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redevelopment has been part of the Marine city planning for some 10 years. But for the past eight of those, it's been only a plan on paper, while 50 acres in the middle of the Southern Marine community have remained undeveloped in an effort to change this, the

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Marine Redevelopment Agency and the housing authority that engineered a land swap deal with the developer originally responsible former in city redevelopment, the company would be given title to the tree covered Mountain Ridge, which they have purchased above Marine City to develop themselves but must return the

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50 acres of flat land back to the redevelopment agency. However, the residents of Marine City opposed the deal because they feel they have been left out of this new development plan. Today, they delivered to the Marine Board of Supervisors a petition signed by 400 people calling

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for the abolition of the redevelopment agency and the Marine Housing Authority. They also presented over three hours of arguments to the board to support their view that the agencies do not consider the wishes or needs of the community they're designed to serve. And the land swap

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deal, they argue, is a good example. they charge was made without the conditions they wanted and intended. Redevelopment plans do not guarantee their participation, the agencies say. This isn't so, but in essence, the three hours of arguments focused on a lack of communication and the build

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up of distrust on both sides. When the talking was over, the board said they would not dissolve the agencies and would not stop the land swap deal. But they said they would delay its consummation for one month and then instructed the two agencies to work with

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them or in city residents to guarantee their participation in and control of future development. The compromise drew guarded hope from the participants involved. The community always being willing to sit down to talk about the problem and try to help them dissolve them. But they just haven't

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showed that good faith. You have any hope that 30 days will take care of it? Well, I'm hoping 30 days will be able to dissolve the problem because it's a lot is to take people is a, well, the necessity of redevelopment. And if you don't happen

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too soon, ways afraid it won't happen way certainly must have participation. We have lived there all our lives and we feel that it's only fair to those residents that they take an active part in the development of that area, be able to give some put input

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and their ideas and suggestions as to their destiny. A lot of times decisions were made in things happen that are beyond your control on beyond the control of community. I think that they are there. Concerns are justified. I don't think it's in terms of justification in

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terms of the agency have trying to exclude them in any development or anything that takes place. It's just a matter that, uh the agency has a responsibility and obligation and it let the community know about that in the community, objected to it. So I think something

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could be worked out over the next 30 days. I'm hope that the agency will break through and give us a chance to sit down and hear us as they have not done previously in the past 30 days is not a great deal of time to overcome

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this trust that's taken 10 years to develop, the residents of Marine said. He made it clear that if they are not assured of a greater voice in the development of their own community. Within a month, they'll be back. This is Evan White for eyewitness news at

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the Marin County Civic Center.