Legislation would allow more height, density for housing in transit-friendly area
A contentious state bill to encourage denser housing near public transit has been revised to give local governments more control over where that housing is built in an effort to appease skeptics who are concerned about overrides to local zoning.
The legislation in question is Senate Bill 79 from San Francisco state Sen. Scott Wiener, who hopes to incentivize developers to build housing near transit corridors such as BART, Caltrain or ferry stations. The bill prescribes height and density tiers based on the proximity and type of the nearest transit stop: for example, the maximum height could range from 45 feet to 95 feet.
Since SB 79’s introduction, the language has included a local flexibility provision to allow cities to choose where to build housing within the half-mile radius of a transit stop. But the bill has faced intense criticism from municipalities including Palo Alto, whose officials liken it to a state takeover of local zoning initiatives — especially after cities just finished planning for additional housing with the 2023-2031 Housing Element. To address these specific concerns, amendments approved in a state Assembly committee earlier this month give cities even more flexibility by allowing them to exempt certain lots from SB 79 that have already been upzoned.
Wiener told the Assembly Standing Committee on Local Government on July 16 that the changes acknowledge the density reforms cities have already made to comply with the Housing Element.
“This really shows that the author and the sponsors are making a good-faith effort to ensure that jurisdictions that are doing their part are getting credit for that,” said Jordan Grimes, who advocated for the bill during the meeting on behalf of the climate change nonprofit Greenbelt Alliance.
More unwanted housing laws. Already bad laws for unending affordable socialism in communities that want market forces not charity to dictate housing. This progressive agenda undermines the middle working class of citizens. NO on 79!!!