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City of San Leandro <br />Meeting Date: September 17, 2018 <br />Staff Report <br />Agenda Section:File Number:18-439 CONSENT CALENDAR <br />Agenda Number:8.E. <br />TO:City Council <br />FROM:Jeff Kay <br />City Manager <br />BY:Tom Liao <br />Community Development Director <br />FINANCE REVIEW:Not Applicable <br />TITLE:Staff Report for a City of San Leandro City Council Resolution Consenting to the <br />Establishment of an Urban Agricultural Incentive Zone in the Ashland Area of <br />Unincorporated Alameda County (that is within the City’s Sphere of Influence) <br />SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS <br />Alameda County is considering adoption of an ordinance to create Urban Agriculture Incentive <br />Zones (UAIZ) in the unincorporated area. One of the zones includes the unincorporated <br />community of Ashland, which lies in the City of San Leandro’s sphere of influence. State law <br />requires that a county cannot establish an UAIZ within any portion of the spheres of influence of a <br />city unless the legislative body of the City approves it. <br />Staff recommends that the City Council approve the resolution consenting to the County’s <br />establishment of an Urban Agricultural Incentive Zone that includes the Ashland area in <br />unincorporated Alameda County, which is within the City of San Leandro’s sphere of influence. <br /> <br />BACKGROUND <br />State Assembly Bill (AB) 551, which was approved in 2013, authorizes cities and counties to <br />designate Urban Agriculture Incentive Zones within their jurisdictions and to enter into contracts <br />with the owners of vacant property within the designated zones. In exchange for agreeing to limit <br />the use of the property to agriculture for the five-year contract term, the property owner would <br />benefit from a reduction in property taxes on the parcel. The purpose of the program is to support <br />urban agriculture by increasing the amount of land available for agricultural activities and to <br />provide stability for urban farmers by ensuring that land will be committed to agriculture for a <br />period of years. <br />In 2017, the State passed AB 465, which extends authorization for counties and landowners to <br />enter into contracts from 2019 to 2029. In addition, AB 465 would allow a combination of <br />Page 1 City of San Leandro Printed on 9/11/2018