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Show I i WEEKLY REFLEX DAVIS NEWS JOURNAL, NORTH DAVIS LEADER, JULY 22, 1982 County Cracks Owners Say Our Town t Down They Will Sue On Agencies Redevelopment By MARK D. MICKELSEN Bv GARY R. BLODGETT FARMINGTON Davis County Commissioners have announced p plans to crack down on communities planning to use redevelopment agencies to expand their commercial tax base at the expense of all county taxpayers. BOUNTIFUL A group of Bountiful merchants announced this week step-by-ste- that they intend to tile a law suit against the city's Redevelopment Agencv m an attempt to stop development ot a proposed downtown shopping mall. Y E HAVE watched with some concern the spread of the redevelopment concept over the state and particularly here in our county, and are extremely concerned about the long-terfiscal impact uncontrolled redevelopment will have on small cities, school districts, county governments, taxing districts and the Uniform School Fund, said Com. Harry B. DONT intend to.iust delav this we mal1; fully intend to completely of any downtown construction stop mall, said Floyd Williams, one ot the concerned property owners with a business in the proposed mall sue. Bountiful's Redevelopmeht Agency (RDA) Board of Directors earlier approved a proposed mall site to be located between 200 and 400 oi th and between 100 East and 100 West. OPPONENTS OF the mall su such a mall would put 27 small, locally ow businesses into bankrupcv and would case the relocation ot several VE Ger-lac- While we agree with the redevelopment concept in the narrow context of helping to alleviate blight, he said, we feel that it is being used far beyond its original intent. THE BOARD definition of blight has never been challenged in the Utah Supreme Court and officials at the county level say theyll question any declaration of blight in a community where redevelopment is unwarranted. Effective immediately, Com. Gerlach p said the county will implement a plan aimed at evaluating each redevelopment plan or any extension of the project boundaries of an existing redevelopment district, such as Bountiful. The county will: REQUEST that each agency or proposed agency provide the county with a master plan, all related maps, notices, minutes of public hearings, lists of effected property owners, lists of protesting property owners and the percentage of the whole they represent, and photographs showing blight in the area, if available. Require each agency to specifically identify which criteria theyll use in determining blight. REVIEW EACH area of redevelopment or any extension thereof in terms of the blight standard used and will challenge judicially any acquisition which it feels does not comply with the definition of blight as intended by the legislature. Give notice that prior to any funds being released by the county, the county will expect the agency to comply with the designated steps outlined by the county and those outlined in the Neighborhood Development Act, through which redevelopment agencies were bom. Each agency will be required to adopt an annual budget and submit that budget to the auditor. Before any tax monies are released to the agencies, an audit of annual expenditures will have to be completed. d homeowners." "But were not going to let this happen. We're going to fight this thing all the way to the top (Supreme Court) because we feel that it (mail is not only " illegal but immoral as well. said Mi Williams , who added he has the support of many residents who do not want a downtown mall. APPROXIMATELY 20 piopeity owners with businesses or homes m the proposed mall site signed letters of protest that were presented to the RDA board. "These letters state that we will not sell (to the RDA) for any price." he said, "And if we don't accept money as payment for the property how can the RDA take our land and businesses for development of a mall." MEETING WITH four members of the protest committee recently, they told this reporter they are serious about "doing whatever is necessary to stop the mall development." They emphasized they are not against improvement of downtown Bountiful, but do not want ihe help of the RDA. WE HATE the RDA and what it is trying to do, they said. "It iKUA) is too powerful and threatening. Even the proposal that a mall might be built on this site has hurt our business tremendously. Cool, Clear Water What a delightful way to spend a hot, summer afternoon, dunking your feet in the stream as you lazily wait for a fish to bite. Mike Boswell was doing just that this week as tempertures' seared into tlie 90s. The BIGGEST DOG In Town! Includes hot dog, fries and a drink The biggest hot dog that is. A full 12 pound of delicious mouth watering meat. ONLY 5 Expires July 24 Expires July 24 LET'S AU. GO TO brazier LAYTON HILLS MALL Next To Mervyns 316 So. Main, Layton |