Land use: streamlined housing approvals: multifamily housing developments.

Existing law, the Planning and Zoning Law, authorizes a development proponent to submit an application for a multifamily housing development that is subject to a streamlined, ministerial approval process, as provided, and not subject to a conditional use permit, if the development satisfies specified objective planning standards, including, among others, that the development proponent has committed to record, prior to the issuance of the first building permit, a land use restriction or covenant providing that any lower or moderate-income housing units required, as specified, remain available at affordable housing costs, as defined, or rent to persons and families of lower or moderate income for no less than specified periods of time. Existing law repeals these provisions on January 1, 2026. This bill would authorize the Department of General Services to act in the place of a locality or local government, at the discretion of that department, for purposes of the ministerial, streamlined review for development in compliance with the above-described requirements on property owned by or leased to the state. The bill would extend the operation of the streamlined, ministerial approval process to January 1, 2036. The bill would provide that the streamlined, ministerial approval process does not apply to applications for developments proposed on qualified sites, defined as a site that is located within an equine or equestrian district and meets certain other requirements, that are submitted on or after January 1, 2024, but before July 1, 2025. This bill would modify the above-described objective planning standards, including by revising the standard that prohibits a multifamily housing development from being subject to the streamlined, ministerial approval process if the development is located in a coastal zone to apply only if the development that is located in the coastal zone meets any one of specified conditions. The bill would require a development that is located in a coastal zone that satisfies the specified conditions to obtain a coastal development permit. The bill would require a public agency with coastal development permitting authority to approve a coastal development permit if it determines that the development is consistent with all objective standards of the local government's certified local coastal program, as specified. The bill would provide that the changes made by this act would apply in a coastal zone on or after January 1, 2025. This bill would modify the objective planning standard that prohibits a development subject to the streamlined, ministerial approval process from being located in a high fire severity zone by deleting the prohibition for a development to be located within a high or very high fire hazard severity zone as indicated on maps adopted by the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, and would instead prohibit a development from being located with the state responsibility area, as defined, unless the site has adopted specified standards. The bill would also remove an exception for sites excluded from specified hazard zones by a local agency, as specified. This bill would also provide an alternative definition for "affordable rent" for a development that dedicates 100% of units, exclusive of a manager's unit or units, to lower income households. The bill would, among other modifications, delete the objective planning standards requiring development proponents to pay at least the general prevailing rate of per diem wages and utilize a skilled and trained workforce and would instead require a development proponent to certify to the local government that certain wage and labor standards will be met, including a requirement that all construction workers be paid at least the general prevailing rate of wages, as specified. The bill would require the Labor Commissioner to enforce the obligation to pay prevailing wages. By expanding the crime of perjury, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would specify that the requirements to pay prevailing wages, use a workforce participating in an apprenticeship, or provide health care expenditures do not apply to a project that consists of 10 or fewer units and is not otherwise a public work. Existing law requires a local government to approve a development if the local government determines the development is consistent with the objective planning standards. Existing law requires, if the local government determines a submitted development is in conflict with any of the objective planning standards, the local government to provide the development proponent written documentation of the standards the development conflicts with and an explanation for the conflict within certain timelines depending on the size of the development. Existing law, the Housing Accountability Act, prohibits a local agency from disapproving a housing development project, as described, unless it makes specified written findings. This bill would instead require approval if a local government's planning director or equivalent position determines the development is consistent with the objective planning standards. The bill would make conforming changes. The bill would require all departments of the local government that are required to issue an approval of the development prior to the granting of an entitlement to also comply with the above-described streamlined approval requirements within specified time periods. The bill would prohibit a local government from requiring, prior to approving a development that meets the requirements of the above-described streamlining provisions, compliance with any standards necessary to receive a postentitlement permit or studies, information, or other materials that do not pertain directly to determining whether the development is consistent with the objective planning standards applicable to the development. The bill would, for purposes of these provisions, establish that the total number of units in a development includes (1) all projects developed on a site, regardless of when those developments occur, and (2) all projects developed on sites adjacent to a site developed pursuant to these provisions if, after January 1, 2023, the adjacent site had been subdivided from the site developed pursuant to these provisions. Existing law requires, before submitting an application for a development subject to the above-described streamlined, ministerial approval process, the development proponent to submit to the local government a notice of its intent to submit an application, as described. For developments proposed in a census tract that is designated either as a moderate resource area, low resource area, or an area of high segregation and poverty, as described, this bill would require local governments to provide, within 45 days of receiving a notice of intent and before the development proponent submits an application for the proposed development that is subject to the streamlined, ministerial approval process, for a public meeting, as described, to provide an opportunity for the public and the local government to comment on the development. The bill would require this public meeting to be held by the jurisdiction's planning commission if the development proposal is located within a city with a population greater than 250,000 or an unincorporated area of a county with a population of greater than 250,000. Existing law authorizes the local government's planning commission or any equivalent board or commission responsible for review and approval of development projects, or as otherwise specified, to conduct any design review or public oversight of the development. This bill would remove the above-described authorization to conduct public oversight of the development and would only authorize design review to be conducted by the local government's planning commission or any equivalent board or commission responsible for design review. By imposing additional duties on local officials, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would include findings that changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for specified reasons.