City Hall ● 910 Calle Negocio, San Clemente CA 92673 ● (949) 361-8200 ● www.san-clemente.org
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
AND CITY COUNCIL
Victor Cabral
Mayor
Mark Enmeier
Mayor Pro Tem
Chris Duncan
Steve Knoblock
Rick Loeffler
CITY MANAGER
Andy Hall
910 Calle Negocio
San Clemente, CA 92673
Phone: (949) 361-8200
“The Spanish Village
by the Sea”
March 19, 2024
The Honorable Avelino Valencia
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0068
RE: Support for Assembly Bill 2574 - Alcoholism or Drug Abuse Recovery or Treatment Facilities
The City of San Clemente supports Assembly Bill 2574 to amend Section 11834.23 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to alcohol and drug programs.
Existing law states that it is the policy of the state that each county and city shall permit and encourage the development of sufficient numbers and types of alcoholism or drug abuse recovery or treatment facilities as are adequate with local need. Existing law requires an alcoholism or drug abuse recovery or treatment facility that serves 6 or fewer persons to be considered a residential use of property for the purposes of local regulations, regardless of whether or not unrelated persons are living together.
AB 2574 would exempt an unlicensed home for persons recovering from alcoholism or drug abuse in a neighborhood zoned for residential use from being considered a residential use of property when specified evidence demonstrates that the facility is an integral part of a licensed drug treatment facility located elsewhere.
In recent months San Clemente has seen an influx of Sober Living Homes. On one street alone three properties have been bought by the same proprietor with the intention of transforming these single family residential homes into SLHs. The owner of these properties has made it clear that he has no intention of living in these properties and plans to operate them as a for-profit business. At a minimum, this bill will stop opportunistic businesses from encroaching on the quality of life of San Clemente residents without going through the regulatory process to obtain a license.
For these reasons, the City of San Clemente supports AB 2574.
Sincerely,
Victor Cabral
Mayor
CELEBRATING 90 YEARS OF INCORPORATION