Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Commission orders SB 1123 scoping study after hourlong public comments and debate
Summary
Staff presented a scoping session on SB 1123 (starter home act); commissioners and dozens of public speakers debated whether to go beyond state law, how to define "family housing," parking/driveway impacts, and whether public land or subsidies are better tools; commission directed staff to form a technical working group, broaden outreach and return with parcel‑level analyses.
City planning staff presented an initial scoping session on SB 1123 (the Starter Home Act) at the Santa Monica Planning Commission meeting on March 4, outlining eligibility rules, design constraints and possible local options, and the commission directed staff to develop a formal technical study with expanded outreach.
Staff framed SB 1123 as an extension of the state's efforts to expand ownership opportunities on smaller parcels. Key points in the presentation included the minimum resulting parcel size (the state baseline is 1,200 square feet unless a local agency adopts a different minimum), limits on average net habitable floor area (a city cannot allow an average net habitable area to exceed 1,750 square feet), FAR and parking parameters, prohibition in high or very high fire severity zones and the need for tribal consultation timelines. Staff also…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
