Summary
SB 693 would create a special statute providing a Surplus Land Act exemption at a specific site in the City of Murrieta due to the unique circumstance that it is on track to meet its total regional housing needs allocation and imminently in need of expanding city hall facilities to accommodate the growing demand for community services in connection with rapid population growth.
Background
The Surplus Land Act (SLA) is a “right of first refusal” law that requires all local agencies to offer surplus land for sale or lease to affordable home developers and certain other entities before selling or leasing the land to any other individual or entity. The SLA was passed to more aggressively address California’s chronic housing shortage by restricting how excess public land is disposed. Existing law contains various exemptions from the process outlined by the SLA in instances such as when a proposed development on surplus land contains a certain percentage of affordable units, when the land is not suitable for housing due to various factors, or when the land is disposed of for another public use under certain conditions.
The City of Murrieta finds itself in the unique position in that it is one of few cities that are currently on track to meet their regional housing goals as specified in their annual progress report (APR) while simultaneously experiencing some of the most rapid population growth in the state. As such, current city hall facilities are quickly becoming insufficient to meet the increasing service demands of a growing population.
SB-693 would create a special statute that would provide an SLA exemption for the specific location that the city hall expansion would take place. In doing so, this bill is consistent with the spirit of existing law that SLA exemptions should only be extended for instances in which proposed developments serve public benefit or use.
Proposal
SB-693 would create a special statute authorizing a SLA exemption specific to the city hall project site in the City of Murrieta.