SB 330 Legislative News - from Jeff Ebenstein, Director of Policy & Legislation for Councilmember Paul Koretz
WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH SACRAMENTO TRYING TO OVERRIDE LOCAL CONTROL ON HOUSING?
First, SB 50 threatened to implement mandatory density increases in residential neighborhoods and undermine local zoning laws. Thanks in large part to vocal opposition from Council District 5, that bill has been defeated, for now. Thankfully, Senator Portantino who serves as the Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee heard community outcries from up and down the State (both San Francisco and Los Angeles City Councils voted in opposition) and tabled the bill. If the bill doesn’t come out of Committee before the end of January 2020, it will be considered killed. But just like a zombie we have to remain vigilant for “gut and amend” versions that can quietly find new life when no one is looking.
So just when we thought we might get a break, Senator Nancy Skinner is running the ball on SB 330, another supply-side housing bill that has managed to survive but that many are calling SB 50’s evil twin.
SB 330 would arbitrarily limit how cities address community growth impacts by allowing project applicants to submit a ‘preliminary application’, which are known to contain too little information for a city to determine the scope of a proposed project or the type of California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) clearance needed and its true potential environmental impacts.
Additional negative impacts of SB 330 include:
not producing affordable housing;
a limit on the number of public hearings needed to vet a proposed project;
prohibiting the city from imposing parking requirements;
no integrity for single family zoning; and
no protection for historic preservation.
Councilmember Koretz believes that authority over land use planning and zoning laws is the most fundamental of local issues and the City must maintain the ability to make decisions that make sense for local communities and neighborhoods. For the aforementioned reasons, Councilmember Koretz submitted a resolution to have the City formally oppose SB 330.
As was done to oppose SB 50, it is vitally important that you contact your representatives in Sacramento, and urge them to also oppose SB 330.
Please note: not all Senators wish to have a public email address. However, you can submit a comment on legislation on the "comment" page of their website.
Here's how:
Go to https://www.senate.ca.gov/senators. Locate the Senator you want to contact and click "contact." This will take you to their comment form. Fill in the form. Click on the "select an issue" drop down box, select "submit a comment on legislation," and type in your comment "OPPOSE SB 330." Don't forget to hit the OPPOSE button on the page next to the comment section.
Website fo Councilmember Paul Koretz
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