Complex sentence: In 1971 the city government rezoned some of the island for light industrial, causing the homes of 250 residences to be threatened with condemnation and making it impossible for owners to get financing for renovations.
Split into simpler sentences: In 1971 the city government rezoned some of the island for light industrial use. This caused the homes of 250 residents to be threatened with condemnation and made it impossible for owners to get financing for renovations.