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Committee moves bill to allow SB 9 duplexes in historic districts with conditions
Summary
AB 1061 was reported out of committee to local government after sponsors said the bill would permit SB 9 duplexes and lot splits in historic districts subject to standards that protect contributing resources and individually listed properties.
The Senate Housing Committee voted to advance AB 1061, a bill by Assemblymember Quirk Silva that would allow the duplex and small-lot provisions of the California Home Act (SB 9) to apply in historic districts with restrictions intended to protect contributing structures.
The author and preservation advocates said the measure balances housing production with protections for historic resources. "This bill will allow for urban lot splits and the construction of additional housing units within historic districts. However, it does so while maintaining protections for contributing resources within districts and some measure of local control," Adam Clafter, an independent preservation advocate, told the committee.
Panel discussion clarified that individually listed landmark properties would remain ineligible for ministerial SB 9 treatment and that projects affecting contributing structures must preserve the street-facing appearance and character-defining features. The language discussed allows up to 25% demolition of exterior walls in non-primary facades and requires retention of primary facades in contributing structures, according to sponsors and witnesses.
Max Zubler, policy manager at California YIMBY, said AB 1061 "strikes a reasonable balance between housing production and historic preservation." Supporters argued the bill addresses the misuse of historic-district designations to block housing in some neighborhoods while preserving locally tailored design standards.
The committee recorded the motion to report AB 1061 to the Local Government Committee; the vote was reported in the transcript as 8-2 and the clerk noted the bill as reported out.
