Almost a year ago, Redding’s City Council voted to place riverfront development decisions back into the hands of the people through a city-led planning process. Now City staff are asking the Council to choose a "firm" referred to as "MIG/Populous" to manage the Riverfront Plan update.
City staff say survey results will help guide Redding's growth, development and conservation.
The McConnell Foundation owns more than 4,000 acres within or adjacent to Redding city limits. Shasta Scout spoke with COO Shannon Phillips to ask what policies guide the Foundation's land acquisition and how buying and developing property fits with their overall philanthropic mission. McConnell's goal, Phillips said, is to promote the “best and highest use” of land for the majority of local residents.
Erin Resner, who was among four council members who voted for the illegal land sale in 2020, said that the public deserves more transparency from the council about the land sale. Her comments led to heated discussions about timing and transparency between multiple council members that ended with a decision to bring the issue back for formal consideration on a future council agenda.
Last year, the city's consideration of a proposal to buy key riverfront land led to months of community concerns. Many have said the city didn't do well enough at listening to the community. This fall, as the Redding prepares to plan for that same key land, they’re hoping to take a different, more engaged, approach
Three women spoke to Shasta Scout about being hit by pellets during a recent Redding human rights protest, including one woman who was live-streaming the protest when she was hit. We share their stories, what you should know about safety at protests, and how and when to report incidents to the police.
Celebrating American freedom seems “ironic and condescending” in light of recent Supreme Court decisions, one activist said. The protest in support of human rights was organized by a local seventeen-year-old, Kamryn Mabee, and popularized by the newly formed Shasta Abortion Coalition. Attendees included a wide variety of ages and ethnicities and a mix of genders. This is the sixth local protest for reproductive rights in the ten days since Roe v. Wade was overturned.
Community feedback through workshops, a survey, and public comment at city meetings will help the city evaluate how to use Redding-specific recommendations provided by grant-funded national wildfire prevention specialists. New development, building, zoning, and fire codes would emphasize the individual responsibility of community landowners to care for their properties in ways that reduce wildfire risk for the broader community.
A civil lawsuit filed against the City of Redding by the Redding Rancheria was decided in the Tribe’s favor last week. That case relates to a small parcel of land that provides important road access for the site of the Rancheria’s proposed casino development. Back in 2020, Michael Dacquisto was the only city council member who voted against vacating, declaring surplus and selling the land. He spoke to Shasta Scout over the weekend about what drove his decision then, and how he sees things now.
