Staff briefs Roseville planning commission on AB 130, SB 131 and CEQA changes affecting housing projects
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Summary
City planning staff summarized recent state legislation (Assembly Bill 130, Senate Bill 131 and related provisions) that modifies CEQA exemptions and housing project review, and described limited ways the changes may apply in Roseville.
City planning staff provided an overview of recent state housing and CEQA legislation during the July 24 Planning Commission meeting, outlining provisions in Assembly Bill 130 and Senate Bill 131 that alter environmental review and approvals for certain housing projects.
Greg Bitter, planning manager, summarized key provisions he said staff has reviewed. He identified AB 130’s creation of a statutory CEQA exemption for some housing projects that meet criteria including site size limits (less than 20 acres), minimum density (around 15 units per acre), consistency with local land use and zoning, absence of certain environmental constraints, and tribal consultation requirements. Bitter said the exemption also contains labor and prevailing-wage requirements for certain projects, and that some types of projects (for example, those already covered by an adopted specific-plan EIR) would remain subject to mitigation measures tied to those prior reviews.
Bitter described SB 330 (the Housing Crisis Act of 2019), which was previously subject to a sunset provision, as made permanent by recent action. He said the recent bills also extend some of the state’s housing review rules to childcare centers in certain contexts and create a statutory exemption for rezones that implement an adopted housing element under limited conditions.
Bitter cautioned that the changes are complex and that staff will continue to monitor legislative activity through the fall as additional housing-related bills are finalized. He told commissioners that most of Roseville’s specific plans already include environmental review (EIRs) that provide streamlined review pathways for projects consistent with those plans, so the statewide reforms are likely to be most consequential in infill areas not already covered by a specific plan EIR.
Commissioners asked clarifying questions and staff said additional legislative updates are likely this fall as the governor completes his signing and bill-consolidation process.
Bitter’s summary was delivered as an oral report; he said staff would present further information as the statutory language is finalized and as staff evaluates which local projects could be affected.
