THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
MINUTES FOR THE SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING
OF
THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2026
AT 6:00 PM
IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS – 12TH FLOOR
Table of Contents
CHRONOLOGY OF THE MEETING ..............................................................................2 ATTENDANCE DURING THE MEETING .......................................................................2 ROLL CALL ..............................................................................................................2 Item 600: Senate Bill 79 Phased Implementation and Exempting Non-Transit Oriented Development Areas ..................................................................................................3 REPORT OUT FROM CLOSED SESSION ......................................................................5 ADJOURNMENT .......................................................................................................5 Minutes of the Council of the City of San Diego Page 2
for the Special Meeting of Monday, May 7, 2026
CHRONOLOGY OF THE MEETING
The meeting was called to order by Council President LaCava at 6:12 p.m.
Councilmember von Wilpert arrived to the meeting at 6:17 p.m. Council President LaCava recessed the meeting at 7:02 p.m. for the purpose of a break. Council President LaCava reconvened the meeting at 7:07 p.m. with Councilmember Foster, Council President Pro Tem Lee, and Councilmember Elo-Rivera not present. LaCava recessed the meeting at 8:17 p.m. for the purpose of a break. Council President LaCava reconvened the meeting at 9:37 p.m. with Councilmember Foster, Council President Pro Tem Lee, and Councilmember Elo-Rivera not present. The meeting was adjourned by Council President LaCava at 9:46 p.m.
ATTENDANCE DURING THE MEETING
PRESENT:
CD-1 Council President Joe LaCava
CD-2 Councilmember Jennifer Campbell
CD-3 Councilmember Stephen Whitburn
CD-5 Councilmember Marni von Wilpert
CD-7 Councilmember Raul A. Campillo
CD-8 Councilmember Vivian Moreno
ABSENT:
CD-4 Councilmember Henry L. Foster III
CD-6 Council President Pro Tem Kent Lee
CD-9 Councilmember Sean Elo-Rivera
CITY CLERK:
Pantaleon (gs)
ROLL CALL
(1) Council President LaCava-present
(2) Councilmember Campbell-present
(3) Councilmember Whitburn-present
(4) Councilmember Foster-not present
(5) Councilmember von Wilpert-not present
Minutes of the Council of the City of San Diego Page 3
for the Special Meeting of Monday, May 7, 2026
(6) Council President Pro Tem Lee-not present
(7) Councilmember Campillo-present
(8) Councilmember Moreno-present
(9) Councilmember Elo-Rivera-not present
Item 600: Senate Bill 79 Phased Implementation and Exempting Non-Transit Oriented Development Areas.
Total Estimated Cost of Proposed Action and Funding Source:
There are no costs associated with this action.
Council District(s) Affected: Citywide.
Proposed Actions:
The City Planning Department proposes an Ordinance to use the provisions in Senate Bill (S.B.) 79 to phase its implementation in a manner that allows the City to more comprehensively address fire safety, fair housing, historic resources, climate resiliency, neighborhood scale, and related considerations prior to broader implementation. The ordinance also proposes the exemption of areas outside of a one mile walk from TOD Stops (as defined by S.B. 79) from S.B. 79 application. (O-2026-124 Rev.) INTRODUCED AS AMENDED BY INTERLINEATION, TO BE ADOPTED WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2026
Introduction of an Ordinance Phasing the Implementation of S.B. 79 Including Exemptions.
Committee Actions Taken: N/A
Planning: Grant Ruroede, (619) 446-5347
City Attorney Contact: Shannon Eckmeyer
COUNCIL ACTION: Start Time: 6:15 PM
Public testimony by Dorene Dias Petta, Andrea Hethery, Ethan Paul, Zack DefazioFarrell, Geoffrey Hueter, Paul Coogan, Allegedly Audra, Paul Krueger, Mary Soriano, Adian Chowdhury, Leif Genert, Victoria Labruzzo, Blair Beekman, S. Borinski, Sharon Minutes of the Council of the City of San Diego Page 4
for the Special Meeting of Monday, May 7, 2026
Gehl, Shaquille, Unknown caller, Tom Whitehill-Nigl, Trace Thompson, Daniel Molitor, Saad Asad, Moira Tan, Joy Sunyata, and Bruce Coons.
MOTION BY JOE LACAVA TO INTRODUCE THE ORDINANCE AS AMENDED BY INTERLINEATION TO: 1) REMOVE RECITAL “E” AND RENUMBER THE REMAINING RECITALS; 2) DELETE ALL ATTACHMENTS TO THE ORDINANCE; 3) REVISE THE LANGUAGE ON PAGE 6, SECTION 2, TO READ “THE COUNCIL FINDS ALL AREAS
IDENTIFIED BY THE CITY AS HAVING MORE THAN ONE MILE WALKING PATH TO A
TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT STOP, AS IDENTIFIED BY THE SANDAG MAP UPON ITS RELEASE, ARE EXEMPT FROM THE REQUIREMENTS OF SENATE BILL 79 AND
SHALL BE SHOWN ON A MAP TO BE PREPARED BY THE CITY PLANNING DEPARTMENT”; 4) REVISE THE LANGUAGE ON PAGE 6, SECTION 4, TO READ “ALL
AREAS IDENTIFIED AS BEING WITHIN A VERY HIGH FIRE SEVERITY ZONE AS
DETERMINED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY AND FIRE PROTECTION PURSUANT TO SECTION 51178 OF THE PUBLIC RESOURCE CODE WILL IMPLEMENT SENATE BILL 79 UPON THE ADOPTION OF A TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT ALTERNATIVE
PLAN THAT HAS BEEN DEEMED COMPLIANT BY THE DEPARTMENT OR NO LATER
THAN ONE YEAR FOLLOWING ADOPTION OF THE SEVENTH REVISION OF THE HOUSING ELEMENT, WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST”; 5) REVISE THE LANGUAGE ON PAGE 6, SECTION 5, TO READ “ALL SITES WITH A HISTORIC RESOURCE DESIGNATED AS OF JANUARY 1, 2025, ON A LOCAL REGISTER WILL IMPLEMENT SENATE BILL 79
UPON THE ADOPTION OF A TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT ALTERNATIVE PLAN
THAT HAS BEEN DEEMED COMPLIANT BY THE DEPARTMENT OR NO LATER THAN ONE
YEAR FOLLOWING ADOPTION OF THE SEVENTH REVISION OF THE HOUSING ELEMENT, WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST”; AND 6) REVISE THE LANGUAGE ON PAGE 7, SECTION 6, TO READ: “ALL SITES IDENTIFIED AS VULNERABLE TO ONE FOOT OF SEA
LEVEL RISE, AS DETERMINED BY THE CITY COASTAL HAZARDS VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT WILL IMPLEMENT SENATE BILL 79 UPON THE ADOPTION OF A TRANSITORIENTED DEVELOPMENT ALTERNATIVE PLAN THAT HAS BEEN DEEMED COMPLIANT
BY THE DEPARTMENT OR NO LATER THAN ONE YEAR FOLLOWING ADOPTION OF THE SEVENTH REVISION OF THE HOUSING ELEMENT, WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST.” Second by Jennifer Campbell.
Passed by the following vote:
Yea: Joe LaCava, Jennifer Campbell, Stephen Whitburn, Marni von Wilpert, Raul A.
Campillo, Vivian Moreno;
Nay: (None);
Recused: (None);
Not Present Henry L. Foster III, Kent Lee, Sean Elo-Rivera.
Minutes of the Council of the City of San Diego Page 5
for the Special Meeting of Monday, May 7, 2026
REPORT OUT FROM CLOSED SESSION
None.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned by Council President LaCava at 9:46 p.m.
COUNCIL ACTION: Start Time: 9:46 PM