May 30th, 2025 — While Neighbors For A Better San Diego has been focusing on San Diego's revisions to the Bonus ADU program, a bill is moving through the California State Senate — Senate Bill 79 (SB 79) — that could radically change for the worse single-family neighborhoods across the state, including right here in San Diego.

 

SB 79 would allow housing developments up to 6 stories tall (65 feet or more) in single-family zoned neighborhoods within a half-mile of bus rapid transit (BRT) or trolley lines — all under the pretense of climate action and transit accessibility. This could include transit stops that are planned but may never be built.

 

It's important to let your State Senator know that you oppose SB 79!

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The Senators who represent residents in San Diego County are:

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District 18 Steve Padilla

District 38 Catherine Blakespear

District 39 Akilah Weber Pierson

District 40 Brian W. Jones

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(The Senator contact portal is set up to accept comments only from the voters they represent. If you're unsure who your Senator is, you can look it up HERE.)

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Neighbors For A Better San Diego strongly opposes SB 79.  Our objections are detailed in our white paper.

 

While some of our objections arise from the specific conditions of San Diego, others apply to all California cities:

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• SB 79 bypasses local zoning, putting homeownership and the future of California's single-family neighborhoods at risk.

   

• It's not needed - We’re already ahead of our housing goals. Cities like San Diego are building plenty of market-rate housing. This bill targets a problem that doesn’t exist.

   

• It hurts affordability. Older, lower-cost homes get torn down to make room for luxury high-rises, pushing out low-income families. Additionally, upzoning increases underlying land value due to increased income potential for investors.

   

• It overrides local planning. SB 79 ignores the work that cities have done to identify the right areas for growth.

   

• It disrupts neighborhoods. The bill allows large developments in single-family areas, overriding local zoning laws and dropping density bombs haphazardly deep into single-family zoned neighborhoods.

   

• Does not specify "walking distance" vs "crow flies" from transit. Allows up to 6-story buildings in single-family zoned neighborhoods within a half-mile of any bus rapid transit (BRT) or trolley line. It doesn’t clearly say how the “half-mile from transit” rule should be measured — by walking or as the crow flies.

   

• Creates uncertainty in planning. Allows cities to rely on future transit that may never be built. Transit that doesn’t yet exist should not be used to justify dense development now.

   

• It spreads out development inefficiently. Randomly scattering massive SB 79 projects won’t create thriving, walkable communities.

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This is important. 

Please contact your California State Senator today to voice your opposition to SB 79!