SB 1116: Planning and zoning: housing development projects: subdivisions.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

(1)Under the Planning and Zoning Law, the legislative body of a city or county may adopt ordinances that, among other things, regulate the use of buildings, structures, and land, as provided. The Subdivision Map Act vests the authority to regulate and control the design and improvement of subdivisions in the legislative body of a local agency and sets forth procedures governing the local agency’s processing, approval, conditional approval or disapproval, and filing of tentative, final, and parcel maps.

Existing law authorizes a development proponent to submit an application for a housing development project on a subdivided lot, as specified, that meets specified requirements, and requires a local agency to ministerially consider that application, as specified. Existing law prohibits a local agency from imposing on a housing development on a lot subdivided as specified an objective zoning standard, objective subdivision standard, or objective design standard that, among other things, physically precludes the development of a project built to specified densities. However, with respect to certain lots, existing law allows a local agency to impose a height limit of no less than the height allowed pursuant to the existing zoning designation applicable to the lot.

This bill would require the height limits under these provisions to apply exclusively to the physical height of a building rather than the number of floors. The bill would additionally prohibit a local agency from imposing specified front or internal setbacks, except as specified. The bill would also modify prohibitions relating to density on the lot, among other things. The bill would require that the above-described provisions relating to ministerial approval of housing developments on certain subdivided lots be interpreted liberally in favor of producing the maximum number of total housing units.

(2)Existing law requires a local agency to ministerially consider, without discretionary review or a hearing, a parcel map or a tentative and final map for a housing development project that meets specified requirements. Among these requirements, existing law requires that the lot be substantially surrounded by qualified urban uses, as defined, and not exceed specified size limits that vary based on the zoning of the lot and whether it is vacant. Existing law also requires that newly created parcels under these provisions be no smaller than 600 square feet, or in the case of parcels zoned for single-family use, 1,200 square feet, except as specified, and that the average total area of floorspace for specified units not exceed 1,750 net habitable square feet, defined to include stair space. Existing law also requires the lot to be zoned for multifamily residential dwelling use or to be vacant and zoned for single-family residential development (multifamily or vacancy requirement).

This bill would modify these requirements, including by changing the density requirements for the lot. The bill would, instead of requiring that specified lots are substantially surrounded by qualified urban uses, require those lots meet one of several other requirements under specified law. The bill would allow a newly created parcel on a plot zoned for multifamily housing to be as small as 480 square feet or 960 square feet, if specified conditions are met. The bill would provide that, where lot size averaging is used to create smaller parcels, none of the newly created residential parcels shall be more than 50% of the size of the original parcel, except as specified. The bill would revise the definition of “net habitable square feet” for the above-described purposes to exclude stairs and enclosed bicycle parking and would revise, for purposes of the multifamily or vacancy requirement, the definition of “vacant” to mean having no permanent structure, unless the permanent structure is abandoned or untenantable, as defined.

This bill would make these changes effective for applications received by local agencies on or after January 1, 2027.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 1

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. September 29, 2026Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 808, Statutes of 2026.
2. September 29, 2026Approved by the Governor.
3. August 31, 2026Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 6 p.m.
4. August 26, 2026Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 40. Noes 0.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.
5. August 25, 2026In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.
6. August 25, 2026Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 72. Noes 0. Page 6518.) Ordered to the Senate.
7. August 20, 2026Ordered to third reading.
8. August 20, 2026Read third time and amended.
9. August 18, 2026Ordered to third reading.
10. August 18, 2026Read third time and amended.
11. August 17, 2026Ordered to third reading.
12. August 17, 2026Read third time and amended.