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Orinda officials applaud removal of 'tier 3' designations from SB 79 after local advocacy
Summary
City staff and elected officials said outreach with regional partners and state lawmakers led to amendments removing "tier 3" designations from SB 79, a change local leaders said protects local planning discretion around BART and Caltrans-owned sites.
City of Orinda officials said work with regional partners and state lawmakers led to a substantive amendment to Senate Bill 79 that removed "tier 3" designations, a change local leaders described as preserving local planning authority around certain transit and highway sites.
The city manager told the council the city coordinated with the City of Lafayette and other regional partners to press concerns about SB 79 and proposed mitigations. "As of today, later this afternoon, those tier 3 designations have been removed entirely from SB 79," the city manager said, and added that Contra Costa County would have been affected by those designations.
Mayor Malcani and council members thanked the city manager and local legislative allies, including state Sen. Tim Grayson and Assembly Member Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, for intervening. The mayor also noted cooperation with Lafayette Mayor Susan K. (last name provided in meeting) and staff in making the case to state lawmakers.
Council members said the change allows local agencies more latitude to plan housing near transit stations and other locations consistent with local housing elements and community standards. The city manager said staff will continue monitoring bills that move out of appropriations and will provide weekly updates on legislation and next steps for letters or advocacy as measures move to the Assembly/Senate floors or to the governor.
City staff also reported other legislative-tracking tasks and local initiatives: they will circulate a list of bills that made it out of appropriations, prepare messages for the legislature as needed, and continue outreach on items of interest to Orinda related to Caltrans-owned sites and BART station planning. No formal council action was taken on SB 79 at the Sept. 2 meeting.
Context
Council members said legislative outreach was a team effort involving the city manager, regional partners and state legislative offices. Officials described the item as an example of coordinated local advocacy leading to a change in state bill language that the city said would have affected planning around transit and highway sites.
Next steps
Staff said they will circulate the updated legislative list and prepare follow-up letters for measures that proceed to the floor or to the governor’s desk. The city manager also said staff will keep the council informed of any further amendments or implications for local planning.
