June 30, 2023
The Honorable Buffy Wicks
State Assembly, Housing and Community Development Committee 1020 N Street, Room 156
Sacramento, CA 95814
Re: Senate Bill 747 - Surplus Land - Support (As Amended on May 18, 2023} Dear Chair Wicks:
The City of Santa Rosa is pleased to support SB 747 (Caballero), which contains much needed clarifications and reforms to the Surplus Land Act (SLA) and reaffirms the role of existing Economic Opportunity Law that is used by local agencies to acquire and dispose of property to improve AT ALIE ROGERS economic opportunities for local residents.
Mayor
DIANNA MACDO A The implementation of the SLA, including recent guidelines by the Housing and Community ViceNMa
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� Development Department, has created immense delays and difficulties for local government Y agencies dealing with the use of their properties to further housing and economic development EDDIE ALVAREZ goals in service of their residents. SB 747 addresses these concerns through an array of helpful V ICTORIA FLEMING changes to the SLA, including clarifying that only leases of less than 35 years are subject to the SLA,JEFF OKREPKIE providing exemptions to assist transit, transit oriented development, and avoiding delays for CI��i��;� affordable housing developments which comply with the SLA's affordability requirements.
Thank you for your leadership in beginning to apply a sharper 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, we are pleased to support SB 747. Should you have any questions, please contact our legislative advocate Dane Hutchings with Renne Public Policy Group at (916) 974-9270.
Sincerely,
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Natalie Rogers, Mayor
Office of the Mayor
100 Santa Rosa Avenue - Room 10 • Santa Rosa, CA 95404
Phone: (707) 543-3010 • Fax: (707) 543-3030
www.src1ry.org