HomeMy WebLinkAboutOpposition Letter - SB 8 (Skinner) - 06.03.2021
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June 3, 2021
The Honorable Nancy Skinner
California State Senate, 9th District
State Capitol, Room 5094
Sacramento, CA 95814
Re: SB 8 (Skinner) – Oppose
Dear Senator Skinner,
On behalf of the City of Cupertino, I am writing to express our opposition to Senate Bill
8. This bill would extend the sunset clause of the Housing Crisis Act of 2019 (SB 330) by five years,
from 2025 to 2030, while also extending the law’s declaration of a statewide housing crisis, and
the existing law’s freeze on nearly all development‐related fees once a developer submits a
“preliminary” application, amongst other items.
One of our primary concerns is the extension of the sunset date of the Housing Crisis Act
and its provisions. We feel that an extension should not be evaluated until closer to the actual
sunset date, as to provide additional time to determine if the objectives of the initial legislation
are being met. Additionally, the City is concerned about provisions of the Housing Crisis Act that
limit a city’s ability to levy appropriate fees to mitigate the impacts of proposed projects. Fees
help our communities provide essential infrastructure and public services ranging from schools
and fire protection to parks and utilities, all of which are affected by increased development and
population growth. Especially amid the continued economic recovery from the COVID‐19
pandemic, cities cannot afford to lose out on dollars needed to operate, especially when
requirements are placed upon them that result in a need for additional infrastructure.
California continues to need more affordable housing, but the provisions in SB 8 do not
address this need in a manner that will allow the aims of the legislation to be implemented in a
successful manner. The City of Cupertino is supportive of increasing affordable housing that will
be successful but the proposed legislation here not only does not consider appropriate scaling, it
MAYOR DARCY PAUL
CITY OF CUPERTINO
CORRESPONDENCE TO SENATOR SKINNER OPPOSING SB 8 page 2 of 2
also prevents communities from doing the necessary work of accommodating the developments,
and the latter is simply a preclusive factor to achieving viability.
It is for these reasons that the City must respectfully oppose SB 8.
Sincerely,
Darcy Paul
Mayor
City of Cupertino
cc: Senator Dave Cortese
Assemblymember Evan Low
Assemblymember Marc Berman