BILL ANALYSIS �
SB 169
Page 1
ASSEMBLY THIRD READING
SB 169 (Emmerson)
As Amended July 3, 2013
Majority vote
TRANSPORTATION 15-0
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|Ayes:|Lowenthal, Linder, | | |
| |Achadjian, Ammiano, | | |
| |Bloom, Bonta, Buchanan, | | |
| |Daly, Gordon, Gatto, | | |
| |Holden, Morrell, | | |
| |Nazarian, Patterson, | | |
| |Quirk-Silva | | |
| | | | |
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SUMMARY : Removes a 37-mile segment on Interstate 10 in
Riverside County from eligibility from the state scenic highway
system.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Establishes the State Scenic Highway Program and requires the
California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to
administer the program.
2)Designates portions of the state's highway system as eligible,
with specific segments to be approved by Caltrans as an
official scenic highway upon completion of specific criteria.
3)Authorizes Caltrans to revoke designation of a scenic highway
if specific standards are not maintained, such as regulating
land use and controlling outdoor advertising.
FISCAL EFFECT : Unknown. This bill is keyed non-fiscal by the
Legislative Counsel.
COMMENTS : The Legislature established the State Scenic Highway
Program in 1963 under Caltrans' purview and required that a
"Master Plan" be adopted that lists highways that are eligible
for scenic designation. The highways deemed eligible are
currently in statute and were selected by Caltrans based upon
SB 169
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five factors: 1) intrinsic scenic value and experiences that
the route would provide; 2) the diversity of experience, such as
the transition between different landscape regions or climatic
areas that travel on the route would furnish; 3) the degree to
which the route would link specific scenic, historical, and
recreational points or areas of interest; 4) the relationship of
these routes to urban areas, taking into account the
opportunities for weekend and one-day sightseeing trips by large
numbers of people; and, 5) the opportunities for bypassing, or
leaving periodically, major trans-state or inter-regional
routes.
The purpose of the Scenic Highway Program is to protect and
enhance the natural scenic beauty of California highways and
adjacent corridors, through special conservation treatment.
Upon receiving designation, program benefits include:
protecting the scenic corridor from encroachment of incompatible
land uses such as junkyards, dumps, concrete plants, and gravel
pits; mitigating activities within the corridor that detract
from its scenic quality by proper siting, landscaping, or
screening; and, prohibiting billboards and regulating on-site
signs so that they do not detract from scenic views.
A local agency (such as a city or county) that possesses a
scenic eligible corridor within its jurisdiction may prepare a
corridor management plan that describes the land use and other
relevant planning actions that it will implement to retain the
area's scenic quality. If this plan meets specific criteria,
Caltrans will designate the identified portion of the route as
"scenic" and include special signs along designated routes and
also identify the routes on maps produced by the State Division
of Tourism. Upon formal designation, current law requires local
agencies to take actions that may be necessary to protect the
scenic appearance of the corridor - the band of land generally
adjacent to the highway right of way - including, but not
limited to: 1) regulation of land use and intensity of
development; 2) detailed land and site planning; 3) control of
outdoor advertising; 4) careful attention to and control of
earthmoving and landscaping; and, 5) the design and appearance
of structures and equipment.
While Caltrans has the ability to approve official scenic
highways, legislative action is the only way to remove any
segment identified as scenic eligible in statute.
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Current law includes Interstate 10, from Route 38 near Redlands
to Route 62 near Whitewater, as scenic eligible. However,
Riverside County has never sought formal designation of this
corridor, which spans approximately 37 miles.
The author has proposed this legislation at the request of
Riverside County in order to allow the county to put up a new
billboard within specific section along this corridor. The
author asserts that legislation is required because the county's
General Plan prohibits specific activities, including the
installation of a new billboard, on both designated scenic and
scenic eligible highways. According to Riverside County, this
corridor's continued eligibility, and relevant General Plan
restrictions, prevents critical economic development along this
corridor. Thus, this bill serves as a vehicle to allow
Riverside County to meet one its economic development
priorities.
Analysis Prepared by : Manny Leon / TRANS. / (916) 319-2093
FN: 0001548