SB 79: Planning and zoning: housing development: transit-oriented development.

Existing law, the Planning and Zoning Law, requires each city, county, or city and county to prepare and adopt a general plan for its jurisdiction that contains certain mandatory elements, including a housing element. Under existing law, a part of the housing element is an assessment of housing needs, which includes the localitys share of the regional housing need. Under existing law, the appropriate council of local governments, or for cities without a council of governments, the Department of Housing and Community Development, adopts a final regional housing need plan that allocates a share of the regional housing need to each locality in the region. Existing law requires the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District to adopt by ordinance transit-oriented development (TOD) zoning standards for each station that establish minimum zoning requirements for height, density, parking, and floor area ratio that apply to an eligible TOD project, as provided, and authorizes developers of certain eligible TOD projects to submit an application for a development that is subject to a specified streamlined, ministerial approval process, as provided.

This bill would declare the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation that would make housing more affordable for California families, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and enhance public transit systems by, among other things, requiring the upzoning of land near rail stations and rapid bus lines to encourage transit-oriented development. The bill would make related findings and declarations.