Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Cityhood Stumbles

One hopes its efforts are renewed and come to better fruition, or the city of Sacramento grows to enclose Arden Arcade through annexation; as the status quo is clearly not acceptable to the majority of Arden Arcade residents.

Cityhood effort has money woes
By Ed Fletcher and Chelsea Phua - Bee Staff Writers
Published 12:00 am PDT Wednesday, July 4, 2007


Proponents of a new city of Arden Arcade are struggling to finance their vision, failing to make a key payment on time to the agency studying the viability of their proposal.

They missed a Monday deadline to pay the Local Agency Formation Commission $33,000, although they made a "good faith" payment of $17,000 the next day.

The payment is the first of several installments needed to help fund a LAFCO study on environmental impacts and economic viability of a new city of Arden Arcade.

The group's total share is expected to be about $200,000. LAFCO is expected to come up with $100,000.

"Right now, we are waiting to see if they can come up with the rest of the money," said Peter Brundage, the agency's executive director. "I hate to get the consultant started, if we are just going to stop."

Proponents want to turn 13 square miles of unincorporated area east of Arden Fair mall into a city. The area includes Fulton Avenue's auto dealer row, which generates millions of dollars in sales tax revenue.