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Council designates 22‑acre area near 23rd & North Cedar 'blighted and substandard' over one dissent
Summary
After a staff presentation and public comment, the Fremont City Council approved a resolution designating a 22‑acre area around 23rd and North Cedar as blighted and substandard (5–1). Staff said this is the initial step that can lead to redevelopment planning and potential future TIF consideration.
The Fremont City Council voted 5–1 to declare a 22‑acre area around 23rd and North Cedar 'blighted and substandard,' a designation staff said is typically the first step in a redevelopment process that could, later, make a request for tax‑increment financing (TIF) possible.
City Administrator Jody Sanders summarized the application: the property owner commissioned a study arguing the area meets statutory factors for blight and substandard conditions. Consultant Keith Marvin, who authored the study, told council members that assessor 'average' ratings can nonetheless meet the statutory criteria because 'average is just a couple steps or just a few things away from starting to become deteriorated.' A nearby resident, Steve Ray, urged councilors to consider whether some pictured debris (containers, piles of dirt) were owner‑caused and to investigate possible soil contamination.
Council discussion focused on the scope and consequences of today's decision. Attorney Travis Shaka advised there is not a single numeric formula but rather 12 statutory factors to analyze; he said the study meets the requisite share of factors and that today's action is only the designation, not a TIF or redevelopment approval. Councilman Von Barron expressed ambivalence about whether the area fit the original intent of TIF but did not see a 'big abuse' in this case. The resolution passed 5–1.
