HomeMy WebLinkAboutSB828_20180910_LetterToWeinerCity of San Luis Obispo, Office of the City Council, 990 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93401-3249, 805.781.7114, slocity.org
September 18, 2018
The Honorable Edmund G. Brown
Governor, State of California
State Capitol, First Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
VIA Email: Leg.Unit@gov.ca.gov
RE: SB 828 (Wiener) Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA)
Request Veto
Dear Governor Brown,
The City of San Luis Obispo urges your veto on SB 828 (Wiener), which would make numerous
changes to the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) process.
While we greatly appreciate recent amendments, one major concern remains. As outlined in prior
letters, Government Code Section 65584 (2) makes it very clear that cities “should undertake all
necessary actions to encourage, promote, and facilitate the development of housing to accommodate
the entire regional housing need.” However, this code section also appropriately acknowledges that
future housing production “may not equal” the housing need established for the planning process. SB
828 strikes this language and replaces it with a requirement that cities take “reasonable actions to
ensure that future housing production meet, at a minimum, the regional housing need established for
planning purposes.” This change implies that RHNA is a production mandate, when in fact RHNA is
a planning and zoning requirement.
The City of San Luis Obispo is already undertaking all necessary actions to facilitate the development
of housing. The City operates under a General Plan Housing Element that is currently in compliance
with California State housing element law. We have strategically planned for population growth and
increased housing demand. The City recently adopted a Land Use Element update which included
new residential land use designations for large areas within the City, to support new housing
development. Last year we adopted specific housing plans in those areas that will result in the
construction of 1,300 residential units over the next five to ten years. In addition to those residential
units, the City is currently processing another specific plan that would result in additional residential
units being constructed over the same time frame. The maximum build-out capacity of those specific
plans, in addition to the increased residential infill development under construction or currently
entitled, will satisfy our Regional Housing Needs Allocation.
In addition to identifying and designating land for housing development, this past August the City
adopted new policies to support the production of diverse housing opportunities that include the
following:
1. Minimum density allowances in the Medium Density (R-2), Medium-High
Density (R-3), and High Density Residential (R-4) zones.
2. Removed barriers for development of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU).
3. Requirements to provide residential units for infill development within the
Downtown Commercial (C-D) zone.
4. Relaxed the review process for mixed-use developments in the Commercial
Services (C-S) zone.
The City of San Luis Obispo is committed to increasing the local housing supply for all income levels.
However, the City cannot control many factors related to increasing the housing supply, such as the
price of land, legal challenges brought under the California Environmental Quality Act, construction
labor shortages, parcel owners’ willingness to build, and the lack of government subsidies for the
construction of affordable housing. The City should not be penalized and forced to plan for more
housing than there is market demand to build.
In order to comply with SB 828 the City of San Luis Obispo would be forced to re-zone land that has
been preserved for agricultural or open space areas which would result in increased vehicle miles
traveled, since those areas would be so far from existing job centers, schools, shopping, and other daily
services. Encouraging residential development in those areas would be counter-productive to all of the
sustainable and smart growth policies that the City and the State of California have promoted for
decades. For these reasons, the City of San Luis Obispo respectfully urges you to veto SB 828
(Wiener).
Sincerely,
Heidi Harmon
Mayor
City of San Luis Obispo
cc: Senator Scott Weiner senator.wiener@senate.ca.gov
Graciela Castillo-Krings,Deputy Legislative Secretary, Office of Governor Brown
Leg.Unit@gov.ca.gov
Dave Mullinax dmullinax@cacities.org
Meg Desmond, League of California Cities, cityletters@cacities.org