HomeMy WebLinkAbout15 LEGISLATIVE REPORTS (SB645 & SB303) 04-03-07
AGENDA REPORT
Agenda Item
Reviewed:
City Manager
Finance Director
MEETING DATE: APRil 3,2007
TO:
WilliAM A. HUSTON, CITY MANAGER
CITY CLERK'S OFFICE
FROM:
SUBJECT:
~EGISlATIVE REPORTS
SUMMARY:
Attached are the following legislative items for discussion by the City Council.
. SB645 (Correa): Design-Build Authorization for the Orange County Sanitation
District
. SB303 (Ducheny): local Government; Housing.
RECOMMENDATION:
Pleasure of the City Council.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None.
YJ1//MIC ;(ffi~I'Y
Maria R. Huizar .
Chief Deputy City Clerk
ORANGE COUNTY SANITATION DISTRICT
Please support OCSD's efforts to secure design-Iluifd authorization with a
letter of support.
It is for these reasons that our agency supports OCSD's efforts and 58' 645.
cc: Michael Gold, OCSD legislative Affairs
March 22, 2007
Senator Ackerman
State Capitol, Room 305
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: SB 303 (Ducheny) Local Government; Housing.
NOTICE OF OPPOSITION
Dear Senator Ackerman
I am writing on behalf of the City of Tustin to inform you that we oppose SB 303 and
urge your "No" vote.
SB 303 doubles the planning period (from 5 to 10 years) for the regional housing needs
allocation (RHNA). At the same time, it requires local agencies to pre-zone their housing
need for the entire 10 year period. Moreover, it would require that every single site be
analyzed to ensure that the size, configuration, use, physical and environmental
characteristics, adjacent uses; market demand, and infrastructure will "realistically
accommodate" the planned density of the parcel.
As a result, each site will have to be visited and surveyed for all of these characteristics.
It will be a massive and costly undertaking that results in a lowest-common-denominator
focus on housing. Private developers often maintain that in contrast to traditional
subdivisions, infill development "does not pencil out." The effect of this bill will be to
undercut local and regional efforts to steer housing development to intill areas.
A longer RHNA planning horizon is ideal for general planning purposes but does not
provide for market or demographic shifts over the long term which would strongly
influence the RHNA process. Furthermore, the 2007 RHNA allocations for jurisdictions
within the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) subregion are
supply-based rather than needs-based and in Orange County are equivalent to the
individual jurisdictions' projected housing growth pursuant to the Orange County
Projections 2006. Therefore, in Orange County the RHNA allocations already reflect the
availability of land that has been zoned for residential purposes. This is especially true in
Tustin, which was recently assigned a RHNA allocation of 3,344 housing units based on
housing growth projected primarily at Tustin Legacy, a planned community located at the
former Marine Corps Air Station, Tustin. The City of Tustin has planned for this
significant growth, but is required to demonstrate in its Housing Element how
approximately 60% of the new housing will be affordable. Under current law the
planning period of five years allows for market fluctuations over time that may influence
when the future housing is actually constructed and occupied. However, a ten-year
requirement would not be responsive to such trends. If jurisdictions were required to
zone for a ten-year planning period, those jurisdictions may elect to provide more
conservative housing growth input into the RHNA process in an effort to lower their
RHNA allocations.
Additionally, we believe this proposal will trigger significant sprawl, because-unlike the
existing housing element process-no time is provided to phase-in the availability of
housing sites. Furthermore, no time is provided to address issues related to infill
development, to work with LAFCOs on annexation and sphere of influence requirements,
infrastructure ability, and other service issues closely related to that development.
While' this bill may be well-intended, it applies a flawed approach that fails to appreciate
the spectrum of issues that affect land availability. Local governments do not need more
state mandates; they need more funding tools to assist with the development of
infrastructure in infill areas and the production of affordable units.
We urge your "No" vote on this measure.
Sincerely,
Lou Bone
Mayor
Cc: Members and Consultant, Senate Transportation and Housing Committee
Members and Consultant, Senate Environmental Quality Committee
Ted Morley, Principal Consultant, Senate Republican Caucus
Ryan Eisenberg, Consultant, Senate Republican Caucus
Lynn Jacobs, Director, Department of Housing and Community Development
Cynthia Bryant, Director, Governor's Office of Planning and Research
Barry Sedlik, Acting Secretary, Business, Transportation and Housing Agency
Mike Chrisman, Secretary, California Resources Agency
Chris Kahn, Legislative Secretary, Governor's Office
Genevieve Morelos, Analyst, League of California Cities