(a) The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:
(1) The Sonoma Developmental Center is located in Eldridge, in the County of Sonoma, near the community of Glen Ellen and is composed of a developed campus covering approximately 180 acres and approximately 700 acres of open space adjacent to the Sonoma Valley Regional Park and the Jack London State Historic Park.
(2) The Sonoma Developmental Center opened in 1891 and is a state-run residential care facility dedicated to serving individuals with developmental disabilities.
(3) In the October 2015 Plan for the Closure of the Sonoma Developmental Center, the State Department of Developmental Services recognized the unique natural and historic resources of the property and acknowledged that it was not the intent of the state to follow the traditional state surplus property process.
(4) The State Department of Developmental Services concluded residential operations at the Sonoma Developmental Center in December 2018 after successfully relocating all residents to homes in the community.
(5) With the campus closed for developmental services, the property will be maintained and managed by the Department of General Services and a process to determine the future of the site is needed.
(6) California is experiencing an acute affordable housing crisis. The cost of land significantly limits the development of affordable housing. It is the intent of the Legislature that priority be given to affordable housing in the disposition of the Sonoma Developmental Center state real property.
(7) The Department of General Services recognizes the exceptional open-space, natural resources, and wildlife habitat characteristics of the Sonoma Developmental Center.
(8) It is the intent of the Legislature to establish a partnership between the Department of General Services and the County of Sonoma that provides for a priority land use planning process. During this process, the Department of General Services will maintain the Sonoma Developmental Center and the County of Sonoma will manage the planning process. The planning and disposition process is expected to be of a three-year duration.
(9) It is the intent of the Legislature that the lands outside the core developed campus and its related infrastructure be preserved as public parkland and open space.
(b) For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
(1) “Agreement” means the formal agreement between the Department of General Services and the County of Sonoma to implement a disposition and land use planning process.
(2) “County” means the County of Sonoma.
(3) “Property” means all state-owned real property comprising the Sonoma Developmental Center.
(4) “Specific plan” means a comprehensive planning and zoning document for a defined geographic region of County of Sonoma.
(c) (1) The director may, upon those terms and conditions that the director deems to be in the best interests of the state, enter into an agreement with the county for the county to develop a specific plan for the property and to manage the land use planning process integrated with a disposition process for the property, to be carried out by the department. The disposition may include the sale, lease, exchange, or other transfer of all or part of the property or property interest the director deems to be in the best interests of the state. The planning process shall facilitate the disposition of the property by amending the general plan of the county and any appropriate zoning ordinances, completing any environmental review, and addressing the economic feasibility of future development.
(2) In carrying out the land use planning and disposition process pursuant to the agreement, the director and county shall provide for the expeditious planning of future land uses for the site and an opportunity for community input, with the intent to reduce uncertainty, increase land values, expedite marketing, and maximize interested third-party potential purchasers.
(3) The disposition of the property or property interests shall provide for the permanent protection of the open space and natural resources as a public resource to the greatest extent feasible and shall be upon terms and conditions the director deems to be in the best interests of the state.
(4) The agreement shall require that housing be a priority in the planning process and that any housing proposal determined to be appropriate for the property shall include affordable housing. It is further the intent of the state that priority be given to projects that include housing that is deed restricted to provide housing for individuals with developmental disabilities.
(5) The department may petition the State Water Resources Control Board for a change of purpose of use of the property that recognizes the need for conservation of water resources to preserve or enhance habitat, fish and wildlife resources, groundwater resources, and recreation.
(6) The agreement shall consider options for the appropriate protection of the Eldridge Cemetery located on the property.
(d) The director may enter into any additional agreements, upon terms and conditions that the director determines to be in the best interests of the state, to provide for the management, operations, and maintenance of the property.
(e) (1) This section shall not apply to the transfer of the property to a state agency in accordance with Section 11011.
(2) A transfer, sale, or final disposition of any portion of the property or property interest authorized pursuant to this section shall not occur until the director has determined that the county has granted necessary approvals to rezone the property, approved a specific plan or plans for the property, and approved any necessary development agreements needed for disposition of all or any portion of the property, or the director has determined that the transfer, sale, or final disposition is in the best interests of the state.
(f) All riparian water rights shall remain with the property. The state owns riparian water rights and pre-1914 and post-1914 appropriative water rights and owns and operates a municipal water supply, treatment, and distribution system on the property. These rights may be held by the state for existing and future domestic uses on the property.
(g) The county shall provide quarterly reports to the department that shall include expenditures, contracts, and an update describing the progress of the expedited planning process.
(Added by Stats. 2019, Ch. 29, Sec. 96. (SB 82) Effective June 27, 2019.)