Council Rejects Housing Density Plan, Cites Local Control Concerns
The Los Angeles City Council voted 8–5 on Monday to oppose Senate Bill 79, a contentious housing density proposal from state Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco that would limit cities’ authority over local development, according to a press release from CD 11 Councilwoman Traci Park’s office.
SB 79 is a bill currently in the California State Legislature, authored by Senator Scott Wiener (D – San Francisco). According to a press release from Senator Wiener, SB 79 would allow more homes near transit by:
- Establishing state zoning standards around train stations and major bus stops (bus rapid transit stops) that allow for multi-family homes up to seven stories near immediately surrounding major transit stops, with lower height standards extending up to half a mile away from such stops.
- Allowing local transit agencies to develop at the same or greater density on land they own.
The bill was amended ahead of the Senate Appropriations committee to reconfigure the bill’s tiering system, to allow local jurisdictions more flexibility in where to put the increased density, to clarify that local affordability requirements still apply, and to add an affordability requirement where local affordability requirements do not exist. The bill was amended in the Senate Appropriations Committee to remove provisions of the bill related to the Surplus Lands Act and to remove SB 79’s applicability in light industrial zones.
The resolution, brought forward by Councilmembers Traci Park and John Lee, followed a morning press conference at City Hall where preservationists, neighborhood advocates, and community leaders criticized the measure as a threat to Los Angeles’ planning process, infrastructure, and historic neighborhoods.
SB 79 would impose uniform density increases across California cities, effectively removing local governments’ ability to reject or modify major projects. Opponents argue the law would override years of city-led planning and place decision-making power in Sacramento.
“SB 79 is Sacramento’s attempt to hijack local planning and hand the keys to developers, while silencing the voices of the very people who live here,” Park said in a statement after the vote. She pointed to the city’s own housing incentive programs as examples of “smart, responsible growth” that should not be superseded by state law.
Lee, who represents the San Fernando Valley, said Los Angeles has worked to balance new housing with community input. “The people of Los Angeles deserve to have a say in how their city grows,” he said.
Community leaders echoed those concerns earlier in the day. Venice Neighborhood Council planning chair Alix Gucovsky said the measure “treats residents as commodities instead of community members.” Westchester activist Tracy Conyers argued the bill would strip away neighborhood input, while Andrew Salimian of the Los Angeles Conservancy warned that historic and cultural landmarks could be lost under a statewide mandate.
The council’s action comes as SB 79 heads to the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Tuesday. If advanced, the bill could reach the full Assembly floor for a vote in the coming weeks.
