BILL ANALYSIS AB 2701 Page 1 Date of Hearing: April 28, 2010 ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS Felipe Fuentes, Chair AB 2701 (Eng) - As Amended: March 18, 2010 Policy Committee: Housing and Community Development Vote: 8 - 0 Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program: No Reimbursable: SUMMARY This bill places qualified playgrounds and playground sites with historical or cultural significance under the exclusive jurisdiction of the State Historical Building Code. FISCAL EFFECT Costs for the Building Standards Commission would be minor, likely in the range of $10,000 per year. COMMENTS 1)Rationale . AB 2701 states that playgrounds that have a historic designation are subject to the requirements of the state historical building code rather than the standardized modern playground standards that apply to all other playgrounds. The bill is not a change to existing law, which already specifies that any structure with a historic designation is subject to the state historical building code and that the application of any other statue or regulation as applied to a historic structure is governed by the state historical building code. 2)Background . La Laguna park in San Gabriel, often referred to as "Monster Park" or "Dinosaur Park," was created in 1965 by Benjamin Dominguez, a master concrete craftsman who created a number of playgrounds in the Los Angeles area. Friends of La Laguna, which was formed when the City of San Gabriel announced plans to demolish the playground because it could not see a feasible way to bring the unique one-of-a-kind structures into compliance with modern playground safety AB 2701 Page 2 standards, successfully managed to place the playground on the California Register of Historic Places. According to the sponsor, in the 1950s and 1960s, reaction to suburban growth, a booming population, and tract home development led to the creation of unique and artistic playgrounds. These playgrounds functioned to distinguish cities from one another and communicated the character and diversity of the community. These playgrounds sometimes drew on the skills of notable artists and architects, which resulted in a creative period in playground design and served to capture the culture of the community. Many communities have already destroyed playgrounds built during this era that might have been worthy of a historic designation. The demolition of a historic playground results in the loss of a community icon, and in some cases, a regional resource. Analysis Prepared by : Julie Salley-Gray / APPR. / (916) 319-2081