SB 715

Bill Subjects

Abstract

(1) Existing law, for purposes of a contract pursuant to the Williamson Act, requires the landowner to furnish the city or county with information that the city or county requires to determine the eligibility of the land involved in the contract. This bill would, on either an initial or ongoing basis, instead require the landowner to furnish the city or county with information that is directly related to the landowner's compliance with the act that the city or county requires to determine the eligibility of the land involved in the contract. (2) Existing law requires the legislative body of a city or county to deny approval of a tentative map, or a parcel map for which a tentative map was not required, if it finds that either the resulting parcels following a subdivision of that land would be too small to sustain their agricultural use, or the subdivision will result in residential development not incidental to the commercial agricultural use of the land, where the land is subject to, among others, a contract entered into pursuant to the Williamson Act.This bill would require the legislative body of a city or county to deny approval of a tentative map, or parcel map for which a tentative map is not required, for the proposed subdivision of land that is subject to a contract entered into pursuant to the Williamson Act, unless the legislative body finds, among other things, that each resulting parcel of land will be consistent with the local rules relating to that act, and each resulting parcel of land has an existing commercial agricultural use, an open-space use, or both, the agricultural improvements necessary to sustain a commercial agricultural use, an open-space use, or both, or a feasible plan exists for achieving those improvements, if necessary, as specified. The bill would also authorize the legislative body to impose any reasonable and necessary restrictions on the residential use of any resulting parcel. (3) Under existing law, if a city, county, or nonprofit organization serves written notice of nonrenewal of an open-space easement contract, a Williamson Act contract, or a farmland security zone contract, and the landowner fails to provide written notice of protest, the board of supervisors or the assessor is required to follow specified steps in assessing the annual value of the land immediately. This bill would instead provide that if a city, county, or nonprofit organization serves written notice of nonrenewal for cause, as defined, of an open-space easement contract, a Williamson Act contract, or a farmland security zone contract, or the city or county serves notice of nonrenewal and the landowner fails to provide written notice of protest, the board of supervisors or the assessor is required to follow specified steps in assessing the annual value of the land immediately.