P.1. 20-1022 DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION REGARDING OPPOSITION LETTER OF SENATE BILL NO. 902, AS AMENDED IN THE SENATE ON MAY 21, 2020, TO PROPOSE AMENDING THE GOVERNMENT CODE RELATING TO LAND USE TO AUTHORIZE A LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO PASS AN ORDINANCE TO ZONE ANY PARCEL UP TO 10 UNITS OF RESIDENTIAL DENSITY PER PARCEL, PROVIDING CITIES WITH A STREAMLINING TOOL TO INCREASE DENSITY IN NON-SPRAWL AREAS.
2. The bill permits a city to allow 10 dwellings per "parcel" According to the Redondo Beach Housing Element, the minimum size for an R1 parcel is 5000 sq. ft., or 8.8 dwelling units per acre. This bill could allow 10 dwellings on a site, at a density of 88 dwellings per acre. This is denser than the most dense areas of the city. And, this bill does not require parking. Can anyone even imagine this? (The maximum density permitted by mixed use is 35 du/acre.)
3. The above densities do not even consider the impacts of the pandemic. All the recent articles point to density being a problem with COVID 19. The Wall Street Journal, June 8, says "Some crowded households [in remote areas] are more deadly than city blocks." There, they are talking about crowded multi-generational families living together. But crowding can also occur if a landlord rents to multiple unrelated single people, such as workers or students. To prevent an absentee landlord from renting to as many single people (i.e. single wage earners) as possible to increase the rent he can collect, it is imperative that we figure out a way to limit overcrowding of unrelated adults by an unscrupulous landlord.
Regarding the density of the apartments themselves, the Sunday LA Times of May 31 talked about new architecture designs that should be considered in the post COVID area. Here is the last sentence : "Cross ventilation, roof decks, balconies, courtyards and other outdoor spaces have been considered luxury amenities......The pandemic could make them essentials."
Conclusion: The SB 902 one size fits all bill does not fit. Ask Mayor Brand to text our representatives (Sen Allen and Al Muratsuchi) and let them know Redondo's opposition, and find out their positions on this.
1. I support the city's opposition to SB 902.
2. The bill permits a city to allow 10 dwellings per "parcel" According to the Redondo Beach Housing Element, the minimum size for an R1 parcel is 5000 sq. ft., or 8.8 dwelling units per acre. This bill could allow 10 dwellings on a site, at a density of 88 dwellings per acre. This is denser than the most dense areas of the city. And, this bill does not require parking. Can anyone even imagine this? (The maximum density permitted by mixed use is 35 du/acre.)
3. The above densities do not even consider the impacts of the pandemic. All the recent articles point to density being a problem with COVID 19. The Wall Street Journal, June 8, says "Some crowded households [in remote areas] are more deadly than city blocks." There, they are talking about crowded multi-generational families living together. But crowding can also occur if a landlord rents to multiple unrelated single people, such as workers or students. To prevent an absentee landlord from renting to as many single people (i.e. single wage earners) as possible to increase the rent he can collect, it is imperative that we figure out a way to limit overcrowding of unrelated adults by an unscrupulous landlord.
Regarding the density of the apartments themselves, the Sunday LA Times of May 31 talked about new architecture designs that should be considered in the post COVID area. Here is the last sentence : "Cross ventilation, roof decks, balconies, courtyards and other outdoor spaces have been considered luxury amenities......The pandemic could make them essentials."
Conclusion: The SB 902 one size fits all bill does not fit. Ask Mayor Brand to text our representatives (Sen Allen and Al Muratsuchi) and let them know Redondo's opposition, and find out their positions on this.
Holly Osborne