New California laws on housing, meetings and schools take effect July 1

“This covers a significant number of parcels that have not been rezoned,” Levine said previously. “This is going to create new opportunities in every city in San Mateo County.”

Senate Bill 79 permits increased density and height in areas within one-fourth of a mile of transit stations, including buildings up to seven stories. Buildings directly adjacent to transit stations could go even higher, up to nine stories.

One San Mateo County jurisdiction, Burlingame, has already attempted to preemptively excuse themselves from these SB 79 requirements by proposing an alternative plan. The city’s proposal would still mete out the same theoretical increase in total zoning capacity around two transit areas, the Burlingame Caltrain station and the Millbrae BART and Caltrain station, but distributes them differently than the bill’s requirements. 

In an attempt to keep concentrating new housing development around North Rollins, which falls within SB 79’s one-fourth mile transit stop radius, Burlingame is suggesting more unit allowances within the 200-foot radius of the Caltrain station, land that largely includes the Burlingame High School campus, Washington Park and the Caltrain tracks. 

Housing advocates have called the city’s plan disingenuous, arguing that it’s highly unlikely new housing would ever be built on those locations. City officials have maintained they are following the letter of the law. 

The proposal will now go to the California Department of Housing and Development.

Other bills that will go into effect in the beginning of July and impact local cities include Senate Bill 707, which modernizes the Brown Act and mandates City Council meeting transparency. City councils are now required to offer remote accessibility for meetings and allow members of the public the same amount of time for online and in-person comments. It also mandates a technology disruption policy that requires city councils to pause meetings for one hour if remote access fails and pushes for greater public interpretation assistance. 

The new standards also offer councilmembers themselves greater flexibility around remote participation, like introducing new just cause provisions like childcare emergencies or sickness as a reason to take the meeting on Zoom. If a councilmember has a disability, they will also now be allowed to participate fully remotely and be treated as if they are present in the room. 

Some legislation going into effect July 1 touches on other statewide issues, like the use of cellphones in schools. Assembly Bill 3216 mandates schools to develop policies on smartphone use by that date, to be implemented by the coming school year.