Transit-oriented housing developments: alternative plans.

New Section 1.5 adds a comprehensive amendment to Government Code Section 65912.161 defining 'transit-oriented development alternative plan' and establishing that such plans must maintain at least the same total net zoned capacity (in both units and floor area) as provided under the chapter across all transit-oriented development zones in the jurisdiction.

New Section 1.5 expands historic resource exclusions beyond local register designations to include contributing sites within historic districts on the State Historic Resources Inventory and parcels individually listed as historical resources on the State Historic Resources Inventory, all designated before January 1, 2025.

New Section 1.5 establishes that a plan shall not reduce maximum allowed density for any individual site by more than 50 percent below chapter standards, with exceptions for very high fire hazard severity zones, sites vulnerable to one foot of sea level rise, and historic resources on local registers (capped at 10 percent of eligible area per zone).

New Section 1.5 sets a minimum density floor for sites within one-half mile of a Tier 2 transit-oriented development stop: no less than 30 units per acre with a residential floor area ratio of 1.0, except for sites qualifying under the fire hazard, sea level rise, or historic resource exceptions.

New Section 1.5 allows a plan to reduce capacity in one transit-oriented development zone by more than 50 percent only if all conditions are met: the jurisdiction is a city with population under 150,000, a majority of the zone is part of a local historic district designated before January 1, 2000, and the city has more than one transit-oriented development zone.

New Section 1.5 defines net zoned capacity in units as the difference between current units on a site and units allowed by applicable development standards, and net zoned capacity in floor area as the difference between current developed floor area and the amount allowed by applicable development standards.

New Section 2 provides that Section 1.5 (the Section 65912.161 amendment) becomes operative only if both AB 2415 and AB 2576 are enacted and effective on or before January 1, 2027, both amend Section 65912.161, and AB 2415 is enacted after AB 2576; in that scenario, Section 1 of this bill shall not become operative.

In the existing Section 1, the phrase 'station area transit-oriented development zone' was shortened to 'transit-oriented development zone,' and 'subparagraphs (A) to (C)' was clarified to 'subparagraphs (A) to (C), inclusive' in one cross-reference.

All air ambulance balance billing provisions were removed. The bill no longer amends Section 1371.55 of the Health and Safety Code or Section 10126.65 of the Insurance Code, which had required health plans and insurers to limit enrollee cost-sharing for noncontracting air ambulance providers to in-network levels.

A new condition was added to the historic district exception (paragraph 3(B)): the local jurisdiction adopting the plan must be a city. Previously, only population under 150,000, a pre-2000 historic district covering a majority of the station area, and having more than one transit-oriented development zone were required. Now all four conditions must be met.

In the historic district exception, the phrase 'The station area' was changed to 'The station area transit-oriented development zone,' clarifying that the historic district must cover a majority of the transit-oriented development zone rather than just the station area.

Added a new Section 65912.161 of the Government Code governing transit-oriented development alternative plans, expanding the bill from air ambulance cost-sharing to also cover local land-use planning near transit stops.

Creates exemptions from mandatory density standards (Section 65912.157) for sites in very high fire hazard severity zones, sites vulnerable to one foot of sea level rise, and sites with locally registered historic resources designated as of January 1, 2025.

Allows a city with a population under 150,000 to reduce capacity in one transit-oriented development zone by more than 50 percent if a majority of the station area is in a local historic district designated before January 1, 2000, and the city has more than one such zone.

Requires alternative plans to maintain at least the same total net zoned capacity (units and floor area) across all transit-oriented development zones combined, and caps any single site's counted capacity at 200 percent of the chapter's maximum density.

Requires sites within half a mile of a Tier 2 transit-oriented development stop to maintain at least 30 units per acre with a residential floor area ratio of 1.0, except for fire-risk, sea-level-rise, and historic-resource sites.

Removed the word 'Notwithstanding' from the opening of Section 1371.55 (Health and Safety Code) and Section 10126.65 (Insurance Code), a nonsubstantive cleanup of air ambulance cost-sharing provisions.

Updated the bill author name from 'Tangipa' to 'Tangipa Hoover' and revised the legislative digest to describe both the air ambulance and transit-oriented development subjects.