Definitions relevant to the CRA per Florida Statutes 163, Part III
COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY (CRA) (ss163.356/ss163.357)
The Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is created under the regulations described and defined by Florida Statutes 163, Part III. The CRA can only be created after the Finding of Necessities (FON) study, establishing “Slum and Blight“ conditions of a defined area is adopted by resolution by the governing body of the city/county in which the CRA Area is located. The governing body appoints a Board of Commissioners of the CRA by resolution – in Dania Beach, the City Commission is the designated CRA Board.
FINDING OF NECESSITIES (FON) (ss163.355)
The “Slum and Blight“ conditions of the CRA Area are verified by a Finding of Necessities (FON) study adopted by the governing body by resolution. The “Slum and Blight“ condition is established by a combination of two or more existing factors identified as deficient when compared to the remainder of the adjacent county or municipality:
- Defective street layout, parking, roadways, bridges, or public transportation.
- Aggregate assessed values of real property in the area failed to show any appreciable increase over the 5 years prior to the finding of such conditions.
- Faulty lot layout in relation to size, adequacy, accessibility, or usefulness.
- Unsanitary or unsafe conditions.
- Deterioration of site or other improvements.
- Inadequate and outdated building density patterns.
- Falling lease rates per square foot of office, commercial, or industrial space.
- Tax or special assessment delinquency exceeding the fair value of the land.
- Higher residential and commercial vacancy rates.
- Higher incidence of crime in the area.
- Higher fire and emergency medical service calls to the area.
- A greater number of violations of the Florida Building Code in the area.
- Diversity of ownership or defective or unusual conditions of title which prevent the free alienability of land within the deteriorated or hazardous area.
- Government-owned property with adverse environmental conditions caused by a public or private entity.
- A substantial number or percentage of properties damaged by sinkhole activity which have not been adequately repaired or stabilized.