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Minutes-City Council/Redevelopment Agency Meeting-December 4, 1995 Page - 10 - JOINT PUBLIC HEARING (continued) Council Member Polvorosa said he received a phone call from Betsy Venter; most of the Council was out of town, but the full Council cannot meet without public notice. Council Member Perry said the public hearing is the proper arena to hear this matter before the entire Council . Mr. Begier said he believes staff has a plan but is not showing it. • F. Martin Harband, Representing the Altnow Family, Owners of Property at 753-755 Peralta, said a June 1993 City letter stated the property would be in the Redevelopment area but not subject to eminent domain. He asked what has changed since 1993. He disagreed that blight affects property values. He discussed the current tenants leasing the Peralta property, including a school -bus yard and a truck yard and said there I's nowhere else for them to go. He said the area is vacant because the property owner elects to leave it that way. He said the absence of obvious blight is apparent. He said the benefits to property owners are hypocrisy, and people must sell under a hammer. G. Jack Merrion, 2165 Bradhoff, Owner of Property at 875 Estabrook Street, said his property is not included, but he feels somewhere down the line it will be. He said he likes the location because it is safe, and he would like to pass on his business. He suggested adoption of a Master Plan, and developers could buy up property if it suits the master plan. H. Grover Eakman, Owner of Property at 2399 Davis Street, said his property is not in now, but he thinks it will be later. He said there are some locations that can't be replaced. He said, if a deal is going to be offered to any property owner that is beneficial , eminent domain is not needed. He said eminent domain was originally established for rights of way in new areas for the public good. He said people who have been in business for years are frightened. I. Betsy Venters, Business Owner at 555 E. 14th Street, said the Five Year Implementation Plan includes specific sites. She said the City should meet with individual property owners and see if they are interested in selling or being in eminent domain. She said Shogun Restaurant and 4 Tire Store are not blighted. She said this is a sneaky way of going behind taxpayers' backs to get what developers want. She said the City should come to the property owners to develop their block as a consortium and offer low-interest loans. She said these are tough business times, and this will hang over business owners' heads. J. Frank Armienti , 954 Marina Boulevard, said San Leandro Glass has been at its location for 35 years and would lose business if they move. He asked where the funding comes from to purchase properties and asked if eminent domain can be removed once it's applied. The City Attorney said the'issue is whether to apply eminent domain in the Redevelopment Plan, but that does not mean it is going to be exercised.