Three years latr and under a threat from Attorney General Rob Bonta, Monterey County has finally adopted its 6th cycle housing element. But as part of a settlement agreement with Bonta, the county must pay $300,000 into a housing trust fund. And the county still must deal with nine builders remedy applications, including one from the same business using a builders remedy approach to an apartment building adjacent to the Santa Barbara Mission.

For all the things that were wrong with Proposition 45, it did at least have this going for it: It might have cut down on the Swiss-cheese approach to the California Environmental Quality Act.

Some of the hot takes following last Tuesday's election insisted that San Francisco—home of the Beats, hippies, Harvey Milk, and Byzantine development processes—no longer deserves to call itself "progressive." These proclamations stem in large part from voters' sentiments on two land use measures (among five other, unrelated measures on the city ballot): Prop. A, a bond measure to pay for low-income and assisted living housing, and Prop. C, a measure to exempt certain commercial transactions from paying a transfer tax.

On local ballots, 2026 may go down as the year of the meta-election. Rather than voting directly on cities’ land-use changes, many electorates are voting on the ability to vote on land-use changes.

This article is brought to you courtesy of the paying subscribers to California Planning & Development Report. You can subscribe to CP&DR by clicking here. You can sign up for CP&DR’s free weekly newsletter here. Trump Administration Advances Plan to Undermine Coastal Protections The Trump administration has issued draft findings from a federal review that would strip California of its authority to protect its coastline unless state regulators agree to more than a dozen “corrective actions.” The 92-page review, produced by NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management and obtained by the Times through a public records request, accuses California coastal authorities of “regulatory overreach” and bias against offshore drilling, oil and gas projects, and SpaceX’s launch activities. It also suspends federal funding for the state’s coastal management program until the shortfalls are addressed. The demands include that the Coastal Commission meet with SpaceX and with Sable Offshore Corp., a Texas oil company seeking to restart an offshore operation near Santa Barbara. The state must also issue a statement by January pledging not to categorically oppose initiatives tied to certain industries, such as oil and gas, or activities such as offshore drilling. Court Strikes Down San Francisco’s Voter-Approved “Empty Homes Tax” San Francisco’s “Empty Homes Tax” was denied by a San Francisco Superior court judge, determined to be an illegal taking of property that violates owners’ privacy rights under the California constitution. The “Empty Homes Tax” or Proposition M passed in 2022 by a 54.5% margin. The tax would have charged owners of buildings with three or more units for any dwelling left unoccupied for at least 182 days of the prior year, starting in 2025 at $2,500 to $5,000 per unit depending on size. By 2027 owners of the smallest units would be charged up to $10,000 annually, those owners of units over 2,000 square feet would be charged $20,000 per "unoccupied" unit. Unoccupied unit fees would also have applied to units occupied by family members and to units an owner was actively marketing but couldn’t rent. Supporters said the measure would push landlords to lease available units in order to address the city’s housing shortage. Opponents of the bill argued it infringed on their right to manage their own property. SGC Solicits Proposals for Climate-Oriented Planning Grants The Strategic Growth Council has issued a Request for Proposals seeking a provider to deliver Implementation Technical Assistance (TA) to grantees of its Transformative Climate Communities (TCC) and Community Resilience Centers (CRC) programs. The TA program was created to assist TCC and CRC Grantee Teams in several areas, including completing funded work and meeting program requirements and strengthening grant management and project implementation skills. Providers will also be expected to tailor TA services to each team’s unique needs and context and expand grantees’ knowledge of climate resilience and sustainable community development. Data Center Update: Restrictions in Gilroy, San Diego; Nationwide, Opposition Has Blocked $130 Billion Worth of Development On a unanimous council vote, the City of Gilroy extended its ban until Sept. 3, 2027 after an Amazon data center was allowed to proceed without public input, and San Diego’s council voted 9-0 for an extendable 45-day moratorium with a stakeholder working group and principles such as no added costs for ratepayers and 100% renewable energy. Other San Diego County cities have gone further, including Poway which banned large AI data centers and Escondido which extended its moratorium through August 2027. San Jose is opting for uniform development standards rather than a pause, though residents say that drafts have so far fallen short. So far, most existing projects are exempt, such as Gilroy’s Amazon site and the NAVWAR site in San Diego on federal land. A recent policy report from the Lincoln Institute of Land Use Policy on data center development found that community opposition blocked or delayed 75 projects worth $130 billion nationwide in just the first quarter of 2026, arguing that data centers have yet to earn a “social license to operate”, or widespread approval by the general public, and that in order to move forward, local officials need specialized planning frameworks rather than relying on outdated land use rules. California cities are responding with moratoriums that buy time to write those rules in order to protect neighborhoods from noise, environmental impact and community interference. (See related CP&DR coverage.) CP&DR Coverage: End of an Era in Sacramento Tom Pace joined the City of Sacramento's Planning Division back in 1997. In the years since then, Sacramento and Pace -- who took over long-range planning in 2006 and became planning director in 2017 (after a brief stint in Stockton) and community development director in 2020 -- embraced an enthusiastically pro-housing ethos, with policies to match. Perhaps most notably, he led one of the most dramatic upzoning efforts in state history when the city effectively made development of small multifamily dwellings in all residential areas. Having retired in May (succeeded by assistant Community Development Director Matt Hertel), Pace spoke with CP&DR's Josh Stephens about his service to the state's capital city--which is, arguably, much more of a city than it was 29 years ago. Quick Hits & Updates Governor Newsom announced that California’s Proposition 1-backed Homekey+ program has so far awarded 2,905 permanent supportive homes since launching in 2024, including 828 for veterans. The latest round adds $115.2 million for five projects with 329 homes in Yuba City, San Francisco, Riverside County, Lompoc (Santa Barbara County), and Los Angeles County. Of the new homes, 168 will be reserved for veterans. So far, awards from Homekey+ and the earlier Homekey program have funded homes serving more than 200,000 Californians. The Housing Development and Finance Committee (HDFC) released its second set of draft regulations, now open for public comment until November 17, 2026. During the first round of feedback, HDFC received more than 1,800 comments, and revisions addressing these have aimed to simplify programs, speed up funding, increase transparency and equity, and deliver complete capital financing stacks. Advocates for incorporating Castro Valley (Alameda County) are pushing for a new cityhood vote, projected for March 2028, more than two decades after 72% of voters rejected incorporation in 2002. Supporters of the vote such as the Town of Castro Valley (TCV) say the difference this time is a realistic first-year budget that yields a surplus. Proponents argue that lacking city status has cost the community more than $14 million in grants that went to surrounding cities. Incorporation could also give residents, rather than the city, control over zoning, development, and the timing of infrastructure repairs. A Los Angeles County-commissioned study found that closing Whiteman Airport in Pacoima could cost WHO up to $3.5 billion, including $3.46 billion in redevelopment costs and $90 million for demolition and cleanup. The $2.1 million study evaluated three potential paths for the future, including maintaining the existing airport with improvements, retaining airport operations while allowing development, or closing the airport for redevelopment. Sonoma County is set to lift a ban on ADUs in areas with specific zoning designations to expand affordable housing opportunities while maintaining safeguards for water, wastewater, fire safety, and traffic concerns. Nearly 4,000 additional properties in unincorporated areas starting November 5 will be allowed to add granny units, in-law units and backyard cottages. The change follows state pressure to remove zoning restrictions that conflict with California housing laws.

Cities around the state continue to tussle with the California Department of Housing and Community Development over implementation of SB 79, with HCD approving some city plans and actions and rejecting others. In particular, HCD has concluded that actions by Beverly Hills, Burlingame, Pasadena, and Oceanside are out of compliance with the new law. Beverly Hills and Burlingame must respond to HCD’s non-compliance letters by this week, while Pasadena’s deadline is late November and Oceanside’s deadline is mid-December. As CP&DR previously reported, Beverly Hills is expected to rescind its SB 79 alternative plan, which HCD has rejected. Passed last year and hailed by YIMBYs are a major step forward, SB 79 essentially requires midrise (4- to 8-story) zoning around major rail transit stations in urban counties around the state. But cities have the option of excluding some properties, either permanently (no walking path of less than one mile to the stop; industrial employment hubs) or temporarily until about a year after the 7th-cycle Housing Element (sites already zoned for at least 50% of SB 79 capacity; certain low-resource areas; very high fire hazard zones; locally designated historic resources; one-foot sea-level-rise areas). Cities also have the option of adopting an alternative plan that moves the required density around, so long as no parcel has less than 50% or more than 200% of the density required by SB 79. The HCD issues are separate from issues raised by lawsuits filed by various prohousing groups, especially in San Diego, which include questioning how SANDAG drew the SB 79 maps and how both San Diego and Oceanside defined a walkable path to teh transit station. (Previous CP&DR cover of these lawsutis can be found here.) Among the most contentious questions is whether density bonuses can be permitted on top of SB 79 densities. Denus bonus law can increase densities 50-100% above base zoning. San Francisco, Beverly Hills, and Burlingame all argued that density bonuses should not be permitted in SB 79 areas under their alternative plans. But HCD disagreed, arguing that because of alternative plan “is part of a local jurisdiction’s municipal code, other state housing laws apply that operate independently of” the alternative plan, including density bonus law. Thus, according to HCD’s interpretation, a developer could seek additional density on top of the SB 79 zoning by invoking the density bonus law. But HCD did not handle these three situations the same. In finding San Francisco’s alternative plan compliant with state law – the first jurisdiction to receive that status – HCD said that the city could not enforce the municipal code section that prohibits the use of density bonus law in SB 79 areas, though the agency require that the code section be deleted. In the Beverly Hills case, HCD raised this concern in a findings letter in early September, using the same language that was used in the San Francisco letter. But, unlike in the San Franciscocase, HCD ordered Beverly Hills to remove the density bonus language from its municipal code. HCD imposed the same requirement on Burlingame in a findings letter issued the same day. In its staff report (which can be accessed through a meeting agenda here), Beverly Hills staff planners claimed that HCD reversed its position on the density bonus issue. Pasadens excluded a large number of properties, including an Edison right-of-way near the Sierra Madre Village transit station, but HCD objected. But density bonuses are not the only issue bringing cities into conflict with HCD. Several other issues have arisen that indicate HCD is taking an extremely hard line in reviewing local plans and ordinances related to SB 79, including calling for land zoned for parks to be included in some cases if the parks zoning allows some commercial use. In the Beverly Hills case, HCD disputed the city’s calculation of the zoned capacity under its alternative plan. HCD said the city did not subject existing units from the zoned capacity in the alternative plan. Either way, the alternative plan calls for a capacity of between 18,000 and 22,000 units in a city that currently has about 16,000 units. In Burlingame, in addition to the density bonus dispute, HCD has rejected the city’s decision to exclude land zoned for parks and public institutions, saying residential use is permitted in those zones under SB 79. A similar dispute occurred in Pasadena, where HCD rejected the city’s decision to exclude some non-residential zones, including an open space zone near the Sierra Madre Villa light-rail station. But the non-residential use is embedded in the general plan, whereas HCD looked to the underlying zoning. The open space zone, which consists mostly of a Southern California Edison right-of-way and a wash, allows some commercial uses, apparently because nurseries formerly existed on the Edison property. That opened the door for HCD to dispute the exclusion of the property. “While the statute does not explicitly define “mixed” or “commercial” uses, if the jurisdiction’s zoning district principally or conditionally permits residential, residential mixed use, or commercial land use on a parcel within a TOD zone over which the jurisdiction has zoning authority, then SB 79 shall apply,” HCD wrote in a September 25 letter to Pasadena. Many of the same issues arose in Oceanside, including the same netting out of existing units that Beverly Hills dealt with and parks and institutional zoning permitting commercial use, thus opening the door for SB 79. More significant is the fact that Oceanside sought to exclude the Oceanside Transit Center – the biggest transit center in North County San Diego – because it is a low-resource area. In an October 15 letter, HCD said it could not determine whether the area was in fact low resource. Oceanside has apparently been resisting SB 79 densities at the transit center in part because it has a plan for the area that limits development to 86 units per acre, a plan that has been approved by the Coastal Commission. HCD’s SB 79 letters, along with other technical assistance and enforcement letters, can be found here.

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The City of Carlsbad is currently seeking a full time Senior Planner. Closing Date: Nov 17, 2026

This article is brought to you courtesy of the paying subscribers to California Planning & Development Report. You can subscribe to CP&DR by clicking here. You can sign up for CP&DR’s free weekly newsletter here. Climate Report Anticipates Impacts of Warming, Weather Disruption on California According to California’s Fifth Climate Change Assessment, which analyzes the impacts of changing weather patterns on the state, major climate change is projected in the state including longer, hotter summers, more widespread and extreme flooding, and increased exposure to wildfire smoke. The study projected that average temperatures will rise by about 4°F by midcentury, while average summer conditions will extend to 135 days, up from 90 days between 1981 and 2010. It also projects that by 2100, as much as 75% of California’s beaches could disappear seasonally or permanently without major intervention and sea-level rise could put $78 billion in property at risk from coastal flooding. In addition to coastal threats, climate change also threatens Sierra Nevada snowpack, which is expected to decline by 40% by midcentury and 60% by 2100, reducing a critical source of water for the state. As a result, fruit yields are expected to fall by as much as 40%, and irrigated acreage in the San Joaquin Valley is expected to decline by up to 40%. The assessment is produced by California’s Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation and examines multiple greenhouse gas emissions scenarios and outlines adaptation strategies. Officials say the findings are intended to help communities and policymakers prepare for climate impacts, emphasizing that future projections and outcomes depend partly on decisions made today. Beverly Hills Gets Cold Feet over SB 79 Alternative Plan Just months after adopting it, Beverly Hills will rescind its alternative plan for implementing SB 79, allowing the state’s standard housing requirements to apply to certain properties in the city. SB 79 increases allowable housing density, building heights and floor area ratios near qualifying transit stops. the alternative plan aimed to limit increased housing density in single-family neighborhoods by shifting some development capacity to mixed-use properties near the Wilshire/La Cienega Metro station. Residents urged the council to consider revising the plan or conducting an independent legal review, but city staff and council members said revisions were unlikely to succeed and supported rescinding the plan. According to staff reports Beverly Hills met with the California Department of Housing and Community Development at least 14 times between late 2025 and July. City officials said they initially agreed with several of Beverly Hills’ interpretations before later reversing course. The city will now prepare an ordinance and resolution to formally repeal the alternative plan, subject to Planning Commission review and final City Council approval. It is believed to be the first such action in the short history of SB 79, which went into effect July 1. (See related CP&DR coverage.) Drawing Protest, Developer Considers Data Center at Old Town San Diego Navy Property Manchester Financial Group confirmed that housing will be a major component of its proposed plan to redevelop 70 acres of Navy-owned land near downtown San Diego, despite growing controversy over a potential data center at the site. Manchester has been exploring a 400-megawatt data center as part of a broader project that could include thousands of multifamily homes, retail, commercial and industrial space, and new Navy facilities. Company CEO Ted Eldredge said housing would be essential to the project’s feasibility, although the total number of homes has not been determined. Under the proposed arrangement, Manchester would build a new Navy command center in exchange for a 99-year lease to redevelop two portions of the project, to be named the Naval Base Point Loma Old Town Campus. The proposal has drawn criticism from local officials, some of whom have advocated for a mixed-use neighborhood rather than a large data center. Concerns have also emerged over the facility’s electricity demand and the potential cost of necessary grid upgrades. Though the city promised to do its best to protect the community from the data center or potentially shouldering any costs of the project, the land is technically federal, giving the city limited control. Manchester maintains that several development options remain under consideration, and no final plan has been approved. CP&DR Coverage: Counting the Ways Trump is Meddling In California In the 18 months since Trump took office, CP&DR has run over 30 items in our weekly news briefs referring to the Trump administration. That's an average of close to one per week. Needless to say, Trump does not hesitate to tell the world what he likes and dislikes. Likes: beautiful women; tariffs. Dislikes: vegetables; the post-World War II global order. But few things under or beyond Trump's jurisdiction raise his ire as like California does. It's a "disaster." It's "out of control." CP&DR cataloged just a few of the ways in which the Trump administration has attacked California's environment, land uses, and related policies. Quick Hits & Updates The California High-Speed Rail Authority released the final EIR for the 30-mile Los Angeles-to-Anaheim segment, bringing the project closer to completing environmental review for its first phase. The preferred plan would share tracks with Amtrak and Metrolink, build a maintenance facility in Vernon and separate rail traffic from road crossings at five locations, and retain eight existing crossings in Anaheim. Despite this progress, funding cuts, escalating costs and a lawsuit involving related rail infrastructure continue to threaten the timeline for bringing high-speed rail service to Los Angeles which initially projected service in the Central Valley for the early 2030s. A growing share of working-age renters is struggling to pay for housing and utilities, according to an Urban Institute. One in five renters ages 18 to 64 reported missing or being late on rent at some point in 2025, up from 16.5 percent in 2024 and the highest share since the survey began tracking the measure in 2019. The increase was concentrated among middle-income renters, whose rate jumped from 14.3 percent to 21.6 percent, though lower-income renters remained the most likely to report problems (27.8 percent). About 20.7 percent of working-age renters also said they could not pay the full amount of their heating or electricity bills. California issued permits for 36,600 multifamily housing units in the first eight months of 2026, a 33% increase from the previous year and the third-best start to a year since 1990. This was 12% above the state’s 10-year average, while permits issued over the past decade rose 48% compared with the previous 10 years. Los Angeles and Orange counties led growth with 16,643 multifamily units permitted. By contrast, multifamily permitting outside California increased just 2% year over year and remained 4% below its 10-year average. The Los Angeles Unified School District voted to advance plans to redevelop two district-owned properties in Woodland Hills and West Hollywood into affordable and workforce housing. Development company Affirmed Housing was selected to turn the 6.5-acre former Collins Elementary School campus in Woodland Hills into 391 apartments for households earning 30% to 120% of the area median income. (See related CP&DR coverage.)

Californians are voting on the California Environmental Quality Act for the first time ever.

In a case with potentially huge implications, an appellate court has ruled that a homeowner

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