By Susan Shelley : dailybulletin – excerpt
Single-family zoning has been abolished in the state of California. The moment the recall election was behind him, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bills 9 and 10, and now low-density neighborhoods everywhere in the state could become construction sites as developers turn single-family homes into two homes plus two accessory dwelling units, also known as “granny flats.”
Senate Bill 9 requires city governments to approve these developments in any area that the state law allows them, which is virtually everywhere with a few exceptions, such as wetlands or protected habitat. Local officials can’t hold a public hearing to consider the projects. They can’t require studies of the projects’ impact on the environment or the community. They can’t require new multi-family developments to have off-street parking. They can’t impose fees on developers to help pay for water, sewer or power infrastructure, schools, street repair, sanitation or public safety services..
According to the new state laws, the only thing city officials can do is sign off.
However, according to the state constitution, the people of California have the power to change this with a citizens’ initiative. And a coalition of local officials is currently working on doing exactly that….
Anyone who would like to join the fight to reverse these laws and prevent future one-size-fits-all housing density laws can go online to StopSacramento.org and sign up to volunteer. If proponents can collect roughly 1 million signatures of registered voters to get the measure on the November 2022 ballot, the abolition of single-family zoning in California could be short-lived.
Susan Shelley is an editorial writer and columnist for the Southern California News Group. Susan@SusanShelley.com. Twitter: @Susan_Shelley....(more)
As Americans consider our future it is important to consider what made our country the envy of others, and how we may protect those elements of society that guaranteed our personal freedom. Neither party considers what the citizens want and neither are uniting the country. The name of the game has been divide and conquer. California has reverted to the gold rush mentality, where land is the gold.
The passage of bills like SB9 and SB10 are evidence that the government has no intentions of assuring sufficient resources and environmental protections for the population they intend to grow. This has angered lot of people and they are fighting back with the only tolls left. Lawsuits and State ballot initiatves.