Airport plan advancing
Rialto expected to OK major land transfer tonight
Jason Pesick, Staff Writer
Article Launched: 12/19/2006 12:00:00 AM PST
RIALTO - The city's renaissance is expected to move a step closer to reality tonight as leaders vote to transfer the municipal airport property to the Redevelopment Agency, which will in turn sell the land to a developer for as much as $82 million.
The Rialto Municipal Airport property is 437 acres of what will eventually be the 1,500-acre Renaissance Rialto project, which will include homes, offices, retail centers and schools along the forthcoming Interstate 210 extension.
"Clearly, it's the future of Rialto," Councilman Ed Scott said Monday. "It's a good project."
The City Council approved a conceptual plan for the project in December 2005 but held off on transferring the airport property until officials had won approval to close the airport.
The project will be developed by Lewis-Hillwood LLC, a partnership between Lewis Operating Corp. and Ross Perot Jr.'s Texas-based Hillwood Development Corp.
Although the Federal Aviation Administration typically decides the fate of airports, the city obtained permission to close the airport as part of a federal transportation bill passed in August 2005.
Rialto officials have said they chose Lewis in part because of the company's political
clout. The company has a lengthy business history with Rep. Gary Miller, R-Diamond Bar, and Lewis executive Richard Lewis has been friends with Miller since the 1970s.
Rep. Joe Baca, D-Rialto, and Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Redlands, also helped the city obtain permission to close the airport.
"This transfer of land will make possible projects that will benefit Rialto for generations to come," Baca said in a July 2005 statement. "As a resident of Rialto, as well as its representative in Congress, I recognize that our community has the opportunity to move forward with revitalization, economic development and growth as a result."
The airport property and surrounding area has been appraised at $82million. However, the costs of preparing the property for development - such as demolishing buildings, relocating businesses and remediation costs - will be deducted from the $82million price tag, and the FAA will also receive 45 percent of the property's fair market value based on an FAA appraisal.
Once the land is transferred to the city Redevelopment Agency - which Economic Development Director Robb Steel said will be finalized at the next City Council meeting - the council will no longer need to approve the sale of the property.
City officials hope to close the airport by December 2007.
The council is also expected to decide tonight whether to allow the developer to delay payment on 53 acres of adjacent property north of the airport if there is a delay in developing the airport property.
Staff writer Robert Rogers contributed to this report.
If you want to go to the council meeting The Rialto City Council meets at 6 tonight at City Hall, 150 S. Palm Ave.
BS Ranch Perspective:
The plan is moving ahead and the Airport is likely going to proceed to close, that patch of some 11000 Acres is going to turn into some buildings and businesses, and likely homes, but if the council is going to oversee the Rialto Airport Closure, and the reopening of businesses, along with housing, in the same manor that they have done with the management "power" & "Skill" that they have exhibited while re-planning the 200 and 300 block of West Jackson, Shamrock. The Apartments that are currently Nicknamed the "ABC's" (1150 N Willow), and the newly re-planning Low housing on Winchester, between Lilac and Willow Ave that has cost the city some $40 Million to purchase the property using the Imminent Domain Powers, and then Tearing down the buildings, only to rebuild them and then Lease/Option them over to a Non Profit organization to re-Rent the brand new Rebuild property back to the people that tore it down to begin with. Great management Idea that one is. I guess I don't see the Idea behind it. I know that some 5 or 10% of Rialto's Residential Living has to go to people of Low means of support, but it is those people that have been the ones that have torn the property down, and made it unsafe to be able to walk in that neighborhood, without having someone come out or up to you and ask you, "Where you From?".
They are asking what Gang that you belong to, if you answer the question wrong, then you are more the likely going to turn the street on its ear! I don't know what the answer is, and I don't know if anyone does, but giving the property back to the people that put it there in the first place. I do agree that the property should be owner lived in property, that will lower the crime rate, and people will take pride in the place that they live when they own the land that they live in. Unless they are un a serious case of depression like me then they will not fix anything up, but you can see what I am saying. There are other plans that are much cheaper to the city, There is one plan that isn't so popular with the people surrounding the block where they just tore down those apartments, but they could divide up the land into subdivisions, and then replace the Apartment buildings with the lower style Modular buildings, they will be very popular with the people that are wanting to purchase their home for the first time and if you make only so much a year is what makes a qualified buyer, that is another good Idea.I hope that this Idea can come grow into an Idea and they might just like the idea of living there, for a lower price. Even if the price of what their house payment was the price of their ability to pay rent each month, that still might be the better Idea in the situation like that because the person that is not making a lot of money, that person that no one will take a chance on, that person that everyone only will build apartments for, will not get ahead, and will constantly be in a cycle of loss, and depression and well the cycle of Drug Usage and all that stems from the cycle of the life that they are in, just think if Rialto City for Example was able to fund Loans for the lower Income families, and they lived in Modular homes sure, but if you were to allow them to pay for their own property, and they got the understanding of how that concept worked, then They would do better for themselves the crime rate would drop, and that award that you give out for the nicest yards. I will bet you $100.00 that a property that is from one of the lower income houses, that are making the go of it, and are surviving on a lower menial pay check, but they would take a whole lot of pride in their home even if it was a modular building, and needed some exterior work in the few month or years to come, if Rialto had help for them to get head to keep them interested in their own Property Ownership!! WOW, that would be the much better way around the $40 Million check that Rialto is paying now, along with the monies that is passed off to the County Supervisors, for Grants and what knots, for Low Income Housing! All so that the Grants can be used, so the budgets are met, in the City, County, State, and Federal Level's all so they can say that they are helping the disenfranchised person or persons, that otherwise cannot afford to pay the rent, or House payment!
It is a waist, I tell you!! Think about it!! How the simple thing like home ownership helped your budget out when you were working and just got that career, and you worked, but didn't realize how much money that you paid to the government or at least all the monies that were spent to the government until that time that you got your house and at first it was expensive, but when you got that Refund, well, the Home Owners Insurance, and about 1/4 of the House payments were all paid for by the thing called the TAX RETURN!! The person that doesn't make as much money that can still afford a house will still afford a house payment, just not as comfortable as we did when we were working.
In today's, tribute and all the shopping center's that are popping up right now, the Rialto Renaissance will not make any money and it will be a ghost part of town, the businesses, most of them will close, and it will look a lot like down town Rialto, with Mattress Shops, and used Furniture Stores, along with Coin Collection, maybe the Home Depot, will be there and if they will allow the Costco to build there, but they will not, because Costco, doesn't build that close together, they want everyone in line long long lines.
Other then that, I don't have much to say then the plan is fundamentally flawed. I guess I don't have any, Confidence in Garcia, Owens, Scott, Baird, Hanson, Robertson, when it comes to planning how and where I will shop!! Because I done think that tit works that way!
BS Ranch
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