Town of Paradise - Open for Business

One of the Town’s core missions and priorities has always been to promote, support and encourage the business growth, development, and economic revitalization of our community. The following actions underscore our Town’s strong commitment to this core mission and priority

Business Growth & Development Support:

During the last 14 years the Town has worked with, facilitated,  and approved every application for business growth, expansion and development.   These applications represent millions of dollars in commercial investment.  For example, in the past 10 years, the community gained over $71,845,072 in additional business expansion and development in Paradise.

Business-Friendly Fees/Deferral of Fees:

• The Town’s development fees are the lowest in Butte County and have not been  raised since 2001,
• Other Town fees that affect business are the lowest in Butte County,
• The Town will defer the payment of development fees for any size residential and commercial project until point of occupancy,
• The Town offers a development fee mitigation program to large scale residential  and/or commercial development projects that will result in a significant economic gain to the Town.

Business-Friendly Streamlined Process:

• In 1997, the Town adopted planning process reforms based on the premise that “time is money” for both the builder/developer and the Town - which streamlined the Town’s overall private development review process,
• Builder/developers can request a meeting with the Town’s department representatives to receive initial input and exchange of ideas on their project, or project concept, free of charge,
• The Town has a Business Assistance Team (BAT) headed by the Assistant Town Manager to help assist and facilitate business growth and commercial development,
• Despite the Town’s reduced staff in planning, building, engineering & onsite, the Town has been able to hold to its three (3) week turn-around time for most building permits and onsite reviews (as compared to the County’s 5-7 months).

Business Deregulation:

• Town deregulated parking regulations and restrictions in the Downtown to encourage business growth and expansion,
• Town relaxed testing requirements for commercial onsite systems from quarterly to semi-annually as long as there are satisfactory test results,
• Town reduced business sign regulations, eliminated certain sign permit fees & speeded up the business sign permit review & approval process,
• Town reduced commercial inspection fees for small businesses.

Business Growth & Economic Revitalization Public/Private Partnerships 

In 2002, the Town established redevelopment as the economic stimulus needed to economically and physically revitalize the Downtown and greater Redevelopment Project Area –the most economically blighted areas in our community

From 2003 to 2007 (before the recession & state raids), the Town’s redevelopment agency established a number of public/private partnership business assistance and incentive programs for small businesses. These matching grant and/or loan program partnerships resulted in:

1. Over 29 small business commercial facade renovations; 3 small business relocations, 5 small business expansions, and 4 business start-ups.

2.  A ratio of $338,632 in public monies to $2,138,289 in private business investment/re-investment were committed during this period.

3. A significant increase in assessed valuation growth in the Downtown and Redevelopment Project Area & property tax revenues for the Town,

4. Improved the Downtown & Redevelopment Project’s percentage of total retail sales in Paradise,

5. Increased the commercial/retail sales of small businesses that participated in our partnership programs. (Records show an average of 15-20% increase in commercial/retail sales in these businesses before the recession & 2008 fires).

Bringing to Paradise State & Federal Funds that Benefit Our Local Economy:

The Town has applied for and received millions in federal community development block grant funds, federal and state housing grants, and public  improvement project monies that has directly resulted into a real economic stimulus for our community.  These funds not only improve the condition of our housing stock and help to maintain property values, but provide jobs for local building contractors and builders, building supply and hardware stores, and realtors/lenders.