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El Segundo adopts 45‑day moratorium requiring affordable units in larger multifamily projects
Summary
The council unanimously adopted a 45‑day urgency ordinance requiring multifamily projects with more than 10 units to include specified affordable units (proposed thresholds: 9% extremely low, 13% very low, 17% low) or pay an in‑lieu fee; the rule is intended to preserve local control while staff develops a full ordinance.
The El Segundo City Council voted unanimously (4–0) to adopt an urgency interim ordinance imposing a 45‑day moratorium on approvals of multifamily residential projects with more than 10 units unless the project includes a specified affordable housing component.
City Attorney (reading the ordinance) said the interim measure is intended to allow staff and the planning commission time to draft a permanent inclusionary-housing ordinance before state changes (SB 79) take effect and would require a four‑fifths vote to make permanent. The interim proposal included illustrative thresholds tied to state affordability designations: 9% of units as extremely low income, 13% very low, and 17% low income; alternatively, developers could pay an in‑lieu fee that the council would later set.
Council members debated the scope and timing. Mayor Pimentel said the 45‑day window aims to ‘‘study it’’ before SB 79 potentially allows some projects to proceed administratively without inclusionary components; staff estimated the number of lots affected by SB 79 in El Segundo at a few dozen or fewer. Community Development staff said analysis from a 2022 study could be updated to help set appropriate percentages and in‑lieu fees.
The motion to adopt the urgency ordinance was made by Mayor Pimentel and seconded by Council member Kjelldorf; with Mayor Pro Tem Baldino absent, council members present voted unanimously to enact the 45‑day interim moratorium.
Why it matters: the interim ordinance is intended to preserve local discretion to require affordable units in larger developments while the city finalizes a permanent policy. Council and staff framed the moratorium as a temporary measure to avoid losing local leverage under imminent state rules.
What’s next: staff will return with a detailed inclusionary ordinance (including final percentages and an in‑lieu fee schedule) after review by the planning commission and further council consideration.
