Key facts
- Palo Alto received nine applications for multifamily housing projects totaling 341 units.
- The applications were filed during a two-week window following the July 1 effective date of California's Senate Bill 79.
- SB 79 requires increased housing density near public transit.
- Palo Alto council members had anticipated fewer submissions, aiming to delay full compliance until 2032.
- Pro-housing groups had threatened legal action against the city's attempt to use an urgency ordinance.
- The majority of proposals are located in multifamily zones near transit stops.
Palo Alto city officials created a two-week application window, anticipating that few developers would submit proposals before new zoning regulations could be enacted to delay full compliance with California's Senate Bill 79 until 2032. However, the city received nine applications for multifamily housing projects, proposing hundreds of units near public transit stops.
SB 79, which mandates increased housing density near transit, took effect on July 1. Palo Alto council members had sought to pass an urgency ordinance to immediately reduce permitted heights and densities, allowing a slower transition to compliance. Pro-housing groups YIMBY Law and Palo Alto Forward threatened legal action, arguing that the city lacked grounds for an emergency declaration. Councilwoman Julie Lythcott-Haims expressed doubt about the evidence for such a declaration, while Councilman Pat Burt defended the city's deliberate approach.
Despite the council's expectations, nine developers submitted applications between July 1 and July 15, proposing a total of 341 housing units across approximately 395,310 square feet, primarily near downtown and California Avenue Caltrain stations. This situation reflects a broader trend of cities attempting to navigate or circumvent state zoning laws that preempt local authority, similar to ongoing disputes in Florida and Texas.