Governor Signs Bill to Allow Sale of Properties Along 710

Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill that green lights the sale of state-owned property along the 710 freeway corridor, signaling the definitive end to talk of a freeway surface route through that stretch, according to a news release.

Senator Carol Liu, D-La Canada Flintridge, authored Senate Bill 416.  Assemblyman Chris Holden is the principal co-author. 

During a State of the State address to the Monrovia City Council Tuesday night, Holden said he was optimistic that the governor would sign the bill.

“I applaud the Governor for signing this bill, as it is a critical first-step to restoring peace and security to neighborhoods long threatened by Caltrans’ poor property management and an ill-advised surface extension of the 710,” Holden said in a statement. “Thanks to Sen. Liu, Caltrans’ decades- long mismanagement of the ‘surplus homes’ will finally come to an end.”

The legislation allows Caltrans to sell houses the state agency acquired more than 50 years ago along the 4.5-mile corridor that goes through parts of Pasadena, South Pasadena, Alhambra, and East Los Angeles. 

The properties have been neglected and this bill would speed up the sale to allow them to be sold "as is," according to Holden.

“I am pleased to have worked with Sen. Liu on this critical measure to ensure that the surface route for the 710 extension is dead and that we can now work toward other options that reduce local pollution and get traffic in the region moving,” Holden added.