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Planning director warns commission to prepare if state abolishes redevelopment agencies
Summary
The Planning Department told the commission the governor's trailer bill could dissolve redevelopment agencies by July 1, requiring rapid contingency work including taking over entitlement functions and converting agency zoning to city code; staff proposed inviting Fred Blackwell for a briefing.
Linda, the Planning Department director, briefed the San Francisco Planning Commission on March 10 about proposed state budget trailer legislation that would eliminate redevelopment agencies and their tax‑increment financing functions and require dissolution by July 1, 2011. She said the measure would immediately limit agencies' activities to paying contractual obligations once signed by the governor and that a successor agency would only wind down fiscal duties.
Linda said the department expects two immediate impacts for city planning if the bill becomes law: staff may be asked to assume planning and entitlement functions for redevelopment project areas, and the department would need emergency legislation to convert redevelopment agency zoning and controls into the city planning code. "We would likely be putting forward legislation that would convert the existing redevelopment agency zoning to city code zoning," she said, and noted the short timeline would have budgetary and staffing implications.
She described ongoing discussions in Sacramento and local efforts to propose alternatives that would preserve some project area activity. Linda offered to arrange a detailed briefing by Fred Blackwell for commissioners and recommended calendaring a special discussion so the department can prepare contingencies and coordinate with other offices, including the mayor's office if available.
Commissioners asked for more detail about which major projects could be affected (Commissioner Moore named Bayview/Hunters Point) and whether the city's legislative delegation had been engaged; Linda said the city has had multiple recent conversations with its delegation. Commissioners requested the department schedule a dedicated session with staff and invited mayoral housing staff to attend. The director said the city is also exploring a successor agency structure and legislative language that could permit completed redevelopment plans to continue operating under limited conditions.
Next steps: staff will pursue a follow‑up briefing (Fred Blackwell offered to attend) and prepare draft contingency legislation for the commission's consideration if the state schedule accelerates.
