June 27, 2023
The Honorable Anna Caballero
State Capitol, Ste. 7620
Sacramento, CA 95814
Dear Senator Caballero,
The City of Commerce is pleased to fully SUPPORT SB 747, which contains much-needed clarifications and reforms to the Surplus Lands Act (SLA) and reaffirms the role of the existing Economic Opportunity Law that is used by local agencies to acquire and dispose of property to improve economic opportunities for residents.
The implementation of the SLA, including recent guidelines by the Housing and Community Development Department, has created immense delays and difficulties for local government agencies dealing with the use of their properties to further housing and economic development goals in service of their residents. SB 747 addresses these concerns through an array of helpful changes to the SLA, including clarifying that only leases of less than 3 years are subject to the SLA, providing exemptions to assist transit, transit-oriented development, and other agency uses, and avoiding delays for affordable housing developments which comply with the SLA’s affordability requirements.
Thank you for your leadership in beginning to apply a legislative focus on the application of the SLA to ensure that the administration of the law remains consistent with legislative intent and avoids unintended delays or conflicts with other laws and policy priorities the Legislature has enacted including actions to support and further economic development.
For these reasons, the City of Commerce is pleased to support SB 747. Should you have any questions, feel free to contact our city at 323-722-4805.
City of Commerce