Guest Column: It’s worth the wait for the right developer at Sunrise Mall

Second, the City needs the tax revenue which will be generated by the proposed redevelopment.  Third, an empty mall structure will attract the homeless who will enter the mall to seek shelter, concomitant with that, create a significant fire hazard to the community.  Fourth, the Plan is so unrealistic that no one will ever come forward to build according to the Plan.  Finally, and that which I found most objectionable, was the pomposity of the presentation, i.e., the Redeveloper knew better than the electorate and the City Council the best way to redevelop the last large parcel of land in the City.

It is indisputable that only one person has stepped forward to redevelop the parcel.  That does not mean that the electorate is required to accept the Redeveloper’s plan as presented.  A better interpretation of the situation is a wealthy individual who assumes that the City is so desperate that it will acquiesce no matter how bad the redevelopment plan.  The City should instead tell the Redeveloper that he is the wrong person at the wrong time at the wrong place because the City and the electorate want a 21st Century redevelopment, not a 1960’s group of structures to replace a vacant shopping Mall.

The City would be benefited in the short term by the construction of a big box store.  However, in the long term, what the City could use best is a developer who demolishes the entire Mall and builds a mixed-use development which will include residential, retail, recreational and entertainment space.  The Redeveloper’s offer of “thirty pieces of silver” in the form of tax revenue as an incentive to approve development contrary to the City’s Plan should be rejected if the sole benefit to be derived is a short-term increase in revenue.

Ironically, Mr. Holloway provided the solution for the highest and best use of the vacant Mall when he said he feared that the homeless might start a fire in one of the empty buildings.  The Redeveloper should contact the Metro Fire, Sacramento City Fire, and Folsom Fire departments and offer the structures as a training cite for fire suppression, and when they are done using the structures, demolish any remaining structure and build what the City needs consistent with the Plan.  This will obviate the fear of homeless occupation and fire danger in the structures.

I proffer that it is better for the electorate to wait until the right person or company comes forward to build on the property looking forward into the 21st Century for the design rather than holding onto outdated and outmoded land development plans of the past.  If City is to grow and modernize, we need a development not designed to shoe horses and repair Conestoga wagons.  The City’s Plan does need some adjustment, but the City should not allow the Redeveloper to ignore it in its entirety to make a fast buck at the expense of the electorate.

Finally, I expect that the Redeveloper, and his representatives, should not speak to the individuals who participate in meetings as petulant children who are not intelligent enough to be spoken to with respect for a contrary opinion on the best course of action for the redevelopment of the Mall.  Although the Redeveloper undoubtedly has the right to earn a return on his investment, he is not entitled to build and then leave a structure(s) behind which will become an albatross hung around the neck of the individuals who remain in the City.

I have received anecdotal information that individuals who attended prior Redeveloper presentations were not impressed and wanted the Redeveloper to conform as close as reasonably possible to the City’s Plan.  It would best if he listened to the electorate.

The City needs a mixed-use development designed for the future.  The current structures must be demolished and replaced with a planned development that will benefit the City going forward.  Although it may take some time to find a developer who recognizes the opportunity, we as the electorate have the time to wait for the person who shares the same goals as we who live here.  Patience will reward us all.

Call your City Council member at 916-725-2448 and let them know your opinion, whether or not you agree with the author.  That is the how government is meant to work, rather than a wealthy individual attempting to intimidate elected representatives by threats of pulling the plug on redevelopment plans.

David Warren is a legislative advocate at the State Capitol with Taxpayers for Public Safety, and can be reached at DavidWarren2@msn.com.

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