Glendale Council introduces emergency ordinance to delay SB 79 for certain parcels near proposed BRT stops

The Glendale City Council on June 9 introduced an emergency ordinance to delay local implementation of California's SB 79 (the Abundant and Affordable Homes Near Transit Act) for a limited set of parcels identified in staff's draft analysis.

The measure, described by staff as a "delayed-effectuate" ordinance, would temporarily exclude certain properties from SB 79's automatic upzoning and density increases until the city completes targeted analysis, including properties in very-high fire hazard severity zones, parcels on the city's historic register prior to January 1, 2025, and other sites identified in staff's packet. Staff said the draft approach proposes excluding 339 parcels while noting that roughly 9,000 parcels fall within the quarter-mile and half-mile radii around mapped transit stops.

City planners told the council that SB 79 creates two tiers of transit stops with differing height, density and floor-area rules and that the draft regional map released by SCAG/METRO would make multiple Glendale corridors subject to the law as soon as those agencies finalize the map. Staff recommended the delay so the city can (1) complete an environmental and land-use analysis, (2) consider a TOD alternative plan or targeted rezoning, and (3) evaluate potential local exemptions such as rent-control protections to shield certain multifamily properties.

Councilmembers pressed staff for specifics on acreage, the number of parcels in the highest-impact radii, and the maximum potential housing yield. Councilmember Gharpetian asked whether staff could provide those unit and acreage calculations "sooner than later" so the community can understand the scope; staff committed to delivering preliminary figures the following week. Multiple councilmembers asked staff to evaluate whether mimicking state rent-control language or proactively rezoning one-third of a TOD area could qualify areas for exemptions under the delayed-effectuate approach.

Public testimony split sharply. Housing advocates urged the city to embrace transit-oriented housing around BRT stops, arguing denser development near transit supports walking, transit use and affordable housing set-asides. Opponents and many neighborhood speakers warned of loss of neighborhood character, parking impacts and wildfire risk on Glenoaks and adjacent corridors; one caller urged the council to "delay because we really need to look at fire hazard zones" and to study parking and neighborhood impacts before state rules apply.

Councilmembers directed staff to pursue a multi-pronged follow-up: prepare the ordinance for adoption (hearing scheduled per staff memo), produce parcel- and unit-level analyses, explore legal and regional advocacy options (including coordination with neighboring cities and SCAG/METRO), analyze rent-control or other local exemptions, and study targeted rezoning that could create TOD-area exemptions. The ordinance was introduced for further consideration; staff will return with the requested analyses and a proposed adoption date.

What happens next: staff will provide the requested parcel- and unit-level estimates, present legal options and recommended next steps to the council, and prepare the ordinance for formal adoption at a later meeting (staff suggested a July adoption hearing date in materials). Any final legal or policy choices to limit SB 79's local effect would require subsequent council action.