State mandated development bill SB50...April 17th comment deadline
SB 50....
Sen. Scott Weiner's SB 50 bill is worse than his SB 827 was last year and yet it has gotten far less publicity and push back.
Incredibly, this bill passed in the Housing Committee in the Senate on a 9-1 vote.
The Housing Committee was reconstituted from last year and Scott Wiener is now in charge.
The next hearing is before the Committee on Government and Finance and all comments are DUE BY APRIL 17th.
SB 50 ELIMINATES ALL LOCAL ZONING, INCLUDING HISTORICAL PRESERVATION, ALL SINGLE FAMILY, AND ALL OTHER LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL ZONING within a half mile of transit and within a half mile of a "jobs rich area".
Goodbye to single family neighborhoods and low density residential zoning, which in diverse Los Angeles includes neighborhoods from Brentwood to Boyle Heights, and includes nearly all HPOZ and HISTORICAL ZONES in Los Angeles, all of which qualify as "jobs rich" areas or are "transit rich" as they are close to metro and planned metro extensions......WITHOUT requiring a single unit of affordable housing for developments of up to 20 units and only minimal affordable housing for larger units
There is NO CREDIBLE DATA that shows that existing zoning for commercial and higher density residential housing stock in LA or elsewhere in the state has been depleted or that the many "Density Bonus" laws passed at a state and local level over the last several years are not enough to accommodate sufficient housing.
Rather, this bill promotes rank REAL ESTATE SPECULATION,.
The ever increasing annual up zoning from Sacramento is raised EVERY year without analysis of what happened with the laws already passed in prior years.
SB 50 is the product of many contributions by developers.
PLEASE write and call your State legislators, and the Committee on Government and Finance.
Find Your Rep
http://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/
WHITLEY HEIGHTS: State Assembly (District 50) Assembly Member Richard Bloom-DEM Tel: (310) 450-0041 Tel: (916) 319-2050 State Senate (District 26)
Senator Benjamin Allen-DEM
Tel: (310) 318-6994
Tel: (916) 651-4026
The Committee on Governance and Finance.....
Anton.favorini-csorba@sen.ca.gov
https://sgf.senate.ca.gov/
You can use sample letter below or create your own:
Dear -----
THIS EMAIL IS WRITTEN TO OPPOSE SB 50, and it's attack on local control, good governance in land use and zoning, and single family and lower density residential zoning.
There is NO CREDIBLE DATA to support "trickle down" theories of building new housing.
To the contrary, most of the data available shows that displacement of existing residents in favor of new (expensive and luxury) development DOES NOT RESULT IN ANY AFFORDABLE HOUSING INCREASE OR ANY SOCIAL BENEFIT WHATSOEVER.
MOREOVER, SB 50 UP ZONES WITHOUT REQUIRING A SINGLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNIT FOR ANY DEVELOPMENT OF UP TO 20 UNITS.
A single family home or a rent controlled duplex or four plex, even if in an HISTORICAL ZONE, could be torn down and replaced by an enormous luxury 55 foot apartment building of up to 20 units without any affordable housing component, not even replacing the rent controlled units eliminated.
There is no legitimate basis on which the STATE can reach down and OVERRIDE LOCAL ORDINANCES such as the 'Los Angeles Baseline Mansionization' or 'Hillside Ordinances'.
Many of the "jobs rich" and "transit rich" areas affected and perhaps targeted by this bill are the spine of our cities and house working class families and individuals.
This bill displaces renters, including families, seniors and veterans, living in rent-controlled housing, promotes more high rise luxury units, and real estate speculation and fails to ensure even a single unit of affordable housing.
I URGE YOU TO VOTE 'NO' ON SB 50 AND ON ANY FURTHER 'ONE SIZE FITS ALL' STATE MANDATED ZONING FOR CALIFORNIA.
I URGE YOU TO REQUIRE STUDIES AS TO DEVELOPMENT THAT HAS BEEN APPROVED, AND HAS OCCURRED BY VIRTUE OF EXISTING DENSITY BONUS MANDATES, AND HOW EFFECTIVE THAT DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN IN ADDRESSING THE ISSUES SB 50 SETS FORTH AS JUSTIFICATION FOR IT'S PROVISIONS.
Sincerely, ----
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THE LEAGUE OF CALIFORNIA CITIES...Opposed
Dear Senator Wiener,
The League of California Cities must respectfully oppose SB 50..... SB 50 would allow developers of certain types of housing projects to override locally developed and adopted height limitations, housing densities, parking requirements, and limit design review standards.
Unfortunately, SB 50 as presently drafted lacks the flexibility needed to meet the State’s housing goals while also acknowledging community input and engagement.
Specifically, the League has significant concerns with the following......
Read The League of California Cities SB50 opposition letter...
http://blob.capitoltrack.com/19blobs/409d580a-59b9-4c54-8ab0-7efbb53739bc ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
UNITED NEIGHBORHOODS FOR LOS ANGELES ... UN4LA.....Opposed
SCOTT WIENER’S UP ZONING BILL, SB 50, PASSES FIRST COMMITTEE VOTE.
CONTACT YOUR STATE REPS TODAY!
On Tuesday the State Senate Housing Committee approved Scott Wiener’s SB 50 by a 9 to 1 vote.
The bill purports to address California’s housing crisis by up zoning parcels up to a half mile away from transit, thereby allowing developers to build significantly larger projects with no public hearings and no environmental review.
If you oppose this all-out assault on local planning, please contact your State legislators today.
If you don’t know who they are, click on the link below.
Find Your Rep
http://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/
Projects that qualify under SB 50 would receive:
-A waiver from maximum controls on density.
-Streamlined, ministerial approval, meaning they would be exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
-No environmental assessment.
- No public hearings.
Please contact your State representatives to let them know where you stand on SB 50.
One of the reasons SB 827 was stopped last year was the outcry from cities that opposed Wiener's planning takeover.
If you know others who would be concerned about SB 50, please share this post.
Comment deadline April 17th!!
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Coalition to Preserve LA ......Opposed
SB50...
-Rewards construction of 85 ft. towers next to single family homes..
-Developers become their own zoners and planners..
-Overturns single family zoning..
-Only a building that directly harms public safety can be rejected by a city or county..
-Turns 1,000's of streets into density bonus on steroids where cities have no say..
-One size fits all...zoning will be the same throughout the state...
-Developers can sue if local groups oppose any development next to transit, jobs, schools..
-Residents will have no recourse through local boards or neighborhoods councils to question a project
http://www.2preservela.org/scott-wieners-sb-50-kills-neighborhoods-and-harms-
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ALLIANCE FOR COMMUNITY TRANSIT.......ACT.LA..... OPPOSED
On March 27th 2019, a letter signed by 35 organizations across California was submitted to Senator Scott Wiener, author of SB50 expressing significant concerns with the current version of SB 50, including Housing California, LA Voice, SAJE..Strategic Actions for a Just Economy, United Neighbors in Defense Against Displacement, Leadership Council for Justice and Accountability, Physicians for Social Responsibility...
The letter lays out concerns that fall into 3 broad categories:
-affordable housing requirements
-protections for sensitive communities
-preservation of local affordable housing policies and plans
Since March 27th, 20 more equity organizations have signed onto the letter.
To read the letter, find it here:
SB 50 – Significant ConcernsDownload
To view full list of 55 signatories, find it here:
SB 50 – Concerned OrganizationsDownload
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If You Think SB 50 Will Be Bad, Think Again: It Will Actually Be Much Worse..
CITYWATCH...Dick Platkin....04 April 2019
"The bill would allow developers to build large apartment buildings in neighborhoods now zoned for single-family homes and duplexes, including HPOZs and RFAs.
As shown on this map, SB 50 would wipe out zoning and planning laws in most of the Los Angeles area."
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New Legislation Could Threaten Historic Neighborhoods ...L.A. Conservancy
Two California Senate bills – SB 4 and SB 50 – have the potential to negatively impact Historic Neighborhoods.
Similar to last year’s legislation, SB 827, which did not pass California’s Senate Transportation and Housing Committee, both SB 4 and SB 50 are statewide pro-density housing bills that would override local land-use controls.
The intent of the bills is to address California’s affordable housing crisis by directing new, high-density housing development along transit lines.
....we are currently examining the language of the bills to determine the larger implications the legislation may have on eligible and locally-designated Historic Districts.
We want to ensure the bills do not impose a one-size-fits-all approach and unnecessarily harm the character of Historic Neighborhoods.
You can read the bill at: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB50
📷You can read the bill at: http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB50