Article 12. Amendment Of Redevelopment Plans of California Health And Safety Code >> Division 24. >> Part 1. >> Chapter 4. >> Article 12.

If at any time after the adoption of a redevelopment plan for a project area by the legislative body, it becomes necessary or desirable to amend or modify such plan, the legislative body may by ordinance amend such plan upon the recommendation of the agency. The agency recommendation to amend or modify a redevelopment plan may include a change in the boundaries of the project area to add land to or exclude land from the project area. Except as otherwise provided in Section 33378, the ordinance shall be subject to referendum as prescribed by law for the ordinances of the legislative body.

Before recommending amendment of the plan the agency shall hold a public hearing on the proposed amendment.

(a) This section shall apply only to proposed plan amendments that would do any of the following:
  (1) Change the limitation on the number of dollars of taxes which may be divided and allocated to the redevelopment agency.
  (2) Change the limit on the amount of bonded indebtedness that can be outstanding at one time.
  (3) Change the time limit on the establishing of loans, advances, and indebtedness to be paid with the proceeds of property taxes received pursuant to Section 33670.
  (4) Change the time limit on the effectiveness of the redevelopment plan.
  (5) Change the boundaries of the project area.
  (6) Merge existing project areas.
  (b) No later than 45 days prior to the public hearing on a proposed plan amendment by an agency or the joint public hearing of the agency and the legislative body, the agency shall notify the Department of Finance and the Department of Housing and Community Development by first-class mail of the public hearing, the date of the public hearing, and the proposed amendment. This notice shall be accompanied by the report required to be prepared pursuant to subdivision (c).
  (c) No later than 45 days prior to the public hearing on a proposed plan amendment by the agency or the joint public hearing by the agency and the legislative body, the agency shall prepare a report that contains all of the following:
  (1) A map of the project area that identifies the portion, if any, of the project area that is no longer blighted, the portion of the project area that is blighted, and the portion of the project area that contains necessary and essential parcels for the elimination of the remaining blight.
  (2) A description of the remaining blight.
  (3) A description of the projects or programs proposed to eliminate any remaining blight.
  (4) A description of how these projects or programs will improve the conditions of blight.
  (5) The reasons why the projects or programs cannot be completed without the plan amendment.
  (6) The proposed method of financing these programs or projects. This description shall include the amount of tax increment revenues that is projected to be generated as a result of the proposed plan amendment, including amounts projected to be deposited into the Low and Moderate Income Housing Fund and amounts to be paid to the affecting taxing entities. This description shall also include sources and amounts of moneys other than tax increment revenues that are available to finance these projects or programs. This description shall also include the reasons that the remaining blight cannot reasonably be expected to be reversed or alleviated by private enterprise or governmental action, or both, without the use of the tax increment revenues available to the agency because of the proposed amendment.
  (7) An amendment to the agency's implementation plan that includes, but is not limited to, the agency's housing responsibilities pursuant to Section 33490. However, the agency shall not be required to hold a separate public hearing on the implementation plan pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 33490 in addition to the public hearing on the amendment to the redevelopment plan.
  (8) A new neighborhood impact report if required by subdivision (m) of Section 33352.
  (d) Upon receiving the report, the Department of Finance shall prepare an estimate of how the proposed plan amendment will affect the General Fund. The Department of Finance shall determine whether the amendment will affect the need for school facilities.
  (e) Within 21 days of the receipt of the report, the Department of Finance or the Department of Housing and Community Development may send any comments regarding the proposed plan amendment in writing to the agency and the legislative body. The agency and the legislative body shall consider these comments, if any, at the public hearing on the proposed plan amendment. If these comments are not available within the prescribed time limit, the agency and the legislative body may proceed without them.
  (f) The Department of Finance or the Department of Housing and Community Development may also send their comments regarding the proposed plan amendment to the Attorney General for further action pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 33501).

(a) Notice of the hearing shall be published pursuant to Section 6063 of the Government Code prior to the date of hearing in a newspaper of general circulation, printed and published in the community, or, if there is none, in a newspaper selected by the agency. The notice of hearing shall include a legal description of the boundaries of the project area by reference to the description recorded with the county recorder pursuant to Section 33373 and of the boundaries of the land proposed to be added to the project area, if any, and a general statement of the purpose of the amendment.
  (b) Copies of the notices published pursuant to this section shall be mailed by first-class mail, to the last known assessee of each parcel of land not owned by the agency within the boundaries referred to in subdivision (a), at his or her last known address as shown on the last equalized assessment roll of the county; or where a city assesses, levies, and collects its own taxes, as shown on the last equalized assessment roll of the city; or to the owner of each parcel of land within these boundaries as the ownership is shown on the records of the county recorder 30 days prior to the date the notice is published, and to persons, firms, or corporations which have acquired property within these boundaries from the agency, at his or her last known address as shown by the records of the agency.
  (c) (1) Copies of the notice published pursuant to this section shall be mailed, by first-class mail, to all residents and businesses within the project area designated in the redevelopment plan as proposed to be amended at least 30 days prior to the hearing.
  (2) The mailed notice requirement of this subdivision shall only apply when mailing addresses to all individuals and businesses, or to all occupants, are obtained by the agency at a reasonable cost. The notice may be addresses to "occupant." If the agency acted in good faith to comply with the notice requirements of this subdivision, the failure of the agency to provide the required notice to residents or businesses unknown to the agency or whose addresses cannot be obtained at a reasonable cost, shall not, in and of itself, invalidate an amendment to a redevelopment plan.
  (d) Copies of the notices published pursuant to this section shall also be mailed to the governing body of each of the taxing agencies that levies taxes upon any property in the project area designated in the redevelopment plan as proposed to be amended. Notices sent pursuant to this subdivision shall be mailed by certified mail with return receipt requested.

If after the public hearings the agency recommends substantial changes in the plan which affect the general plan adopted by the planning commission or the legislative body, such changes shall be submitted to the planning commission for its report and recommendation to the legislative body within 30 days after such submission. If the planning commission does not report upon the changes within 30 days after its submission by the agency, the planning commission shall be deemed to have waived its report and recommendations concerning such changes.

After receiving the recommendation of the agency concerning such changes in the plan, and not sooner than 30 days after the submission of changes to the planning commission, the legislative body shall hold a public hearing on the proposed amendment, notice of which hearing shall be published in a newspaper in the manner and at the times designated above for notice of hearing by the agency.

After receiving the recommendation of the agency concerning such changes in the plan, the legislative body upon further recommendation by the agency, without additional agency public hearing, may make further changes, including changes in area or boundaries to exclude land from the project area, for consideration at the public hearing. If such changes are substantial changes in the plan which affect the master or community plan adopted by the planning commission or the legislative body, such changes shall be submitted to the planning commission for its report and recommendation to the legislative body within 30 days after such submission. If the planning commission does not report upon the changes within 30 days after its submission by the legislative body, the planning commission shall be deemed to have waived its report and recommendation concerning the changes. If after the public hearing the legislative body determines that the amendments in the plan, proposed by the agency, or the further recommended changes by the agency are necessary or desirable, the legislative body shall adopt an ordinance amending the ordinance adopting the plans thus amended. The legislative body shall consider any proposed changes at a public hearing reopened for that limited purpose.

(a) Not later than 60 days after the adoption of an amendment to a redevelopment plan pursuant to this article there shall be recorded with the county recorder of the county in which the project area is located a statement that the redevelopment plan has been amended. If the amendment adds territory to the redevelopment project area, the statement shall contain a description of the added territory, a prominent heading in boldface type noting that the property that is the subject of the statement is located within a redevelopment project, a general description of the provisions of the amended redevelopment plan, if any, that authorize the use of the power of eminent domain by the agency within the added territory, and a general description of any limitations on the use of the power of eminent domain within the added territory, including, without limitation, the time limit required by Section 33333.2. If the amendment changes any limitation on the use of eminent domain contained in the redevelopment plan, the statement shall contain a description of the land within the project area and a general description of the change.
  (b) An agency shall not commence an action in eminent domain to acquire property located within territory added to a project area by an amendment to a redevelopment plan until the statement required by this section is recorded with the county recorder of the county in which the project area is located.
  (c) Additional recordation of documents may be effected pursuant to Section 27295 of the Government Code.

After the amendment of a redevelopment plan to add the provision permitted by Section 33670, or to increase or reduce the size of the project area, the clerk of the community shall transmit a copy of the ordinance amending the plan, a description of the annexed or detached land within the project area and a map or plat indicating the amendments to the redevelopment plan, to the following parties:
  (1) The auditor and assessor of the county in which the project is located;
  (2) The officer or officers performing the functions of the auditor or assessor for any taxing agencies which, in levying or collecting taxes, do not use the county assessment roll or do not collect taxes through the county;
  (3) The governing body of each of the taxing agencies which levies taxes upon any property in the project area; and
  (4) The State Board of Equalization. Such documents shall be transmitted within 30 days following the adoption of the amended redevelopment plan. The legal effect of such transmittal shall be as set forth in Section 33674.

To the extent warranted by a proposed amendment to a redevelopment plan, (1) the ordinance adopting an amendment to a redevelopment plan shall contain the findings required by Section 33367 and (2) the reports and information required by Section 33352 shall be prepared and made available to the public prior to the hearing on such amendment.

As an alternative to the separate public hearing required by Sections 33451 and 33454, the agency and the legislative body, with the consent of both, may hold a joint public hearing on the proposed amendment. The presiding officer of the legislative body shall preside over such joint public hearing. Prior to such joint public hearing, the agency shall submit the proposed changes to the planning commission as provided in Section 33453. Notice of the joint public hearing shall conform to all requirements of Section 33452. The joint public hearing shall thereafter proceed by the same requirements as are provided in Sections 33450 and 33454 to 33455, inclusive. When a joint public hearing is held where the legislative body is also the agency, the legislative body may adopt the amended plan with no actions necessary by the agency, even as to the recommendations required of the agency by Sections 33454 and 33455.