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3w ago

California Legislature Sends SB 79 to Newsom, Advancing Statewide Transit Upzoning

A late deal adding union hiring provisions flipped the building trades to support, bolstering a bill that overrides local zoning to allow taller housing near transit.

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FILE – In this June 28, 2018, file photo, State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, speaks to members of the Senate in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)
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Overview

  • The Senate approved final concurrence 21–8 on Friday, a day after the Assembly passed it 41–17, sending the bill to the governor for action in October.
  • SB 79 would allow buildings up to nine stories next to certain transit stops, seven stories within a quarter-mile, and six stories within a half-mile.
  • The measure automatically upzones land within a quarter-mile of major transit and provides ministerial approval for qualifying projects within a half-mile.
  • Transit agencies would be able to build at higher densities on their property, and projects must meet local inclusionary housing and renter protection rules.
  • The State Building and Construction Trades Council backed the bill after union hiring amendments, while the Los Angeles City Council voted 8–5 to oppose it and residents staged protests over local control and neighborhood impacts.