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Norwalk Council narrows moratorium, exempts housing uses and extends ban on certain retail for one year
Summary
The Norwalk City Council adopted an amended urgency ordinance that removes housing-related uses from a land-use moratorium and extends the moratorium on several commercial uses for an additional year; the action follows a housing-element dispute with the state and ongoing litigation.
The Norwalk City Council on a unanimous vote adopted Urgency Ordinance No. 25-1758U, removing emergency shelters, single-room occupancy units, supportive housing and transitional housing from a previously adopted moratorium and extending a revised moratorium on certain commercial uses — including convenience stores, liquor stores, discount stores, personal-use laundromats, vehicle/automobile washing and payday lenders — for one additional year.
City staff framed the item as an amendment to a short-term urgency ordinance first adopted last year. “The proposal before you tonight is to extend the moratorium the remaining uses in the moratorium for an additional year,” staff member Alex Hamilton told the council before the vote.
The amendment comes after the city’s 2021–2029 housing element was revoked by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) following the city’s earlier adoption of a broader urgency ordinance. Hamilton told council the housing element revocation, a lawsuit from the state attorney general’s office and ongoing settlement discussions directed some of the changes now before council. A trial date in the lawsuit is scheduled for Oct. 28, 2025, according to Hamilton’s presentation.
Hamilton said the revised ordinance would exclude housing-related uses from the moratorium so the city can pursue steps toward housing element recertification with HCD; staff also recommended retaining a waiver process for narrowly defined exceptions. Under Government Code section 65858, staff told council the extension is final if adopted and would expire on Aug. 5, 2026, or earlier if the council adopts an ordinance addressing the amended uses.
No members of the public signed up to speak on the item, and no public testimony was presented. After the public hearing was closed, Councilmember Margarita Rios moved adoption; the roll call vote was Rios — Aye; Valencia — Aye; Vice Mayor Perez — Aye; Mayor Ayala — Aye.
City staff said they will return this fall with recommended development and performance standards for the uses remaining in the moratorium and will report on the waiver process and next steps toward housing-element compliance.
Background details in staff’s presentation traced the ordinance’s permit history, including: adoption of an initial urgency ordinance on 08/06/2024; an extension on 09/17/2024; and the most recent reporting and amendment process that led to the council action tonight. Hamilton told council that HCD has committed to working with the city on an expedited path to recertification contingent on the city’s actions.
Council took no other regulatory action on housing tonight beyond adopting the amended urgency ordinance; staff retained direction to return with development standards and implementation recommendations.
