(a) As used in this section:
(1) “Affected territory” means the main campus of the University of California, Merced and a road strip proposed for annexation to the City of Merced.
(2) “Main campus of the University of California, Merced” means the area within the boundaries of the campus of the University of California, Merced, as described in the University of California, Merced 2020 Long-Range Development Plan dated March 2020, and comprising of no more than 1,026 acres.
(3) “Road strip” means the street, highway, or road that connects the territory of the property to be annexed to the annexing city.
(b) Notwithstanding Section 56741, unincorporated territory consisting of property comprising the main campus of the University of California, Merced, together with the road strip, may be annexed to a city pursuant to this division, upon approval of the commission, if the following conditions are met:
(1) The affected territory is within the sphere of influence of the annexing city, as adopted by the commission.
(2) The affected territory lies within an unincorporated area within the County of Merced.
(c) The commission shall not approve any subsequent annexation to the road strip unless the territory proposed to be annexed is contiguous to the property comprising the main campus of the University of California, Merced or the boundaries of the City of Merced as it existed on January 1, 2021.
(d) This section applies only to the City of Merced.
(Added by Stats. 2020, Ch. 56, Sec. 1. (AB 3312) Effective January 1, 2021.)