January ,2004.
22nd
AYES: CRITES, BENSON, FERGUSON, BELLY, SPIEGEL
NOES: NONE
ABSENTS: NONE
ABSTAINS: NONE
Attest:
SS'
D. RLASSEN, CITY CLERIC
R‘.4a/‘ ,,q0ed
OBERT A. SPIEGEL, MAID
day of
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