Menu
The Encinitas Current
  • Home
  • Join Our List
  • Gallery
  • Submit
  • About Us
  • Contact
The Encinitas Current

5-Story Apt. Buildings Could be Coming to Encinitas

Posted on April 29, 2019April 30, 2019 by Staff

The above map showing that Encinitas meets the SB 50 criteria is by the Urban Displacement Project., UC Berkeley (http://upzoning.berkeley.edu/station_neighborhoods.html)

California State Senate Bill 50, aka The More HOMES Act authored by Senator Scott Wiener (D, San Franciso), would change the way our City and County decide on housing projects, both big and small. The controversial bill has advanced through yet another hurdle in the legislative process, making its chances of becoming state law more likely.

SB 50 is an effort to alleviate the State-wide housing shortage by giving developers incentives to build multi-family housing near public transit and in affluent neighborhoods adjacent to job centers by overriding local zoning regulations. It does this by removing control from local governments and giving it to the State.

In counties over 600,000 people, areas within a half mile of rail & ferry stations will be up-zoned. Job rich areas & 1/4 mile around bus stops will be up-zoned… Statewide, including in small counties, fourplex will be allowed by right. Buildings can’t be demolished for fourplex but can be internally subdivided/remodeled… The legislative process for SB 50 is far from over, but today is a big win for the legislation and for Californians, so many of whom need housing.


Senator Weiner, via Twitter, 4/24/19

One of the new rules would be that property owners can convert their single-family home to a four-plex ‘by right’, or, without local approval.

Another change to Encinitas is building height limits. SB 50 neutralizes them for projects near the train station or major bus stops, allowing for up to 85-foot heights with density bonuses, and keeping parking to a minimum with .5 spots per unit, or ONE parking spot for every TWO apartment units.

Buildings like this could be placed near the train station and some bus stops. Parking requirements would be only .5 car spaces per unit.

Some cities have already formally opposed SB50. Both Carlsbad City Council and Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously to oppose the bill.

Although Encinitas has not yet taken a stand, Mayor Blakespear seems to support the spirit of SB 50. In a recent newsletter, she discussed increasing density along the coast and preserving open space inland:

“… Making housing denser in the areas it already exists and near the coast, instead of sprawling into the backcountry. In the big picture, and for climate and habitat protection, this is the right strategy.”

Encinitas Mayor Catherine Blakespear

SANDAG, the county-wide agency that decides public transportation issues, also seems to agree. They recently shifted their goals of improved streets and highways (funded by the Transnet Sales Tax approved by voters in 2004) to almost exclusively transit alternatives. Mayor Blakespear, who is also the vice-chair of the SANDAG Board of Directors, celebrated the release of the new direction.

Several groups throughout the state are fighting against the bill. Here is one of many graphics generated to gain public support for the opposition.

Click to enlarge

Stay tuned for updates as SB 50 moves forward through the Legislature.

Search

Previously

  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018

Further Back

Menu

  • Home
  • Join Our List
  • Gallery
  • Submit
  • About Us
  • Contact

Join Our List

Click here to subscribe

Categories

Tags

101 ab 805 beach beacons Berkich Park blakespear cardiff cardiff elementary city council coastal rail trail election encinitas eusd flood flooding gaspar highway 101 homeless housing housing element jody hubbard julie thunder lagoon lawsuit leichtag leucadia mark muir mayor blakespear olivenhain poetry prop a roberta walker sand sandag san elijo lagoon sduhsd selc sheriff soccer streetscape surf surfing madonna traffic water yoga
2019 The Encinitas Current