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MEDIA RELEASE
The City of South Pasadena, in partnership with Senator Anthony J. Portantino, will host a community discussion of Senate Bill 381 on Monday, March 29, 2021, beginning at 6:00 p.m. The community forum is an opportunity for the public to ask questions and provide input on the bill as it advances in the legislative process.
SB 381, introduced by Senator Anthony Portantino, would allow for more local control over the disposition of the state-owned properties along the SR 710 corridor and put the city in a much better position to safeguard and champion the interests of the South Pasadena community.
In October 2019, Governor Newsom signed legislation definitively ending six decades of attempts to construct an extension of the SR 710 freeway. At its January 2, 2021 meeting, the California Transportation Commission readily acknowledged that residential property management and maintenance is not a core competence of the transportation department and contemplated transferring property management and disposal of the SR 710 freeway surplus properties to another State agency.
With the threat of the freeway extension averted and the possibility of further delays and mismanagement of the disposition of SR 710 freeway surplus properties, the City’s next challenge will be to explore and implement a strategy that provides the City and their residents a more favorable disposition outcome. SB 381 seeks to expeditiously provide existing and qualified Caltrans tenants the opportunity to purchase while at the same time allow the City and their housing partners to acquire and renovate the unoccupied properties. The City hopes that this effort will restore neighborhoods suffering the numerous adverse consequences of decades-long neglect of many of the residential properties located within the corridor. The bill proposes changes to the existing surplus disposition process and provides a path for South Pasadena to determine a favorable disposition of the surplus Caltrans properties.
“City Council looks forward to the opportunity afforded by this forum to provide additional information regarding SB 381, and to listen to community concerns and suggestions for improvement,” said Mayor Mahmud. “There will be multiple opportunities for community input as the bill wends its way through the Legislature and beyond.”
The virtual meeting will be conducted over ZOOM and broadcast live on the City Council meeting webpage. Questions and comments may be submitted in advance of the meeting to SB381comment@southpasadenaca.gov. There will also be opportunity for questions and comments during the live workshop. Registration is required to participate in the live forum.
Please register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_51yHRVk4ThqvR1hN3HrQiw
The City has created a webpage on their website to provide information and ongoing updates regarding SB 381. The new webpage provides the ability for anyone to sign up and receiving updates as they become available. For more information on SB 381 and to register for updates, please visit: https://www.southpasadenaca.gov/visitors/state-route-710/senate-bill-381-portantino
