Larry Klein
Mayor
Richard Mehlinger
Vice Mayor
Alysa Cisneros
Councilmember
Murali Srinivasan
Councilmember
Linda Sell
Councilmember
Charlsie Chang
Councilmember
Eileen Le
Councilmember
August 31, 2026
T
he Honorable Gavin Newsom
Governor, State of California
1021 O Street, Suite 9000
Sacramento, CA 95814
R
E: Assembly Bill 1751 (Quirk-Silva): Missing Middle Townhome Ownership Act – REQUEST FOR VETO
D
ear Governor Newsom:
O
n behalf of the City of Sunnyvale, we respectfully request that you veto Assembly Bill 1751 (Quirk-Silva). While the bill would admirably establish a new ministerial approval pathway for certain townhome development projects, the current proposal would also effectively downzone several areas of the City. This density reduction should concern policymakers who support no-net loss housing objectives and value jurisdictions striving to achieve the State’s housing goals through higher-density housing.
T
he City shares the Legislature's goal of increasing housing production and expanding homeownership opportunities, particularly for “missing middle” housing. Sunnyvale has long been committed to facilitating housing development and implementing state housing laws to help address California's housing shortage. However, AB 1751 could have unintended consequences that undermine these efforts by incentivizing development at lower densities than those envisioned in locally adopted plans.
T
he City's comprehensive planning efforts have established growth areas designed to accommodate significantly greater densities than those contemplated by AB 1751. For example, the El Camino Real Specific Plan requires development at 85 percent of maximum zoning density, with sites allowing up to 54 dwelling units per acre.
Sunnyvale's R-4 and R-5 zoning districts include densities of 36 and 42 dwelling units per acre, respectively. The density standards for the City of Sunnyvale in AB 1751 (75% of 30 dwelling units per acre) could therefore result in development that is less dense than what the City has already planned and could trigger “no net loss” requirements.
Sunnyvale does not want to leave much needed housing on the table.
Attachment 6
The Honorable Gavin Newsom, Governor
August 31, 2026
AB 1751 could also conflict with Sunnyvale’s state -approved Housing Element, which reflects the City’s commitment to facilitating housing production through appropriate land use and density standards. Goal H-1, Provision of Adequate Housing Sites, calls for providing adequate sites for new housing through appropriate land use and zoning to address the diverse needs of Sunnyvale’s residents and workforce. Supporting policies direct the City to provide adequate sites for housing at appropriate densities (Policy H -
1.1), facilitate residential infill development near transit and employment centers (Policy H-1.2), accommodate additional high- density residential development in high- resource areas (Policy H -1.3), and generally require new development to build to at least 75 percent of maximum zoning density (Policy H -1.4). AB 1751 could make it more difficult for Sunnyvale to implement these policies by allowing qualifying projects to develop at densities below those contemplated by the City’s adopted zoning and Housing Element, potentially reducing planned housing capacity rather than advancing the City’s housing-production goals
The City's primary concern with AB 1751 could be addressed by requiring qualifying projects to meet the applicable local minimum density or the minimum density established under the bill, whichever is greater. This approach would allow the state to encourage missing-middle housing across California while preserving locally adopted plans that call for higher densities to better meet their community’s needs and housing goals.
Unfortunately, as proposed, AB 1751 risks undermining the very housing-production goals it is intended to advance. State housing policy should support and build upon local planning efforts seeking greater housing abundance rather than create incentives that work against them.
For these reasons, the City of Sunnyvale respectfully requests that you veto AB 1751.
We remain committed to working with the Legislature and your Administration to increase housing production and expand homeownership opportunities while preserving the ability of communities to implement thoughtful, locally adopted housing plans.
Thank you for your consideration of the City of Sunnyvale's concerns. Please do not hesitate to contact me or Trudi Ryan, Community Development Director at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Attachment 6
The Honorable Gavin Newsom, Governor
August 31, 2026
Sincerely,
Larry Klein
Mayor
cc: Senator Dr. Aisha Wahab
Assembly Member Patrick Ahrens
City Council
Tim Kirby, City Manager
Sarah Johnson-Rios, Assistant City Manager
Connie Verceles, Assistant City Manager
Trudi Ryan, Director of Community Development
Attachment 6