SENATOR WIENER’S SB 50 TEMPORARILY DIES IN SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE
Senate Appropriations Chair Anthony Portantino (D-La Canada Flintridge) killed SB 50 until 2020. Senator Wiener’s attempted land grab of all the state’s single family neighborhoods was unprecedented. SB 50 would have usurped local planning — and permitted by-right high densification — basically ending single family neighborhoods statewide. By-right among many other things included homes being converted into four, five, or six plexes by-right. It was not just density bonus centered around transit — it was school and jobs oriented too. One size Sacramento shoe does not fit all in planning.
As far as CC&R’s go — “SB 50 replaces EVERYTHING except what is specifically exempted and the only protection for CC&R’s relates to AFFORDABLE housing and not any other type of housing. Section 65913.5.(b)(2)(A) excludes: (A) Housing that is subject to a recorded covenant, ordinance, or law that restricts rents to levels affordable to persons and families of moderate, low, or very low income,” a local attorney stated.
Although the proponents of SB 50 attempted to disguise it as an affordability housing bill, it is not. It would have actually displaced lower to mid-income and long-time residents. Wiener who represents San Francisco, did of course, exempt smaller counties of less than 600,000 — including several in northern California — Governor Newsom’s for one. Hardest hit was southern California and particularly L.A. County. The bill was heavily sponsored by developers, real estate interests, and YIMBY’s. Senator Wiener said he’s, “100 percent committed” to moving the legislation forward next year”. So, we will need to continue to be vigilant and follow this closely.
As former LA County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky said about SB 50, “I’m hopeful that the Legislature will come to its senses. If not, on their watch, they can say they’ve destroyed cities and communities up and down the state of California. We don’t need to do that. It’s an over-reach. There’s a middle ground that he [Wiener] is not interested in exploring, because he is carrying the water for an industry that serves to benefit.”
If you would like to thank Sen. Anthony Portantino for putting the brakes on Wiener’s bill please jump onto FB, Twitter, or Instagram today and thank him for sending SB 50 into hibernation. Or you can just drop him a quick thank you email Sen. Portantinosenator.portantino@senate.ca.gov