A report from the state controller's office lists 56 redevelopment agencies whose own audits found major violations of state law for the 1999-00 fiscal year. Only about half of the agencies have corrected their violations, according to the report. Redevelopment law requires an agency to present an annual report, including an independent financial audit, to its city council or board of supervisors. The audit must review the agency's activities for statutory compliance, and the legislative bodies are supposed to take actions to correct any deficiencies. Agencies also are required to file these reports with the state controller, who reported that four agencies failed to file the 1999-00 reports at all: the cities of Avenal, Imperial Beach and Isleton, and Yuba County. In fact, the controller's office said Isleton — a city of 1,000 in the southwest corner of Sacramento County — has not filed the report for three consecutive years. Other agencies failed to adopt a five-year implementation plan; did not file an audit report with its city council or board of supervisors; did not file a fiscal statement; sat on land purchased with housing funds for more than five years; failed to create a low and moderate income housing fund or did not deposit the required 20% into the fund; or set no, or improper, time limits for creating debt. The report is available at www.sco.ca.gov/ard/local/locrep/redevelop/99-00/ San Diego Zoo officials released a revised plan for zoo growth in May. The plan would allow the zoo to make better use of its existing 124-acre leasehold in Balboa Park by placing parking in an underground structure, and converting the existing surface parking lot to exhibit space. The plan contrasts greatly with a 1999 proposal, which called for expanding the zoo by 24 acres and razing the Veterans War Memorial Building to make room for a parking garage. Zoo officials withdrew that proposal after meeting stiff resistance from area residents and preservationists (see CP&DR Public Development, April 2000). The plan would nearly double the available parking for the zoo, which already needs more. However, the proposed underground garage for 4,700 vehicles could cost nearly $100 million. How the zoo would fund the development is unknown. Leaders of the zoo — which is owned by the city — hope to complete an environmental impact report and receive project approval next year. The revised budget released by the governor's office in May slashed proposed spending for housing programs. In January, Gov. Davis proposed spending about $300 million on housing programs, down from last year's record $570 million. However the "May revise" deleted all $200 million for the Jobs/Housing Balance Inventive Grant program, which would reward jurisdictions that approve new homes and job sites near the other. The City of Corona is suing Caltrans for allegedly creating a traffic jam on Highway 91. In a claim filed in early May with the California Board of Control, the city argues that Caltrans intentionally let the 91 Freeway become overloaded to create a market for 10 miles of privately operated toll lanes that run alongside the public highway. The lawsuit calls into question a 1995 agreement between Caltrans and California Private Transportation Corporation, which owns and operates the toll lanes. That agreement appears to give the private company veto power over Highway 91 upgrades (see CP&DR Public Development, February 2000). Corona contends that traffic on the notorious stretch of highway — which connects Riverside County residents with jobs in Orange and Los Angeles counties— is so bad that motorists clog city streets while trying to find alternate routes. The city alleges the situation has lowered property values and increased street maintenance costs by $10 million to $20 million during the last decade. The toll lanes along Highway 91 are already the subject of a lawsuit filed by Riverside County, which wants the state to take over the lanes. San Francisco's Crissy Field celebrated its grand opening in May as thousands of people tromped the former Army airstrip to see first-hand the renovated property. Located at the mouth of San Francisco Bay, near the Presidio, the public park boasts restored wetlands, meadows and sand dunes. The project, a joint effort by the National Park Service and the nonprofit Golden Gate National Parks Association, was largely funded by the Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund, which 15 years ago sponsored a restoration study and more recently donated an additional $18 million. Most of the remainder of the $32 million for the project was donated, so only $3 million of public money from the San Francisco airport's environmental mitigation program was used. For the renovation, developers recycled many materials already at the site. For instance, asphalt and concrete from the airfield was ground up and used as the foundation for the new walkways. Wood from demolished buildings was recycled, and soil was excavated to raise the meadow and to build contoured ground as a protective wind barrier. Visit Crissy Field online at http://www.crissyfield.org Blaming a slowing economy, developer Forest City Enterprises ended two-years of negotiations for of a "cybervillage" at the former Ford factory in Richmond. The city and the Cleveland, Ohio-based developer could not agree on a proposal for the shoreline property. The developer proposed two plans, both of which consisted of reusing the factory for housing (see CP&DR Places, July 1999). Meanwhile, The city is trying to retain $15.5 million in seismic retrofit funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to repair damage that the old factory sustained during the Loma Prieta earthquake. The city is facing a deadline to spend the money, but an extension may be possible as the city seeks a new developer. Gov. Davis in May signed legislation reauthorizing the use of redevelopment after disasters. Senate Bill 53's author, Sen. Tom Torlakson (D-Antioch), said the measure will allow communities to accelerate rebuilding after major disasters. The bill, which took affect immediately, repeals the sunset clause attached to the Community Redevelopment Disaster Project Law (AB 189) passed in 1995. During a 25-month period ending in mid-May, the California Energy Commission licensed 15 major power plants with total capacity of nearly 10,000 megawatts (See CP&DR, March 2001). Still under consideration are 12 more plants that could generate another 5,560 megawatts. The state also has licensed eight "peaker" plants, including one that was approved only 19 days after an application was filed. If all the projects are built, it would mark the largest power plant building spree in the state's history, according to the Energy Commission.