Introduced by Senator Wiener, SB 827 is a new bill that would allow for “upzoning,” that is, building heights above the limit that local governments have approved and densities currently restricted by city zoning codes near public transit stops by limiting local control of high density housing developments near transit-oriented developments (TODs for short). For those of you who don’t know, TODs are pretty popular these days and are part of the New Urbanism movement, which stresses walkability, variety when it comes to housing types, and mixed-use development. Proponents of SB 827 say that it would be one way to start satiating housing demands that are only going to continue growing, but many groups and organizations (some of seemingly separate causes) came out the woodwork in opposition to the bill. Opposition is based in concerns that said “upzoning” would not necessarily entail more affordable housing but perhaps just more luxury condos, the idea that it would “strip local governments from the decision-making process” (Kash), and the fact that 96% of San Francisco would be eligible for the new drastic change in height allowances.
I have not thought of how debates concerning local vs. state control could pertain to housing other than when they relate to NIMBYism, and I’m not sure what I think of this bill. I am definitely all for streamlining the affordable housing development process, but I also don’t think San Francisco should have to lose its character by turning into one monolith of 8-story apartment complexes. Have any of you heard about this bill? It seems complicated and I’d like to hear y’all opinions.

Oh, my in-text citation is from a Sierra Club statement on SB 827. The link to the statement is here: https://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2018/02/sierra-club-policy-transit-oriented-development