Amended  IN  Senate  March 20, 2023

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill
No. 710

Introduced by Senator Durazo

February 16, 2023

An act to amend Section 118 of add Section 118.8 to the Streets and Highways Code, relating to surplus property.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 710, as amended, Durazo. Department of Transportation: sale Sale of excess state highway property. property: State Highway Route 710 Terminus.
Existing law provides that the Department of Transportation shall have full possession and control of the state highway system and associated real property. Existing law, if the department determines that real property, or an interest in the property, acquired for highway purposes is no longer necessary for those purposes, authorizes the department to sell or exchange the property or property interest in the manner and upon terms, standards, and conditions established by the California Transportation Commission, as provided. Existing law authorizes the California Transportation Commission to relinquish a portion of State Highway Route 710.
This bill would make a nonsubstantive change to these provisions. require the department to establish and administer a Terminus Regional Planning Committee, as provided, to meet quarterly and complete and submit a report to the Legislature on the issues of traffic and potential land use related to this portion of Route 710.
Vote: MAJORITY   Appropriation: NO   Fiscal Committee: NOYES   Local Program: NO  

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 118.8 is added to the Streets and Highways Code, to read:

118.8.
 (a) For purposes of this section, “State Route 710 Terminus” means the Route 710 Terminus in the City of Alhambra, north of Route 10.
(b) The Legislature finds and declares the following:
(1) The State Route 710 Terminus was purchased by the department for use in building a Route 710 connection to Route 210. This use of eminent domain displaced many in the El Sereno neighborhood in the City of Los Angeles, as hundreds of homes were purchased with the intent to eventually remove the structures and construct an extension to Route 710 to close a 4.5-mile unconstructed gap between the City of Alhambra and the City of Pasadena. The State Route 710 Terminus is also bordered by the California State University, Los Angeles.
(2) The Legislature added Section 622.3, authorizing the commission to relinquish this portion of Route 710, and Section 253.9 to exclude, as of January 1, 2024, the section of Route 710 between Route 10 and Route 210 from the California freeway and expressway system.
(3) Therefore, much of this land is no longer needed by the department and can be put to other uses.
(4) Additionally these changes raise the need to address traffic flow in the area. Currently, Route 710 north ends abruptly just north of Route 10, causing traffic and congestion and affecting the City of Los Angeles as well as the Cities of Alhambra, South Pasadena, and Pasadena.
(c) (1) The department shall establish and administer a Terminus Regional Planning Committee, composed of representatives from the City of Alhambra; the City of Los Angeles; the County of Los Angeles; the LA-32 Neighborhood Council; the California State University, Los Angeles; the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority; and one community-based organization, that shall meet quarterly and complete and submit a report to the Legislature in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code, by December 1, 2025, on the State Route 710 Terminus. The committee shall discuss, and the study shall address, but need not be limited to, the issues of traffic in connecting to Route 10 and potential land uses, including affordable housing, student housing, workforce development space, public university expansion, parks, open space, and alternative transportation.
(2) The requirement to submit a report imposed pursuant to paragraph (1) is inoperative on December 1, 2029, pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code.

SECTION 1.Section 118 of the Streets and Highways Code is amended to read:
118.

(a)If the department determines that real property or an interest therein, previously or hereafter acquired by the state for highway purposes, is no longer necessary for those purposes, the department may sell, contract to sell, sell by trust deed, or exchange the real property or interest therein in the manner and upon terms, standards, and conditions established by the commission. The payment period in a contract of sale or sale by trust deed shall not extend longer than 10 years from the time the contract of sale or trust deed is executed, and a transaction involving a contract of sale or sale by trust deed to private parties shall require a downpayment of at least 30 percent of the purchase price, except as follows:

(1)For improved and unimproved real property sold or exchanged for the purpose of housing for persons and families of low or moderate income, as defined in Section 50093 of the Health and Safety Code, the payment period shall not exceed 40 years and the downpayment shall be at least 5 percent of the purchase price. All contracts of sale or sales by trust deed, for the purpose of housing for persons and families of low or moderate income shall bear interest. The rate of interest for the contract or sale shall be computed annually, and shall be the same as the average rate returned by the Pooled Money Investment Board for the past five fiscal years immediately preceding the year in which the payment is made. The contract of sale and sales by trust deeds shall not be used if the proposed development or sale qualifies for financing from other sources and if the financing makes feasible the provision of low- and moderate-income housing.

(2)Improved residential property sold to a local public agency pursuant to paragraph (1), if subsequently sold or transferred to a nonprofit housing organization, shall have the endorsement of the city in which the parcels are located, or the county if the parcels are located in an unincorporated area, that the housing shall remain at affordable housing costs to persons and families of low or moderate income and very low income households for the longest feasible time, but for not less than 15 years, as determined by the city or county, as applicable. By endorsing the sale, the city or county accepts the responsibility of ensuring the housing remains affordable. The local public agency shall record in the office of the county recorder covenants or restrictions implementing this subdivision. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the covenants or restrictions shall run with the land and shall be enforceable against the original purchaser from the department and successors in interest.

(b)A conveyance under this section shall be approved by the commission and shall be executed on behalf of the state by the director and the purchase price shall be paid into the State Treasury to the credit of any fund, available to the department for highway purposes, which the commission designates.

(c)Any such real property or interest therein may in like manner be exchanged, either as whole or part consideration, for any other real property or interest therein needed for state highway purposes.