title
PC - PUBLIC HEARING: Consideration of City-Initiated Zoning Code Amendment P2025-0066-ZCA to Amend the Culver City Municipal Code (CCMC) to Implement California State Senate Bill 79, the Abundant and Affordable Homes Near Transit Act; and Adopt an Exemption to CEQA Pursuant to California Government Code §65912.160(c) and Public Resources Code Division 13, Section 21000.
body
Meeting Date: April 22, 2026
Contact Person/Dept: Lauren Wrenn / Planning & Development Department
Troy Evangelho / Planning & Development Department
Phone Number: (310) 253-5766 / (310) 253-5744
Fiscal Impact: Yes [ ] No [X] General Fund: Yes [ ] No [X]
Public Hearing: [X] Action Item: [ ] Attachments: [X]
Public Notification: Culver City News (4/2/2026), Meetings and Agendas - Planning Commission (04/16/2026)
Department Approval: Mark E. Muenzer, Planning and Development Director/Interim Housing & Human Services Director (4/2/2026)
____________________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the Planning Commission adopt a resolution recommending that the City Council approve Zoning Code Amendment P2026-0066-ZCA to implement interim standards for California State Senate Bill 79, the Abundant and Affordable Homes Near Transit Act; and adopt exemptions pursuant to California Government Code §65912.160(c) and Public Resources Code Division 13, Section 21000 as stated in Exhibit A of the Ordinance (Attachment 1).
PROCEDURES
1. Chair calls on staff for a report and the Planning Commission poses questions to staff.
2. Chair opens the public hearing, providing the public with the opportunity to speak.
3. Chair seeks a motion to close the public hearing after all testimony has been presented.
4. Planning Commission discusses the matter and arrives at its decision.
BACKGROUND
Senate Bill (SB) 79 was signed by Governor Newsom on October 10, 2025 and will become
effective on July 1, 2026. The bill, called the Abundant and Affordable Homes Near Transit Act, establishes new development standards for “transit-oriented housing developments” (TODs), which are residential projects on land zoned for commercial, residential, and mixed uses within specified distances of transit stops. These standards will supersede otherwise applicable standards and will allow increased heights and densities to encourage residential and mixed-use development near transit stops. These new standards apply only to TODs with five or more units and a minimum 30 dwelling units per acre (du/ac), while all other projects would be subject to existing zoning standards.
Eligible transit stops are divided into two tiers. Tier 1 includes heavy rail transit stations, such as those along the LA Metro B and D lines, and commuter rail stations with at least 72 trips per day. Tier 2 includes light rail, such as the LA Metro E line, commuter rail stations with at least 48 trips per day, bus rapid transit stations, and bus stops that qualify as Major Transit Stops, and which also have 24-hour dedicated lanes and less-than-15-minute headways.
Culver City has four Tier 2 locations and no Tier 1 locations. [Note: SB 677, currently working its way through the Legislative Committee process, would slightly change the definition of “high-frequency commuter rail” as it pertains to Tier 1 transit stops. It seems unlikely at this point that the proposed legislation will impact staff’s analysis of potential zoning changes in Culver City.]
The new standards will depend on how far from a transit stop the proposed TOD is located, using radii measured at 200 feet, ¼ mile, and ½ mile from pedestrian entrances to the transit stop. The standards for height and residential density are the minimum limits that a jurisdiction can enforce. The standard for floor area ratio (FAR) limits a jurisdiction’s ability to enforce any other standards that would prevent a project from achieving that FAR.
Cities may still enforce any standards they have regarding building design or inclusionary housing requirements as long as they do not prevent the project from achieving the height, density, or FAR set by the bill. Projects are also eligible for any applicable State and local density bonus incentives.
To be an eligible SB 79 development project, a project must include a minimum of five units, a minimum residential density of 30 du/ac, or the jurisdiction’s required minimum density, if higher, and have a maximum average unit size of 1,750 square feet.
Projects with more than 10 units are also subject to affordability requirements. The minimum provisions are at least 7% of units affordable to extremely low-income households, at least 10% of units affordable to very low-income households, or at least 13% of units affordable to lower-income households. Certain labor standards, such as prevailing wage requirements, also apply for projects over 85 feet in height.
The bill does not prescribe a ministerial review process, but many larger TODs under SB 79 may be eligible for ministerial review under SB 35/SB 423 if meeting the minimum requirements for those statutes, including providing certain percentages of unit affordability and paying prevailing wages for construction.
Locally designated historic properties identified before January 1, 2025, are eligible for delayed implementation of SB 79 until one year after the next Housing Element’s adoption, approximately 2030. Preliminary analysis has identified approximately 30 properties that may be eligible (e.g. Helms Bakery).
The bill also has several categories of exempt properties. Any land that is not zoned for residential, commercial, or mixed use is exempt. In Culver City, these would include the Special Purpose zones: Studio, Institutional, Open Space, Transportation, and Cemetery. Properties with more than two existing rent-controlled units, or where more than two rent-controlled units have been demolished within the previous seven years, are also ineligible.
DISCUSSION & ANALYSIS
Based on staff analysis, and consistent with other cities’ analysis (Los Angeles, Beverly Hills), Culver City would potentially be affected by four eligible stops, all of which are Tier 2. These stops include the La Cienega/Jefferson and Culver City Metro E Line stations, east- and westbound bus stops at the intersection of Venice Boulevard and Overland Avenue, and a planned Bus Rapid Transit station at Venice Boulevard and Lincoln Boulevard, identified in SCAG’s 2040 Regional Transportation Plan.
Note that the final official SB 79 map is not yet complete. It will be prepared by the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), with input from HCD. The final map will be available by July 1, 2026.
The radii of the four potentially eligible stops cover the full spectrum of the City’s zoning designations and densities, from the low-density Single-Family and Two-Family zones through the highest-density Mixed Use High zone. The most significant differences in development standards between the City’s existing zones and SB 79 standards are in the lower-density residential zones, including height and density as well as uses.
The half-mile SB 79 radii from the Metro E Line stations also interact with the ongoing Hayden Tract Specific Plan project. The proposed Hayden Tract densities and heights are mostly higher than those required by SB 79, except for the properties adjacent to existing Rancho Higuera Neighborhood, which would be required to meet the SB 79 minimums.
Staff identified four implementation options in the bill to the Standing Housing and Homelessness Subcommittee (Vice-Mayor Fish, Councilmember McMorrin) at their special meeting on February 17, 2026:
1. Take no action - Implement the standards as written in the statute.
2. Create minimum standards - Create standards to regulate SB 79 developments.
3. Half Implementation - Allow 50% capacity to delay effectuation until 2030.
4. TOD Alternative Plan - Reallocate densities within the half mile radii of transit stops.
Livable Communities Initiative (LCI), a community organization, also presented a proposal for a TOD Alternative Plan to redistribute density closer to the major corridors and routes to transit stations.
After discussion, the subcommittee members recommended pursuing Option 4: preparing and adopting a TOD Alternative Plan. The members expressed a preference for a proposal which would not increase density in the Hayden Tract, allowing the ongoing specific plan project to determine appropriate densities in that area. A TOD Alternative Plan would allow density to be redistributed along routes to transit stations rather than by distances ‘as-the-crow-flies’, as well as away from properties that are unlikely to provide new housing, such as those that have recently been redeveloped.
Staff presented the four implementation options to the full City Council at their regular meeting on March 16, 2026 (Attachment 3). Livable Communities Initiative also presented their proposed TOD Alternative Plan.
After public comment and discussion, the Council directed staff to pursue a TOD alternative plan to redistribute density to the corridors and allow the Hayden Tract Specific Plan (HTSP) project to determine densities within the HTSP’s boundaries. However, because a full TOD alternative plan cannot be completed prior to the July 1, 2026 effective date, Council also directed staff to create an interim ordinance to apply multi-family development standards to projects in lower-density zones and to defer effectuation on historically recognized properties.
The proposed amendment creates a new use, Transit-Oriented Housing Development Projects (TOD), and adds it as an allowed use in all residential and mixed use zones on sites within a half-mile of designated transit stops.
Standards for the new use are contained in a new draft section under Article 4, Standards for Specific Land Uses. The section includes the definition of TOD housing projects, including that they are located within a half-mile of designated transit stops, include five or more residential units and no hotel or other short-term lodging uses, meet a minimum density of 30 du/ac, and have a maximum average unit size of 1,750 square feet. The definition also includes an exemption for rent controlled housing.
The draft amendment incorporates other regulations for TOD housing projects, including labor standards, density bonuses and concessions, and the unit affordability requirements included in the bill. It also lists historic properties for deferred effectuation found in the 1999 list of Historically Designated Properties and the 1987 Historic Resources Report.
The amendment includes SB 79 standards for residential density, floor area ratio, and building height, while applying all other applicable standards for the project site’s zone. For projects in the Single Family Residential (R1) and Two Family Residential (R2) zones, standards for Medium Density Multiple-Family Residential (RMD), such as height stepbacks and maximum parking frontages, would apply, including those found in §17.210.030, Supplemental Standards for Multiple-Family Residential, which also covers laundry facilities and open space.
The draft ordinance will be submitted to the California State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). HCD will make a determination regarding the ordinance’s compliance with the statutes. HCD’s review time is up to 120 days, including a 90 day standard review, plus a potential 30 day extension. After HCD provides comments, the City can either update the ordinance to address the comments or adopt findings justifying why the City believes its interpretation is correct.
ENVIRONMENTAL DETERMINATION
California Government Code §65912.160(c) states:
“(1) A local government may enact an ordinance to make its zoning code consistent with the provisions of this chapter, subject to review by the department pursuant to subdivision (d). This ordinance may include objective development standards, conditions, and policies, applying to transit-oriented housing developments, that are demonstrated by a preponderance of evidence to not physically preclude, alone or in concert, the applicable housing development standards of Section 65912.157.
(2) The ordinance described in paragraph (1) shall not be considered a project under Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000) of the Public Resources Code.”
Pursuant to the above, the ordinance is not considered a project under CEQA.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
There are no direct financial impacts from the recommended Zoning Code Amendment. Implementation of the Amendment will create additional opportunities for housing applications and housing production, which may in turn lead to higher volumes of development applications and corresponding entitlement, permit, and development impact fees.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Proposed Planning Commission Resolution No. 2026-P001 including Exhibit A: Proposed Zoning Code Text Changes in “strikethrough/underline” format
2. Preliminary SB 79 Maps: Citywide, Downtown-East Washington Detail, Venice-Overland Detail, West Washington Detail
3. March 16, 2026 City Council Staff Report (without attachments)
Recommended Action
MOTION
That the Planning Commission:
Adopt a resolution recommending that the City Council approve Zoning Code Amendment P2026-0066-ZCA to adopt exemptions pursuant to California Government Code §65912.160(c) and Public Resources Code Division 13, Section 21000, and implement interim standards for California State Senate Bill 79, The Abundant and Affordable Homes Near Transit Act.