The Gilbert Town Council has approved the boundaries for the Northwest Gilbert Redevelopment Area to encourage and support redevelopment in an area that is simultaneously home to 37% of the town’s jobs and also a leader in foreclosures, code violations, police calls and other signs of decline.
The redevelopment area is bounded by Baseline Road on the north, Ray Road on the south, Arizona Avenue on the east and Lindsay Road on the west.
While the approval identifies the targeted area for redevelopment, there are no specific goals or plans in place yet. Town staff will conduct an outreach program to residents and property owners to identify needs within the defined area and develop a 10-year plan.
Gilbert’s other redevelopment area—the Heritage District—has seen significant growth and revitalization since plans were put in place there. Officials are, however, trying to manage expectations for the Northwest Gilbert Redevelopment Area, as it faces its own challenges and does not have the density or entertainment and lifestyle outlets available to the Heritage District.
The general goal is to create an area that will draw investment and to implement “a community toolbox” for revitalization.
Under state law, municipalities can designate redevelopment areas if an area has an inadequate street layout, faulty layout of lots, unsanitary conditions, site deteriorations, life- or property-endangering conditions, or delinquencies for taxes or special assessments that exceed fair land values.
Town officials say 36% of parcels in the area lack access via a public road and that street layouts are inadequate. It is also home to 19% of the town’s vacant parcels smaller than two acres and generates a disproportionate number of police and code violation calls. In addition, 59% of Gilbert properties built before 1990 are located in the redevelopment area, as are 1,200 of the 5,000 households in the community living below the poverty line.
Officials say staff looked at the area’s social and economic characteristics and found a need for strategies that will encourage redevelopment.
In addressing concerns presented by members of the public, officials said the designation will not make it easier for developers to secure rezoning for specific project types, such as multifamily, and that the Town will not be empowered to use eminent domain for economic development, which was prohibited by voters in 2006. (Source)