Committee to Weigh Pause on State Transit Housing Law as July Effective Date Approaches

The Pasadena Housing, Homelessness and Planning Committee is scheduled to consider on Thursday a staff recommendation that the city adopt a “delayed effectuation ordinance” to temporarily exempt historic properties and certain lower-density residential sites from Senate Bill 79, the state’s new transit-oriented housing law that takes effect July 1.

Senate Bill 79, signed by Governor Gavin Newsom on Oct. 10, 2025, would allow certain housing projects within one-half mile of qualifying transit stops to use alternative state development standards that override local height, density and floor area ratio limits. According to the staff memorandum, the law would apply to areas surrounding all six of Pasadena’s Metro A Line stations — Allen, Lake, Memorial Park, Del Mar, Fillmore and Sierra Madre Villa — once it takes effect. As an advisory committee, the Housing, Homelessness and Planning Committee will not enact the proposed ordinance; instead, it would provide feedback to staff for incorporation into a recommendation that would be heard by the Planning Commission on May 13 and ultimately by the Pasadena City Council on May 18, which holds final authority. If the City Council approves the ordinance on that date, it would take effect July 8 — one week after Senate Bill 79 itself becomes operative.

According to the staff memorandum from Director of Planning and Community Development Jennifer Paige, Senate Bill 79 would establish three tiers of development rights based on proximity to transit. Sites adjacent to a Tier 2 transit-oriented development stop, defined as within 200 feet, could be developed with a height limit of 85 feet, density of 140 dwelling units per acre and a residential floor area ratio of 4.0. Sites within a quarter-mile would be allowed 65 feet, 100 dwelling units per acre and a 3.0 floor area ratio. Sites between a quarter-mile and a half-mile would be allowed 55 feet, 80 dwelling units per acre and a 2.5 floor area ratio. The memorandum states that Pasadena has no Tier 1 stops — those served by heavy rail or very-high-frequency commuter rail — and that the planned North Hollywood-to-Pasadena bus rapid transit corridor stops would not qualify.

To qualify for Senate Bill 79, the staff memorandum states, a project would need to include at least five housing units, be on land zoned residential, mixed-use or commercial, achieve a minimum density of 30 dwelling units per acre, and have an average unit size of no more than 1,750 net habitable square feet. Mixed-use projects would need to dedicate at least 66% of total square footage to residential use. The bill cannot be applied to sites containing more than two units where development would require demolition of rent- or price-controlled units occupied within the past seven years — a restriction that the memorandum notes would apply to many properties in Pasadena’s multifamily and mixed-use zoning districts. Projects of more than 10 units would need to comply with either Senate Bill 79’s affordability requirements or local inclusionary requirements, whichever is stricter; the memorandum states that Pasadena’s local ordinance would apply because it is stricter.

The memorandum identifies three local implementation options. Under Option 1, the city would take no action and Senate Bill 79 would take effect in its entirety on July 1. Under Option 2, the city would adopt a delayed effectuation ordinance to temporarily exempt or “pause” individual sites within transit-oriented development zones meeting certain criteria, with the pause running through approximately 2031 — one year after the next Housing Element adoption expected in 2030. Under Option 3, the city would adopt a Transit-Oriented Development Alternative Plan, or TODAP, that would allow density to be shifted between sites or zones while maintaining overall capacity. The memorandum states that an extensive amount of research, data collection and site-by-site analysis would be required to prepare a TODAP, and that a TODAP could be adopted at any time, including during a delayed effectuation period.

Staff would recommend Option 2. According to the memorandum, the recommended ordinance would temporarily exempt sites with historic resources designated as of Jan. 1, 2025, on a local register across all six TOD zones. For the Memorial Park, Del Mar and Lake station TOD zones — with the Lake zone’s eligibility still being confirmed by staff — the ordinance would also exempt sites with historic resources designated as of Jan. 1, 2025, on the state register, a category the memorandum notes would also include sites designated at the national level since they are protected together, sites zoned multi-family residential at 48 dwelling units per acre or less (the RM-12, RM-16, RM-32 and RM-48 zones), single-family residential sites, and sites located within specific plan areas that have a density of 48 dwelling units per acre or less.

The memorandum notes that some state and national register areas, including Old Pasadena, are also located in the city’s highest-density planned areas of 87 dwelling units per acre, meaning the proposed pause would suspend Senate Bill 79’s alternative density allowances in zones the city had already designated for dense growth, although development could still occur on those sites under the city’s existing specific plans and development standards. Staff acknowledged this trade-off but pointed to ongoing advocacy for Assembly Bill 2576, introduced by Assembly Member John Harabedian on Feb. 20, which would expand Senate Bill 79’s historic protections to include state-registered resources designated before Jan. 1, 2025.

The memorandum reports that a tri-cities staff working group with Burbank and Glendale was established in October 2025, and that Pasadena staff have also met with Los Angeles and South Pasadena to compare implementation approaches. The city submitted a Dec. 30, 2025 letter to the Governor on companion bill Senate Bill 677, and city staff and a lobbying firm met on Feb. 5 with staff from Assembly Member Harabedian’s and Senator Wiener’s offices to discuss expanded historic protections.

The memorandum further notes that according to staff analysis, Metro owns four parcels within a half-mile of Pasadena TOD stations — three within the Sierra Madre Villa TOD zone and one within the Lake TOD zone — that could potentially be developed under Senate Bill 79’s separate provisions for transit-agency-owned land.

If the Housing, Homelessness and Planning Committee endorses the staff recommendation Thursday, that endorsement would not enact any ordinance; the proposal would still need to be considered by the Planning Commission and ultimately approved by the City Council, which retains all final legislative authority.

The Housing, Homelessness and Planning Committee is scheduled to meet at 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 7, in the Council Chamber, Room S249, at Pasadena City Hall, 100 North Garfield Avenue, in Pasadena. For more information call (626) 744-7311 or visit https://www.cityofpasadena.net/commissions/agendas/.