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April9,2024
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KrishaPenollar, ProjectPlannerCommunityDevelopmentDepartment500CastroStreetMountainView, CA94039 Re: 294-296TyrellaAvenueBuilder’sRemedyProjectYesInMyBackYardCommentLetter DearMs.Penollar:YIMBYLawisa501(c)3non-profitcorporation,whosemissionistoincreasetheaccessibilityandaffordabilityofhousinginCalifornia.YIMBYLawpursuesthismissionthroughtheenforcementofstatehousinglaws,includingtheHousingAccountabilityAct(“HAA”orGov. Code§65589.5).Asyouknow, subdivision(d)(5)oftheHAAstatesthatifacityorcountydoesnothavea“substantiallycompliant”HousingElement,thatjurisdictioncannotutilizeitszoningorgeneralplanstandardstodisapproveahousingprojectthatreserves20%ofitsunitsaffordabletolowerincomehouseholds.Inotherwords,citiesthatfailtopassacomplianthousingelementbytheirdeadlineloselocalcontroloverhousingdevelopment.ThisisknownastheBuilder’sRemedy.
TheCityofMountainViewfailedtoadoptasubstantiallycompliantHousingElementbythestatutorydeadline,andapreliminaryapplicationforan85-unithousingdevelopmentprojectwith20%low-incomeunitsat294-296TyrellaAvenuewassubmittedwhiletheCitywasoutofcompliance.ThesubmittalofapreliminaryapplicationensuresthattheBuilder’sRemedyappliestotheprojectthroughouttheentireentitlementprocess.YIMBYLawunderstandsthattheCityisattemptingto 1 executeanendrunaroundtheBuilder’sRemedybyenforcingitszoningthroughconditionsofapproval.WearewritingtoinformyouthattheCity’sactionsareinconsistentwiththeBuilder’sRemedyandviolatetheHAA.
TheCityistakingthepositionthatsubdivision(f)(1)allowstheCitytoenforceitszoningandgeneralplanthroughconditionsofapproval.First,wenotethatsubdivision(f)(1)issimplyageneralinterpretiveprovisoanddoesnotprovidetheCitywithsubstantiveauthoritythatoverridesthe 1 SeeHCDLetter of Technical AssistanceissuedtoSantaMonica, datedOctober 5, 2023, availableathttps://www.hcd.ca.gov/sites/default/files/docs/planning-and-community/HAU/santa-monica-TA-100522.pdf. 1 Builder’sRemedy. Subdivision(d)(5)clearlyeliminatesalocalgovernment’sauthoritytoimposeitszoningandgeneralplanstandardswhenthejurisdictionisoutofcompliancewiththeHousingElementLaw.Moreover, theCityisentirelyfocusedonthefirsthalfofthefirstsentenceofsubdivision(f)(1),completelyignoringtherest.Subdivision(f)(1)saysthattheHAAshouldnotbeinterpretedtoprohibitalocalagencyfromrequiringcompliance“withobjective,quantifiable,writtendevelopmentstandards,conditions,andpoliciesappropriateto,andconsistentwith,meetingthejurisdiction’sshareoftheregionalhousingneedpursuanttoSection65584.”Subdivision(f)(1)merelyreferencescompliancewithstandardsthatareappropriatetoandconsistentwithmeetingajurisdiction’sRHNA–i.e.the“appropriatezoninganddevelopmentstandards”toaccommodateRHNAthatareidentifiedinalocalgovernment’scertifiedHousingElement.(Gov.Code§65583(c)(1).)Saidanotherway, alocalgovernmentthatdoesnothaveacertifiedHousingElementtoaccommodateitsRHNAdoesnothaveanystandardsappropriatetoandconsistentwithmeetingitsRHNArequirements.Inshort,alocalgovernmentthatdoesnothaveacertifiedHousingElementcannotrelyonsubdivision(f)(1)atallbecausetheHousingElementprocessishowalocalgovernmentidentifiesstandardsappropriatetoandconsistentwithmeetingRHNA.Regardless,subdivision(f)(1)alsostatesthatanyconditionofapprovalmust“beappliedtofacilitateandaccommodatedevelopmentatthedensitypermittedonthesiteandproposedbythedevelopment.”Thisclearlydemonstratesthatthepurposeofsubdivision(f)(1)istoassisttheprojectisgettingbuilt,notasaroadblocktothedevelopmentofaffordablehousingastheCityisattemptinghere.TheCityhasalsoarguedthatanyzoningstandardthatisnotcodifiedwithinthechapteroftheCityCodetitled“ZoningOrdinance”isoutsidethescopeoftheBuilder’sRemedy. TheCitycannotevadetheHAAsimplybymovingzoningstandardsintoadifferentchapteroftheCityCode.Understatelaw, zoningordinancesaredefinedbroadlytoincludeanystandardthatregulatesthelocation,height,bulk,numberofstories,andsizeofbuildingsandstructures;thesizeanduseoflots,yards,courts,andotheropenspaces;thepercentageofalotwhichmaybeoccupiedbyabuildingorstructure;theintensityoflanduse;offstreetparkingandloadingrequirements;buildingsetbacklines;andinclusionaryhousingrequirements.(Gov. Code§65850.)TheBuilder’sRemedyappliestoanyCityordinancethatfitswithinthebroadstatelawdefinitionofazoningordinance.TheHAAprovidesadditionalprovisionstopreventajurisdictionattemptingtopreventthedevelopmentofhousingthroughconditionsofapproval.Alocalgovernmentisalsoprohibitedfromimposinganyconditionthatwouldhave“asubstantialadverseeffectontheviabilityoraffordabilityofahousingdevelopmentforverylow, low-,ormoderate-incomehouseholds.”(Gov. Code§ Sue
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2 65589.5(i).)YIMBYLawremindstheCitythattheHAAsquarelyplacestheburdenofproofontheCitytodemonstratethatithascompliedwiththeHAA’srequirements.(Gov. Code§65589.6.)Inotherwords,theapplicantdoesnothavetodemonstratethataconditionofapprovalhasasubstantialadverseeffectontheproject,theburdenisontheCitytodemonstratethatitsconditionscomplywiththisrequirement.TheCity’sownanalysisfoundthatitsBMRprogram,parklanddedicationrequirements,TDMmeasures,andparkingrequirementsallposesignificantconstraintsonthedevelopmentofhousing. 2 Despitethisadmission,theCityisnowattemptingtocircumventtheHAAbyimposingtheseconstraintsonanaffordablehousingprojectasconditionsofapproval.EveniftheBuilder’sRemedydidnotapplyandtheCitywereauthorizedtoimposeitszoning,whichitisnot,theseconditionsofapprovalstillviolatetheHAAbecausetheCityadmitstheyhaveasubstantialadverseeffectontheviabilityandaffordabilityofhousing.Theproposedprojectat294-296TyrellaAvenueprovidesdesperatelyneededaffordablehousinginacommunitywhereskyrocketinghousingcostshavemadehousingunattainableexceptforthewealthiestindividuals.WerespectfullyrequestthattheCityprocesstheprojectconsistentwiththestatelaw, andapprovetheprojectassubmittedwithouttheproposedunlawfulconditionsofapproval.IftheCityfailstodoso,YIMBYLawreservestherighttopursuelitigationagainsttheCitytoenforcestatehousinglaws.
Best,
Sonja TraussExecutiveDirectorYIMBYLaw
Cc:CityattorneyJenniferLogue,[email protected],[email protected], ,[email protected] O'Neill 2 MountainView6thCycleHousingElement,AppendixD:ConstraintsAnalysis,p.245.
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