Shell Game or Development or Redevelopment??

In regards to the Stater's/City/Jacobsen deal.

Lets take out the past history of how things have been done under Schwab.

Schwab had his own agenda. Under Schwab and the city council, turned the citizens against one another. With the hiring of new people, maybe there will be more of a house cleaning.

Maybe the city will be more honest and up front with the citizens of GT.

The City wants more money coming in. What will the City do to get it?

What incentives will the City give to Staters or another developer?
(Didn't work out so well with Jacobsen).

In what extent will the citizens allow the City to lower cost of fees?

Pay for upgrades that normally developers pay? Is the City paying for the environmental document and studies again?

Are the residents of GT going to allow the City to cause more blight, with emptying the existing shopping center? The City has already caused blight with the housing destruction on Barton Road. Loss of Homes, Property Tax, Coustomers (Sales Tax) and Community Members. Fewer Consumers and Bigger Stores is not going to increase Sales Tax Revenue.

What next, the current shopping center that has been there for the residents and Small Businesses of GT is it to be cast aside. Has the City Redevelopment Agency made offers to that owner to stimulate economic development and opprotunities for the property owners and local entrapanueres or businesses?

If the City is cutting a deal and investing with Stater's Bros., shouldn't there be a new RDA agreement for the public to see? Shouldn't there be a public hearing on what the city is investing with Stater's?

There should be a Public Hearing for the public's input and a time line(the City didn't keep to the time line with Jacobsen).

It shouldn't be smoked screened about getting something bigger and newer.

The residents have a right to know how and in what way the City is spending their money.Citizens have the right to know what proposals have been offered. From the newspaper, Stater's will buy the property from Jacobsen. Stater's will build their own store. Stater's and the City will do a give and take. Citizens should be informed on the new RDA agreement, incentives andproposals.

There should be a public hearing. The Public should take an interest in the procedure and give input. One last thought.

Some of the GT residents don't want to shop at our neighboring cities because of the traffic. Grand Terrace is going to have the same problem in a very short time. IF NOT... THERE WILL NOT BE AN INCREASE IN SALES TAX REVENUE to the city. GT Citizens can't or shouldn't spend more than they are already spending. MORE COUSTOMERS and INCOME is required before MORE SALES and Sales Tax is possible.

Also From the Email InBox:

My neighbor is relocating the new restaurant he established here in GT to another location about early summer of 2010. yep. Packing up the now sucessfull restaurant and moving to Riverside, along with two other restaurants the owner has been talking to.

What brought on this move?

A signature for a new lease on the building is when, but why?

Ask the GT Mayor why current businesses are relocationg to other locations?

Could the present City Council be anti-small fry and more into big frys?

Also ask the Mayor, if the full majority of employees for Stater Brothers live in another city and take their paychecks along with them, how does that benefit us again?

I am confused here. Small businesses that provide residents of GT a paycheck IN THE TOWN THEY LIVE and SPEND would be more sustainable than a Mega Staters that will kill several of our local businesses.

GRAMP THINK>

Yep. The city in the past has been more interested in attracting a big name and putting on a big show than providing real value to the community. Examples of this folly continue. Perhaps the New City Manager will hear public input and take this opportunity to address some of these matters that are impacted by the City's Actions.

Businesses who operate in Leased Buildings are always at the risk of having their rents increased upon renewal. I haven't heard of commercial rents going down to be an aid to struggling businesses unless it is in a Government Owned Development or Building some where.

This is a problem on many levels and in the past Rent Controls for housing were used to real in excessive costs for living space. Government has not done the same with commercial space in the USA, but it is coming close to becoming a requirement for some businesses, and communities. The Economic Do Over that is needed for the entire country is hampered by excessive property, energy, and medical care/insurance costs.

How can the city help. Well folks at one time could sell items from carts, or trucks, or on street corners with a permit of course. The street vendor may find he or she has enough business to pay rent for a shop. BUT, there is no lower rung in our economy or society, these days. City Codes and Elitism of we don't want that in our community type thinking has removed the lower rungs of economic innovation.

City Codes restricting the use of your home office or home business causes some to just not try. These areas are where a City Government can stimulate a Freedom that does not exist in other communities.

IF ANY RDA project hurts an existing business, Citizens Pay. I agree the Citizens have paid more than enough for the folly of Schwab/Berry/Ferry and Co. Their efforts do not add to the sustainability of Grand Terrace as a community. Inflated home and commercial property costs will continue to be a burden on a community that does not have jobs that can support the population that lives on the island of Grand Terrace.

We have long lost the ability to even feed our self. Our few real resources are Water, Wilden Pump. Archer Meats (Jerky) and labor we export like a slave workforce that pays the Company Store and never gets ahead.

Look to who likes this system. The Company Store Owners, and the Land Owners. Sorry to say it folks. Property Values, and Zone or Property Use laws need to be pushed back.

All homes in GT should be considered places of business and employment centers of some sort. Make it easy for the citizens to start a home business. The City or Bank could facilitate collection of sale transactions and of course get their sales tax accounted for.

Yes, all property value and rents should continue to drop to a level the productivity of the local economy can support. Remember the old rule 1/4th of your income for housing or rent. If a business could move into and pay 1/4th of their income up to the Market Price, for rent, it may be a way to get new business to try to put roots in GT. Perhaps the City could write an Ordinance that Commercial Property that is Vacant for more than 90 days will fall under a Business Incubator/ rent Control Program with the above requirement, or face fees for the cost of an Unoccupied Commercial Building to the City. Loss of Sales Tax, and job opportunities for the citizens this is the cost to the city of a empty commercial building. It can be calculated.

Some plan needs to be developed to facilitate both land owner and renter. This may be extreme but at least it is a thought. The best plan is to have some of the land owners to enter into this type of benevolent agreement on their own.