Legislative Overview - What is Senate Bill 268?

  • Senate Bill 268, authored by Senator Archuleta, was signed into law in October of 2021 and it authorizes Los Angeles County Cities along the Lower San Gabriel River to form a multi-jurisdictional Special Assessment District.
  • The City of Pico Rivera has been designated as the lead applicant to establish the Lower San Gabriel Recreation and Park District.
  • The Goals of the District are:
    • Promote the development of open spaces and parks along the Lower San Gabriel River
    • Create a unified mission, vision, and goals as a recognized governing body to represent the communities along the river.
    • Identify funding and resources to promote the revitalization of the lower San Gabriel River and open spaces along the river for the benefit and enjoyment of local communities.
    • Acquire, construct, improve, maintain, and operate parks and open space along the Lower San Gabriel River. 

Before & After Revitalizations

Example of Los Angeles River Revitalization

Rio Hondo River Revitalization

The Initial Board of Directors of the Lower San Gabriel Recreation and Park District will be composed of one member from the following municipalities: 

City of Downey

City of Whittier

City of Pico Rivera

City of Norwalk

City of Santa Fe Springs

City of Artesia

City of Bellflower

City of Cerritos

City of Lakewood

City of Hawaiian Gardens

City of Long Beach

Proposed Lower San Gabriel River Recreation and Park District Boundaries

  • The Lower San Gabriel River is largely defined by the Whitter Narrows Dam on the north and the Pacific Ocean in the City of Long Beach to the South.
  • According to the CalEnviroScreen 4.0, many census tracts along the river are categorized as “disadvantage communities” due to disproportionate exposure to poor air quality from congested freeways and trade routes such as the I-605, SR-91, and I-405 Freeways.
  •  The San Gabriel River also features a Class-I bike path that connects to numerous points of interest, thereby serving as the backbone of the region active transportation network in Los Angeles County.

The Project Team

Suely Saro, Project Development Specialist

San Gabriel & Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy (RMC)

Contact: ssaro@rmc.ca.gov

Project Timeline

  • October 2017 – SB 693, sponsored by Senator Tony Mendoza, was signed into law authorizing a local agency to initiate the formation of the lower San Gabriel River Recreation and Parks District
  • January 1, 2020 – Original expiration date of SB 693
  • October 2021 – SB 268, authored by Senator Bob Archuleta, was signed into law extending the deadline for the formation of the Lower San Gabriel River Recreation and Park District to January 1, 2024
  • January 2022 – City of Pico Rivera and RMC begin outreach to cities included in the proposed Lower San Gabriel River Recreation and Park District
  • March 2023 – Pico Rivera City Council approves resolution authorizing staff to initiate an application to the Los Angeles Local Area Formation Commission (LAFCO) for the formation of the Lower San Gabriel River Recreation and Parks District

Important Documents

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