Santa Monica planning commission backs temporary exclusions while directing staff to study SB79 alternatives

The Santa Monica Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend that City Council pursue a two‑track approach to implementing SB79, the state law that would automatically upzone parcels within a half‑mile of qualifying transit stops.

In a study session that stretched more than two hours, staff planners Anna Fernandez and Rachel Quark laid out the law’s guaranteed development standards, eligibility rules and three local options: (1) mirror the state law citywide, (2) adopt a time‑limited exclusion of certain parcels until 2030, or (3) create a Transit‑Oriented Development (TOD) alternative plan allowing transfers of capacity among defined TOD zones. Fernandez told the commission that “SB79 … will become effective automatically on July 1 of this year,” and summarized key eligibility caveats including minimum net densities, an average-unit-size threshold, anti‑displacement rules that bar demolition of larger rent‑controlled complexes, and deed‑restriction terms for affordable units.

Commissioners spent substantial time on points staff highlighted as ambiguous in state guidance: how to treat transit stops that lie partially outside city limits (the exhibit for Expo/Bundy), whether changes in bus frequency or new rapid‑bus lanes count as qualifying stops, and how SCAG’s regional stop map will be treated as presumptively valid. Staff said they will request formal clarifications from the California Department of Housing and Community Development.

Public commenters—many from the Pico neighborhood—urged strong protections for long‑term renters and local landmarks. Maria Loya of the Pico Neighborhood Association warned that “mass demolition and the construction of high‑rise housing will dramatically change our neighborhood” and urged anti‑displacement measures and a right‑to‑return. Property owners and housing advocates offered different views: developers and some housing‑advocacy groups urged the commission not to broadly delay SB79, arguing the law would unlock new housing near transit and relieve pressure on other neighborhoods.

After public comment and additional commissioner discussion, the commission approved a motion asking City Council to pursue a two‑track path: adopt option two (time‑limited exclusions of specified parcels) as an interim measure and simultaneously direct staff to prepare a TOD alternative plan (option three) capable of moving capacity within TOD zones while preserving vulnerable neighborhoods. The motion also asked staff to:

• seek HCD guidance about which transit stops qualify (and whether service‑frequency changes or dedicated bus lanes create new qualifying stops);

• study fair‑housing and conflict‑of‑law risks tied to concentrating density in particular neighborhoods (with attention to Pico); and

• identify ways to protect existing historic resources (including parcels already landmarked before any local ordinance is adopted).

The commission’s roll‑call vote recorded unanimous support from Commissioners Fresco, Lambert, Landris, Ree, Wasserman, Vice Chair Choco and Chair Hamilton. The motion included a request that staff return with analyses allowing the council to make an informed choice about a final local approach before the commission’s next formal steps.

What happens next: The planning commission’s recommendation will be transmitted to City Council; staff said any local ordinance invoking options two or three would also require review and likely a HCD 120‑day compliance review, so an immediate change before July 1 is unlikely. For now, SB79’s baseline rules would take effect on the date the state law specifies unless Council and staff adopt a lawful local alternative and secure HCD approval.