_______________________________
Kathleen Ward
Mayor, City of San Clemente
ATTACHMENT 1
City Hall ● 910 Calle Negocio, San Clemente CA 92673 ● (949) 361-8200 ● www.san-clemente.org Page PAGE \* MERGEFORMAT 2
August 15, 2023
The Honorable Laurie Davies District Office
California State Assembly District 74 2420 Vista Way, Suite 112 P.O. Box 942849 Oceanside, CA 92054
Sacramento, CA 94249-0074
RE: SB 423 (Wiener) By-right housing approvals: multifamily housing developments: SB 35 (Chapter 366, Statutes of 2017) expansion.
Notice of Opposition
Dear Assembly Member Davies:
The City of San Clemente would like to express opposition to SB 423, which would greatly expand SB 35 (Chapter 366, Statutes of 2017), extend the January 1, 2026 sunset date to January 1, 2036, and allow the Department of General Services (DGS) to control housing developments on state-owned or state-leased property, regardless of the locally required zoning or development standards.
The City of San Clemente recognizes the need for additional housing, especially housing that is attainable by residents with lower incomes. Local leaders are working to find creative solutions so homes of all income levels can be constructed. All barriers to housing are being examined and addressed to the extent possible, while navigating the state’s annual barrage of overreaching housing bills that have thus far demonstrated limited success and only served to slow the housing construction process.
SB 423 is the latest overreaching bill. This measure would double-down on the recent trend of the state overriding its own mandated local housing plans by forcing cities to approve certain housing projects without regard to the needs of the community, opportunities for environmental review, or public input. While it may be frustrating for some developers to address neighborhood concerns about traffic, parking, and other development impacts, those directly affected by such projects have a right to be heard. Public engagement also often leads to better projects. Not having such outlets will increase public distrust in government and result in additional ballot measures limiting housing development.
Instead of continuing to pursue top-down, one-size-fits-all legislation, lawmakers should partner with local officials. That’s why the League of California Cities continues to call on the Governor and lawmakers to annually invest $3 billion to help cities prevent and reduce homelessness and spur housing development. Targeted, ongoing funding is the only way cities can find community-based solutions that get our residents off the streets and keep them in their homes. California will never produce the number of homes needed with an increasingly state driven, by-right housing approval process. What is really needed is a sustainable state investment that matches the scale of this long-term crisis.
For these reasons, the City of San Clemente respectfully opposes SB 423 and encourages you to vote no on the bill.
Sincerely,
Chris Duncan
Mayor
City of San Clemente
CELEBRATING 90 YEARS OF INCORPORATION
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
AND CITY COUNCIL
Chris Duncan
Mayor
Steve Knoblock
Mayor Pro Tem
Victor Cabral
Mark Enmeier
Rick Loeffler
CITY MANAGER
Andy Hall
910 Calle Negocio
San Clemente, CA 92673
Phone: (949) 361-8200
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by the Sea”