c AGENDA ITEM NO. 11 CITY OF HAWTHORNE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA BILL For the meeting of January 23, 2018 Originating Department: City Attorney/City Manager City Manager: Arnold Shadbehr City Attorney: Russell Miyahira SUBJECT: Adopt Resolution No. 7957, a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Hawthorne, California, Opposing SB 827. RECOMMENDED MOTION: Adopt Resolution No. 7957. NOTICING PROCEDURES: 72 hours posted notice pursuant to the Ralph M. Brown Act. FISCAL IMPACT: None. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: California State Senator Scott Wiener proposed legislation, SB 827 puts forward a housing-first policy which includes: (1) a mandate for denser and taller zoning near transit; and (2) the creation of a more data-driven and less political Regional Housing Needs Assessment process (RHNA provides local communities with numerical housing goals) and require communities to address past RHNA shortfalls. Under SB 827, parcels within a half-mile of high-connectivity transit hub such as LA Metro stations and one-quarter mile of a high-quality transit corridor (bus service at 15 minute intervals) will be required to have no density maximums (such as single family home mandates), no parking minimums, and a minimum height limit of between 45 and 85 feet, depending on various factors, such as whether the parcel is on a larger corridor and whether it is immediately adjacent to the station. This means that local requirements relative to height, density, floor area ratio, parking, and design review would no longer apply.
SB 827 is nothing more than a radical effort to override local planning, asserting that it will ease the housing crisis and trigger more people into riding public transit. Although the objective of SB 827 is to further Transit-Oriented Development ( TOD ), there is a significant difference between theoretical outcomes. When assessing TODs in downtown Los Angeles, it is clear that in the past decade, the thousands of new units built along LA s transit corridor have decreased, not increased as argued by Senator Wiener. Although more housing is needed in California to support the growing population, creating new units will not make a dent in easing the crisis unless they are accessible to middle-income and low-income Californians. While SB 827 makes the inclusion of affordable units one of the criteria for removing zoning and land use restrictions, the percentage of affordable units is unlikely to change the equation of affordable housing since affordable housing is not a prerequisite in SB 827. Research has borne out that new development along transit corridors has exacerbated the housing crisis causing gentrification and displacement. The Urban Displacement Project s recently released gentrification map of L.A. demonstrates that high density TODs have only increased housing costs resulting in low-income residents being pushed out of Chinatown, Highland Park, East L.A. and Hollywood. The promises for housing solutions contained in SB 827 are essentially illusory since benefits in either more affordable housing or higher transit ridership will not occur. The reality of SB 827 is that TODs will essentially be used to promote unchecked development, which is the prerogative of local agencies, such as design review and planning commissions as well as city councils. ATTACHMENT(S): Resolution No. 7957.
RESOLUTION NO. 7957 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF HAWTHORNE, CALIFORNIA, OPPOSING SENATE BILL 827 (WIENER) HOUSING FIRST POLICY. WHEREAS, California State Senator Scott Wiener proposed legislation, SB 827 puts forward a housing-first policy which includes: (1) a mandate for denser and taller zoning near transit; and (2) the creation of a more data-driven and less political Regional Housing Needs Assessment process (RHNA provides local communities with numerical housing goals) and require communities to address past RHNA shortfalls; and WHEREAS, under SB 827, parcels within a half-mile of high-connectivity transit hub such as LA Metro stations and one-quarter mile of a high-quality transit corridor (bus service at 15 minute intervals) will be required to have no density maximums (such as single family home mandates), no parking minimums, and a minimum height limit of between 45 and 85 feet, depending on various factors, such as whether the parcel is on a larger corridor and whether it is immediately adjacent to the station. This means that local requirements relative to height, density, floor area ratio, parking, and design review would no longer apply; and WHEREAS, SB 827 is nothing more than a radical effort to override local planning, asserting that it will ease the housing crisis and trigger more people into riding public transit; and WHEREAS, although the objective of SB 827 is to further Transit-Oriented Development ( TOD ), there is a significant difference between theoretical outcomes. When assessing TODs in downtown Los Angeles, it is clear that in the past decade, the thousands of new units built along LA s transit corridor have decreased, not increased as argued by Senator Wiener; and WHEREAS, although more housing is needed in California to support the growing population, creating new units will not make a dent in easing the crisis unless they are accessible to middle-income and low-income Californians. While SB 827 makes the inclusion of affordable units one of the criteria for removing zoning and land use restrictions, the percentage of affordable units is unlikely to change the equation of affordable housing since affordable housing is not a prerequisite in SB 827; and. WHEREAS, research has borne out that new development along transit corridors has exacerbated the housing crisis causing gentrification and displacement. The Urban Displacement Project s recently released gentrification map of L.A. demonstrates that high density TODs have only increased housing costs resulting in low-income residents being pushed out of Chinatown, Highland Park, East L.A. and Hollywood; and Reso. No. 7957 1
WHEREAS, the promises for housing solutions contained in SB 827 are essentially illusory since benefits in either more affordable housing or higher transit ridership will not(?) occur; and WHEREAS, the reality of SB 827 is that TODs will essentially be used to promote unchecked development, which is the prerogative of local agencies, such as design review and planning commissions as well as city councils. NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY OF HAWTHORNE CITY COUNCIL RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. The City of Hawthorne hereby opposes SB 827 because it is an illusory solution. The City Council declares that the only real solution to the problems of high housing costs, homelessness, worsening congestion and declining transit ridership is through local planning commissions that truly serve the needs of our urban communities. Section 2. The Mayor is directed to execute the letter addressed to Sacramento, attached to this Resolution, and forward it to Assembly member Burke, Senator Bradford and Senator Wienir (attached as Exhibit A ). Section 3. That the City Clerk shall certify to the passage and adoption of this resolution and enter it into the book of original resolutions. PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED THIS 23rd DAY OF JANUARY 2018. ATTEST: ALEX VARGAS, Mayor City of Hawthorne, California NORBERT A. HUBER, City Clerk City of Hawthorne, California APPROVED AS TO FORM: RUSSELL MIYAHIRA, City Attorney City of Hawthorne, California Reso. No. 7957 2