Redding

Redding’s Rapid And Secretive Sale of Public Land Violated State Laws and City Policy, Court Finds

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May 19, 2022

A small parcel of land that provided important access to the Redding Rancheria’s proposed new casino site off I-5 was declared surplus and sold within eleven days by the City of Redding in mid-2020. New court documents indicate city staff engaged in behind the scenes conversations with a local land holder before negotiating a property sale in closed session in a process that violated both state laws and city policy. The case bears important similarities to recent riverfront land dealings which created community concerns about city transparency.

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Anti-Abortion Activists Train To More Aggressively Intervene at Local Women’s Clinic
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May 16, 2022

The only Shasta County clinic that provides women with access to surgical abortions was used as a training ground to equip anti-abortion activists for more aggressive interventions to dissuade women from accessing abortions. Local women organizing under the newly-formed Shasta Abortion Coalition say they are prepared to defend women’s right to abortion as clinic defenders, advocates, and escorts.

black and white planning map showing Redding's riverfront area
Council Considers Updating Redding’s Thirty Year Old Riverfront Plan 
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May 3, 2022

Redding’s riverfront development was last planned decades ago before the Sundial Bridge, Turtle Bay Museum or the Redding Arboretum existed. Funding an update to the 30 year-old plan would be the city’s first step in deciding how to utilize riverfront land after the council voted against declaring the land surplus last month. The city could take advantage of $1 million or more in federal COVID relief money to fund the planning process.

Public Riverfront Land Will Remain in Public Hands . . . For Now
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April 20, 2022

Redding's City Council voted to utilize funds to begin a city-led planning process instead of declaring prime riverfront properties “surplus." The vote followed months of discussion, public workshops, and community surveys about public land close to the Sundial Bridge. The land issue has provoked significant community conversations about who represents a city stakeholder and how local government engages the community in planning and decisions.

Some Wintu People Call For “Land Back” During Riverfront Meetings. Here’s Why.
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April 19, 2022

The land we now know as Redding has been a part of Wintu people’s vast homelands for thousands of years. Today, after surviving state-sponsored massacres, violent removals, and discriminatory legal doctrines, Wintu tribes remain almost entirely landless. For some Wintu people, the proposed sale of riverfront land is inseparable from the need to reckon with this often-suppressed history.

the sacramento river at sunset, with a kayak in distance
Environmental Groups Say City Must Conduct Environmental Review Before Declaring Riverfront Land “Surplus”
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April 17, 2022

The Council is scheduled to vote Tuesday on whether to "surplus" approximately 45 acres of land including the Redding Rodeo grounds and Redding Civic Auditorium grounds in preparation for a potential sale. Legal Counsel for three local environmental groups say doing so would violate the California Environmental Quality Act and be inconsistent with the city’s own General Plan.

river with several small fishing boats
Council Will Reconsider Whether To Declare Key Riverfront Land Surplus
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April 8, 2022

After a break of several months, Redding council members will again discuss whether several key parcels at the Redding riverfront should be declared surplus, paving the way for the land to be sold to a consortium of developers and non-profits. If the properties are declared surplus, the city must first make them available to affordable housing developers and a list of public entities that includes ten local tribes, before they could be sold to the consortium.

City Starts Updates to Key Land Use Document as Council Pends on Proposed Riverfront Land Sale
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March 6, 2022

A focus group of 12 stakeholders has met biweekly over the last four months to provide advice on how the Community Development and Design subsection of Redding’s General Plan will be updated. The plan broadly addresses land use in the city, including how the Sacramento River and the riverfront can best be utilized by the community. Half of the city's chosen community stakeholders are architects, builders or developers.

Redding Chamber Pivots To Dissolve Political Action Committee Amidst Tense Political Climate
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February 1, 2022

As the county votes on whether to recall a local supervisor, Redding's Chamber announced a decision to end all endorsements and donations to political candidates. They've faced scrutiny for funding a group opposing the supervisor recall after being chosen by the county to distribute $4 million in federal COVID-relief funding to local county businesses.

Redding Council Stalls Again on Downtown Update
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January 23, 2022

A third public hearing on updates that would streamline continued growth downtown included discussions of residential impacts and environmental concerns. Some say these updates should be considered alongside other proposed development including a possible riverfront land sale and planned changes to Park Marina Drive.