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Lawmakers move bill to allow SB 9 lot splits and duplexes in historic districts with limits
Summary
AB 1061 would allow the California Home Act’s duplex and small‑lot split provisions to apply in historic districts subject to protections for contributing resources and facade preservation; supporters said the bill prevents misuse of historic designations to block housing while preserving individually listed landmarks
Assemblymember Quirk Silva presented AB 1061 to the committee, saying the bill would make duplexes and small‑lot splits permitted under the California Home Act (SB 9) available in historic districts while protecting properties that are individually listed as landmarks.
Under the bill as described to the committee, SB 9 projects would be permissible in historic districts provided they do not demolish more than 25% of an existing exterior wall of a historic resource or of a contributing structure; the bill preserves the prohibition for individually listed landmark properties. Supporters said AB 1061 balances historic preservation and housing production by requiring preservation of street‑facing facades and allowing local governments to adopt objective design standards for non‑contributing properties.
Adam Clafter, speaking as a member of the preservation community, testified the bill preserves protections for contributing resources while enabling additional housing in historic districts. "If we create historic districts to help us tell the story of our past, it is important to acknowledge that the stories of our communities are or ought to be living documents," Clafter said.
Max Dubler of California YIMBY said the bill addresses a pattern in which some neighborhoods used historic district designation to block SB 9 projects. He described three levels of historic designation—individually listed landmarks, contributing structures in a district, and non‑contributing structures—and said AB 1061 preserves protections for individually listed properties while allowing limited change for contributing and non‑contributing structures.
Committee members asked whether the bill allows partial demolition of contributing structures; witnesses confirmed the bill preserves the primary street‑facing facade and roofline while allowing up to 25% demolition at other elevations, with an emphasis on protecting character‑defining features. The committee passed AB 1061 to Local Government, and the roll call indicates an 8–2 outcome when the committee completed its business.
