BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2279
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Date of Hearing: April 28, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
AB 2279 (Evans) - As Introduced: February 18, 2010
Policy Committee: Business and
Professions Vote: 7-4
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable:
SUMMARY
This bill:
1)Authorizes the Director of General Services (DGS) to sell to
or exchange with Napa County, by January 1, 2015, at no less
than fair market value, 850 acres of state-owned property
constituting a portion of Napa State Hospital.
2)Requires the terms of sale to require the county to retain
title to the entire parcel, for use as a park and wilderness
preserve, or, if the county subsequently sells any portion of
the property, to require that it be restricted to those uses.
FISCAL EFFECT
Based on an almost identical legislative proposal in 2007, DGS
estimated the value of the property at about $4 million.
Pursuant to Proposition 60A, which was passed by the voters in
November 2004, the proceeds of this sale, less DGS transaction
costs, will be used to pay off the state's Economic Recovery
Bonds. In the event those bonds are already paid off at the
time of sale, the proceeds will go to the General Fund.
COMMENTS
1)Purpose . According to the author's office, the 850-acre
property, known as Skyline Park and located on the grounds of
Napa State Hospital, was declared surplus in 1979 and has been
leased to Napa County since that time and operated as a public
AB 2279
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park, which includes recreational facilities, preserved
habitat, and gardens. The state leases the property to the
county for $100 per year and the current lease expires in
2030.
2)Current law requires that property declared surplus by the
state first be offered for local governments or nonprofit
housing sponsors intending to use the property for low and
moderate income housing, second priority for local governments
that will use the property for parks or open space, third
priority for use as local government-owned facilities,
followed in priority by private entities and individuals.
3)Prior Legislation . This bill is almost identical to SB 678
(Wiggins) of 2007, which was vetoed because that bill did not
include a provision exempting the sale from the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Subsequently, ABX2 8
(Nestande)/Chapter 6 of 2009 exempted DGS from CEQA when
selling surplus state real property that is either made on an
"as is" basis or is otherwise subject to CEQA through local
government land use restrictions.
Analysis Prepared by : Chuck Nicol / APPR. / (916) 319-2081