Committee backs PUC sale of small parcel to Santa Clara Valley Water District; forwarded to full Board

The Budget & Finance Committee reviewed a proposed sale of a small San Francisco-owned parcel near Manzano Way in Sunnyvale to the Santa Clara Valley Water District (Valley Water).

Tony Barto of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission's real estate group presented the item and described the property as "just under 11,000 square feet," improved with a service road and a concrete ramp that provides access to Valley Water facilities and a bicycle-pedestrian trail segment under a current license. Barto said the SFPUC has no utility use for the parcel and that selling it to Valley Water would avoid the expense and risk of eminent-domain litigation; the appraised fair market value was $33,000 (appraisal dated February 2021, updated December 2021).

Barto noted that the SFPUC previously approved the sale by Resolution 22-0070 and requested the committee recommend the resolution to the full Board. There were no public speakers for this item. Supervisor Ronan asked about the low price; PUC staff explained the small parcel area and limited utility as principal factors. The committee voted unanimously to forward the resolution to the full Board with a positive recommendation.