[Ord. No. 4263 §2, 2-6-1989]
It is hereby found, determined and declared by the City Council
of the City of Richmond Heights, Missouri, that in certain residential,
commercial and industrial portions of the City obsolete, deteriorating,
substandard, insanitary or blighted areas exist, occasioned by age,
obsolescence, inadequate planning, outmoded design or physical deterioration,
excessive or unproductive land coverage, lack or appropriate light,
air, open space, defective design or arrangement of building, lack
of proper support facilities or existence of obsolete, inadequate,
outmoded and poorly designed, or physically deteriorated buildings
and have become economic and social liabilities and such conditions
are conducive to ill health, transmission of disease, crime or inability
to pay reasonable taxes, have impaired the economic value of areas
infecting them with blight characterized by depreciated values, impaired
investment, reduced income and consequential inability to pay reasonable
taxes; that the assembly of buildings in blighted areas is essential
for the clearance of blight, replanning, reconstruction and redevelopment
for the removal of blight; that the existence of such conditions and
the failure to clear, replan, rehabilitate, reconstruct or redevelop
these areas results in progressive deterioration, cause a wasteful
expenditure of public funds for policing and occasions large outlays
for the creation and maintenance of public facilities and services;
that such conditions require the employment of capital on an investment
basis and the redevelopment of such areas under proper supervision
with appropriate planning as to land use, traffic circulation and
construction; that the clearance, replanning, rehabilitation, reconstruction
and redevelopment of such areas on a substantial scale are necessary
for the removal of blight and for the public welfare; that such obsolete,
deteriorating, substandard, insanitary and blighted areas constitute
a menace to the health, safety, morals and welfare of the citizens
of the City. It is necessary to encourage the removal of blight and
to provide procedures for its removal; the removal of blight and the
procedures hereby adopted are determined to be in the public interest.
[Ord. No. 4263 §3, 2-6-1989]
The provisions of the "Urban Redevelopment Corporations Law",
Chapter 353, Revised Statutes of Missouri, 1986, as amended, are hereby
accepted and shall apply to all persons and corporations operating
under this Chapter, insofar as the same may be applicable thereto.
[Ord. No. 4263 §4, 2-6-1989; Ord. No. 5137 §1, 4-12-2010]
For purposes of this Chapter, the following terms shall have
the meanings respectively ascribed to them in this Article:
AREA
That portion of the City which the City Council has found
or shall find to be blighted so that the clearance, replanning, rehabilitation
or reconstruction thereof is necessary to effectuate the purposes
of the Urban Redevelopment Corporations Law and this Chapter. Any
such area may include buildings or improvements not in themselves
blighted, and any real property, whether improved or unimproved, the
inclusion of which is deemed necessary for the effective clearance,
replanning, reconstruction or rehabilitation of the area of which
such buildings, improvements or real property form a part.
BLIGHTED AREA
Those portions of the City which the City Council shall determine
that, by reasons of age, obsolescence, inadequate or outmoded design
or physical deterioration, have become economic and social liabilities
and that such conditions are conducive to ill health, transmission
of disease, crime or inability to pay reasonable taxes.
CITY
The City of Richmond Heights, Missouri.
CITY CLERK
The City Clerk of the City of Richmond Heights, Missouri.
CITY COUNCIL
The Council of the City of Richmond Heights, Missouri.
CITY MANAGER
The City Manager of the City of Richmond Heights, Missouri.
COMMISSION
The Planning and Zoning Commission of the City of Richmond
Heights, Missouri.
CORPORATION
An urban redevelopment corporation organized under and pursuant
to the provisions of the "Urban Redevelopment Corporations Law".
DEVELOPMENT PLAN
A plan, together with an amendments thereto, for the development
of all or any part of a blighted area, which is authorized by the
City Council by ordinance.
MAYOR
The Mayor of the City of Richmond Heights, Missouri.
PERSON
Any individual, firm, partnership, joint venture, association,
corporation, whether organized for profit or not (except an urban
redevelopment corporation organized pursuant to the provisions of
the "Urban Redevelopment Corporations Law"), estate, trust, business
trust, receiver or trustee appointed by any State or Federal Court,
syndicate, or any other group or combination acting as unit, and shall
include the male as well as the female gender and the plural as well
as the singular number.
REAL PROPERTY
Includes lands, buildings, improvements, land under water,
waterfront property and any and all easements, franchises and hereditaments,
corporeal or incorporeal, and every estate, interest, privilege, easement,
franchise and right therein, or appurtenant thereto, legal or equitable,
including restrictions of record created by plat, covenant or otherwise,
rights-of-way, and terms for years.
REDEVELOPMENT
The clearance, replanning, reconstruction or rehabilitation
of any blighted area, and the provision for such industrial, commercial,
residential or public structures and spaces as may be appropriate,
including recreational and other facilities incident or appurtenant
thereto.
REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT
A specific work or improvement to effectuate all or any part
of a development plan.
[Ord. No. 4263 §5, 2-6-1989]
Prior to the authorization and approval of a development plan,
or contemporaneously therewith, by the City Council by ordinance,
there shall be a determination by the City Council that the redevelopment
area encompassed by the development plan is a blighted area. In determining
that an area is a blighted area, the Council may consider all relevant
information submitted to it by interested persons, the Commission
and City department and by professional consultants employed by it.
The finding and determination that an area is a blighted area shall
be made by ordinance and may be contained in the ordinance authorizing
and approving the development plan. The ordinance finding and determining
that an area is a blighted area shall contain a legal description
of the blighted area and a finding that redevelopment of the blighted
area is necessary and in the public interest. Prior to the adoption
of an ordinance finding and determining an area to be a blighted area,
the Council shall hold a public hearing. Notice of such hearing will
be a published notice.
[Ord. No. 4263 §11, 2-6-1989; Ord. No. 5137 §1, 4-12-2010]
A. Prior
to or contemporaneously with the introduction to the City Council
of a bill having as its subject matter the approval of a development
plan and authorizing execution of a contract, the City Council shall
hold a public hearing thereon. Notwithstanding anything else in the
Municipal Code to the contrary, the City shall provide at least ten
(10) days' notice of such hearing by publication. The public hearing
on the ordinance approving the development plan and authorizing execution
of a contract with the City shall be held for the purpose of stimulating
comment by those to be affected by such contract and development plan.
B. In
the event the development plan provides for tax abatement or exemption
authorized by the Urban Redevelopment Corporations Law, the City shall
furnish each political subdivision whose boundaries for ad valorem
taxation purposes include any portion of the real property to be affected
by such tax abatement or exemption with a written statement of the
impact on ad valorem taxes such tax abatement or exemption will have
on such political subdivisions and written notice of the hearing to
be held. The written statement and notice required by this paragraph
shall be mailed to each political subdivision by registered or certified
mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, at least fifteen
(15) days prior to the hearing and shall include, but need not be
limited to, an estimate of the amount of ad valorem tax revenues for
each political subdivision which will be affected by the proposed
tax abatement or exemption based upon the estimated assessed valuation
of the real property involved as such property would exist before
and after it is developed. At the public hearing, all political subdivisions
described in this paragraph shall have the right to be heard on such
grant of tax abatement or exemption.