"Just because Senate Bill 79 was signed into law in October doesn't mean the war over housing near transit in Los Angeles is over - it's intensifying. Metro - L.A. County's transportation agency - is now pushing to gut SB 79. City of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, one of the law's earliest and most vocal opponents, is among a large contingent of L.A. Metro's Board of Directors formally now pushing the legislature and governor to exempt L.A. County from the law entirely. 11 of 13 Metro boardmembers approved Metro's anti-SB 79 position."
"SB 79 - authored by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom - is one of the most ambitious housing reforms in state history. It is designed to boost compact, transit-oriented development by: Upzoning areas near transit: Allowing buildings up to seven stories high within a quarter-mile of major rail or bus rapid transit stations, and up to four stories within a half-mile. Empowering transit agencies: Permitting transit agencies to set zoning standards on property they own near qualifying transit hubs. Streamlining permitting: Fast-tracking approval for housing projects within a half-mile of major transit stops."
"Last week's vote was not technically about last year's SB 79, but about a piece of legislation, Senate Bill 677, that Wiener is pushing this year that has a number of minor technical fixes to last year's law. Metro was asking for a amendments to be added to the legislation that would, amongst other things, entirely exempt Los Angeles County from the law. Wiener's office has not supported this change."
SB 79 allows upzoning and streamlined approvals for housing near major transit, permitting buildings up to seven stories within a quarter-mile of major rail or bus rapid transit stations and up to four stories within a half-mile. The law empowers transit agencies to set zoning standards on property they own near qualifying transit hubs and fast-tracks permitting for projects within a half-mile of major stops. Los Angeles Metro's Board of Directors voted 11 of 13 to push the legislature and governor to exempt L.A. County from the law, with Mayor Karen Bass among the contingent. Metro sought amendments to Senate Bill 677 to secure that exemption; Senator Scott Wiener's office did not support the change.
Read at Streetsblog
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