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Show I WEEKLY REFLEX I I I DAVIS NEWS JOURNAL, NORTH DAVIS LEADER, JULY 22, 1982 County Cracks Owners Say Our Town Down They Will Sue On Agencies Redevelopment By MARK D. MlCKilALS Bv CARY K. IH.OIKH I 1 FARMINGTON Davit County Commissioner have announced plant to crack down on communities planning to use redevelopment agenciet to expand their commercial tax base at the expense of all county taxpayer. step-by-stc- p v tyr- M v If Tp'&y' fc v. BOUNTIFUL Agroupol Bountimerchants announced this week that ihey intend to file a law suit against a ful 4 the citys Redevelopment gciuv in an aitempl to slop development oi a proposed downtown shopping mall W E H A VE w atchcd w ith tome 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. Ger-lac- W E DON'T intend tojiisi delav ibis mal'; we fully intend to completely stop construction of any downtown mall." said Floyd Williams, one ol the concerned property owner- with a business in the proposed mall site Bountifuls Redevclopmeht Agemv (RDA1 Board of Direct. us e.nliet - h. While we agree w ith 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." approved a proposed mall site t he located between 200 and Jim Ni ih and between HX) Last and liXt West OPPONENTS OF the null s..v mu h a timall would "put 27 small, loeallv ed businesses into h.inkmptv and would case the relocation ot -- eu-ial homeow ners." "But were not going to let tin- happen. Were going to fight ihi- - thing all the way to the top (Supienu I'ouiti because we feel that it mull - not onlv illegal but immoral as well." said h Williams, who added he has the of many residents who do not want a downtown null THE BOARD definition of blight" has never been challenged in the Utah Supreme Court and officials at the county level say they'll question any declaration of blight in a community where redevelopment is unwarranted. Effective immediately. Com. Geriach said the county will implement a - step-by-ste- p plan aimed at evaluating velopment plan or any extension ject boundaries of an existing ment district, such as Bountiful. ty will: each redeof the proredevelopThe coun- 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 ow ners, 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 born. 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. f ! I 1 t . Mip-po- ' APPROXIMATELY 20 piopei is owners with businesses oi homes m the proposed mall site signed luteis of protest that were piesenied to the J board. "These letters state that we will not sell (to the RDA) for any pi ice." he said. "And if we don't accept monev as payment for the propet tv 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 senous about "doing whatever is ncecssuiy to stop the mall development." They emphasized they are not against improvement of downtown Bountiful, but do not want ihe help of RDA 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 the 90s. the RDA. "WE HATE the RDA and what it is trying to do," they said, "it (RDA) is too powerful and threatening. Tven the proposal that a mall might be built on this site has hurt our business tremendously." The BIGGEST DOG In Town! fijpuble Includes hot dog, fries and a drink finpr The biggest hot dog that is. A full 12 pound of delicious mouth watering meat. Expires July 24 Expires July 24 brazier LAYTON HILLS MALL Next To Mervyns - 816 So. Main, Layton |