Plans for upgrades at Plummer Park and an affordable housing project on La Brea Avenue were further delayed when the state denied an appeal for redevelopment funds, West Hollywood officials announced last week.
In March 2011, the city issued $27 million in bonds to finance the $41 million Plummer Park redevelopment plan and $9 million in bonds for the Courtyard at La Brea, 32-unit affordable housing structure that is presently under construction.
Now those debt obligations are in limbo after the California Department of Finance denied redevelopment funds to cover the remaining costs of those projects.
"We're going to have to move forward with other agencies and look at legal means of securing those monies or other legislative opportunities," Weho City Manager Paul Arevalo said at the Dec. 17 City Council meeting.
David Wilson, West Hollywood finance director, said the bonds can't be recalled until 2021, and the Plummer Park and Courtyard at La Brea projects are on hold as a result.
"The state is looking at it in a really simplistic manner," Arrevalo told the council. He predicted the matter would end up in federal court.
The extensive Plummer Park makeover seeks to add new green space, fountains, a subterranean parking lot, new preschool and performance center, according to the city's website.
According to Wilson, the state's denial of funding was primarily based on the fact that the city hasn't awarded any construction contracts for the park project.
"Our argument is we issued bonds, and that we pay back monthly payments of a 30-year obligation," Wilson said.
Arevalo called the funding delay a "continuing saga," as city officials determine their next move toward financing the projects.
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The Carls and Jons Projects are private developments which got approval to build larger, taller, more square footage and less set backs that the fixed zoning would otherwise allow by 'taking advantage' of now ended State Redevelopment laws and money. If a developer would include "new low income units" they would get an exemption from some of the above zoning restrictions. Likewise, creating 'new public parking spaces' (a certain number) gave them another (stacked on top of the others) exemption in the limits the zoning had for the property. THE SCAM - was the City was getting paid off to use City Money and City Land to pay for and build the so called 'low income housing units' and 'New Public Parking Spaces' on Public City Project .... Which would then allow all the increases in the restrictive zoning limits on the carls lot and the jons lot, BUT WITHOUT ACTUALLY HAVING TO INCLUDE THEM IN THE ACTUAL PROJECTS (i.e. all new units would be 100% high end full price and thus full profit units) OR PAY FOR THEM FROM THE PRIVATE DEVELOPERS BUDGET FOR EACH PROJECT, RESPECTIVELY. NET = APPROX 30% MORE PROFIT ON DEVELOPERS RETURNS THAN THE MARKET WOULD OTHERWISE ALLOW. BUT INDEBITING CITY W/$40 MILL, & DESTROYING PLUMMER PARK.
Paul Arevalo's failure to adequately secure the appropriate state financing before indebting the City with the Bond Issue (all all the costs associated therewith such as commissions and fees on close to $40 million dollars in New Bond Issues) is clearly a professional mistake which can not be overlooked. Everyone was ready to boot (or worse) John Duran over a couple hundred dollars of restaurant spending. What about out City Manager getting paid over $300,000 (not sure exact figure) to manage the finances and has now led the city into a giantic pitfall of Projects started but halted and bonds being issued and now needing to be recalled, paid off and all the cost and expense in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Forgetting any 'corruptness' charges people may have, this is about Paul Arevalo TOTAL NEGLIGENCE AND FAILURE TO PERFORM HIS DUTIES AND THE ENORMOUS LOSS TO THE CITY FINANCIALLY! TIME TO FIRE THE INCOMPOTENCE!