A bill under consideration by California state legislators would allow multistory apartments and condominiums in transit-friendly Los Angeles neighborhoods where city leaders have long prohibited them, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Senate Bill 827, written by state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), would loosen or eliminate restrictions on height, density, parking and design for residential properties near major rail and bus stops. The impact could be huge. A Times analysis found that about 190,000 parcels in L.A. neighborhoods zoned for single-family homes are located in the “transit rich” areas identified in SB 827.
The bill will likely affect about 50% of L.A.’s single-family homes, most of them in the L.A. Basin, according to the LA Times. It would allow up to five-story residential buildings and eight-story building on wider streets in areas within a quarter-mile of a subway station, light rail platform, rush hour bus stop, and bus corridor intersection. SB 827 aims to cut down on traffic congestion and carbon emissions while curbing L.A.’s steep housing prices and shortages. Opponents say the bill will displace low-income renters and trigger redevelopment of single-family neighborhoods, low-rise commercial districts, and historic preservation districts.
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