DEL MAR — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday signed Senate Bill 79, a sweeping housing law allowing taller and denser residential development near major public transit stops — despite strong opposition from several North County cities that argued the legislation undermines local land-use control.
The bill, introduced by state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, overrides local zoning standards and permits multi-family housing up to 9 stories near designated transit hubs across eight California counties, including San Diego.
In announcing his signature, Newsom said the measure advances the state’s commitment to affordable, transit-oriented housing.
“All Californians deserve an affordable place to live — close to jobs, schools, and opportunity,” Newsom said. “Housing near transit means shorter commutes, lower costs, and more time with family. When we invest in housing, we’re investing in people — their chance to build a future, raise a family, and be part of a community.”
Wiener called the legislation a “historic step” in addressing California’s housing crisis, saying it marks “a new day for affordable housing and public transportation.”
But in North County, local officials said the bill goes too far.
Cities including Oceanside, Encinitas, Vista, Solana Beach, Carlsbad and Del Mar formally opposed the measure, citing concerns about the erosion of local control and the lack of affordable housing requirements.
“It’s bad policy,” Solana Beach Mayor Lesa Heebner told The Coast News. “I think it’s over the top, because it obliterates the planning that we have done.”
Heebner said she hopes the governor will clarify that such measures should apply only to cities with out-of-compliance housing elements — the state-approved plans that guide local housing development.
Encinitas Mayor Bruce Ehlers echoed those concerns in a Sept. 18 letter to the governor.
“SB 79 doubles down on the recent trend of the state overriding its own mandated local housing elements,” Ehlers wrote. “This latest overreaching effort forces cities to approve transit-oriented development projects near specified transit without regard to the community’s needs, environmental review, or public input.”
Under SB 79, project size and height depend on proximity to a transit stop. The largest developments are permitted adjacent to the busiest rail stations — such as those served by the North County Transit District’s Coaster and Sprinter lines. Within a quarter-mile of these stops, buildings could rise up to 75 feet with densities of 120 units per acre.
To ease concerns from smaller jurisdictions, lawmakers amended the bill to exempt cities with fewer than 35,000 residents from the broader requirements, limiting the affected zones to within a quarter mile of qualifying stops.
State Sen. Catherine Blakespear, D-Encinitas, was among eight senators who voted against the bill, saying she could not support legislation opposed by so many of her constituent cities.
“The fact is that we have a process that distributes local land use decision making to local officials,” Blakespear said. “This goes around the established process. In Encinitas, I was extensively involved in that, and we wouldn’t have wanted those decisions made for us.”
According to an Oct. 6 newsletter from Blakespear’s office, transit stations, specifically in Oceanside, San Diego and Vista, would be affected by the legislation.
The legislation also allows transit agencies, such as the North County Transit District, to pursue housing on their own land if it is located within a half-mile of a qualifying stop. At least half of the total square footage must be residential, with at least 20% of units deed-restricted for lower-income households.
The agency’s board may set its own zoning standards for these projects, provided there is public input.
Outside of SB 79, NCTD has already advanced major mixed-use redevelopment plans for several properties. A proposed project at the Oceanside Transit Center would add 500 apartment units, a boutique hotel, expanded retail space, and more than $100 million in transit upgrades.
Although the bill’s supporters — including YIMBY advocates, labor unions, and the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition — hailed it as a step toward sustainable growth, North County leaders warned it could fundamentally reshape coastal neighborhoods.
The Coast News reporter Leo Place and City News service contributed to this article.
2 comments
Correction: “the bill was amended to REmove local bus routes and the Coaster”
This bill is so extreme that even normally pro-growth legislators like Blakespear voted No. One Size Fits All never works, particularly in zoning and land use. With previous state laws, the experience in Solana Beach and other cities has been a loss of older, smaller, naturally more affordable units exceeding any gain in new affordable units, with misguided state mandates causing increased gentrification and a deeper shortage in the low end of the market.
The worst impacts will hit established residential neighborhoods along the trolley and Sprinter lines. The Sprinter is notoriously unreliable, with numerous announcements of canceled train runs, making it a poor substitute for owning a car. Fortunately, the bill was amended to move local bus routes and the Coaster, but I am sure Wiener and his developer owners want to put these back in at some point, so we have only temporarily dodged a bullet.
The densities and heights allowed under SB-79 are way out of line with the scale and needs many of the “transit-served” communities.
Another major issue to consider: by far the most popular use of transit (my own, as well) is commuting to work or going to a cultural or sports event. However, because transit’s Last Mile problem is so difficult to address, driving to work instead of relying on transit opens up about 10 times as many employment opportunities for any given individual. Very few tradespeople can ride transit to work, and even office or fixed-location workers can reach an estimated 10 times as many jobsites by car instead of by transit. Want to spend 8.5 to 9 hours or more at work (including lunch breaks, etc.) and then 1.5 to 2 hours each way commuting?