West Hollywood hears dozens of residents urging local SB79 alternative plan; council pauses for SCAG mapping

Mayor John Hileman opened a lengthy city council debate on SB79, which he summarized as “SB79 is entitled the Abundant and Affordable Homes Near Transit Act,” and described the law99s intent to spur housing near transit (Mayor John Hileman). The item drew one of the largest public comment turnouts of the year.

Dozens of residents urged the council to develop a local transit‑oriented development alternative plan (TOADAP) to steer new density to commercial corridors and protect single‑family neighborhoods and rent‑stabilized units. "Vote 5 to zero for a tow," resident Victor Omachenko urged the council, calling an alternative plan the “only way to protect our residents, homeowners, and tenants” (Victor Omachenko). Other speakers from across West Hollywood emphasized wildfire and emergency‑access risks on hillside streets and urged explicit exemptions for very‑high fire hazard areas.

Council discussion turned on two practical questions: timing and legal effect. Staff and the city attorney said the state law is in force but that application in West Hollywood depends on a regional map SCAG is preparing; the city does not yet know whether planned K‑Line Northern Extension station locations will trigger SB79 coverage immediately or at a later implementation step. Council members asked staff to seek clarification from SCAG and recommended exploring whether a short procedural delay or legislative clarification could be requested from state representatives.

A number of residents and neighborhood groups said the city99s existing Zoning Improvement Program (ZIP) work already contemplated many of the same goals — directing growth to corridors and protecting neighborhoods — and asked that ZIP be used as the vehicle for a legal alternative plan. Staff said ZIP includes related transit‑oriented analysis and could be aligned with a city alternative plan, but the procedural steps required by SB79 mean a formal TOADAP requires focused analysis and (if adopted) submission to the state for review. Staff also cautioned that creating a legal alternative is not instantaneous: the memo to council estimated months of additional analysis to produce an alternative that complies with state rules.

Given the outstanding technical questions and the imminent July 1 date in state law, council members voted not to adopt an alternative plan tonight. Instead they asked staff to return at the June council meeting after SCAG publishes the mapping methodology (and, if available, the station map) so the council can assess whether SB79 will immediately apply to West Hollywood and whether an alternative plan can be developed or an interim procedural measure is appropriate. For now, the council left options on the table — including an urgency effort to buy staff time and a full TOADAP drafted to integrate into the existing ZIP effort — but delayed any final action until SCAG99s materials are available.

What happens next: staff will report back with the SCAG methodology and mapping, a legal memo on timing and triggers for SB79 in West Hollywood, and an assessment of options for integrating any alternative plan with the city99s ZIP work and for requesting additional time from state agencies or legislators if needed.