As COVID-19 continues to shape our economic future, elected officials are weighing how to intervene in commercial evictions. Some municipalities have imposed temporary moratoria on evictions. Senate Bill 939 (“SB 939”), introduced on February 6, 2020 by Senators Scott Wiener and Lena Gonzalez, would go much further. The legislation would impose significant Statewide restrictions on […]
For years, San Francisco has required a conditional use permit as a prerequisite to demolishing a residential building. In addition, the building could not be demolished until a building permit for the replacement structure was approved. The theory behind the prohibition is that existing housing is the City’s most affordable housing and should be preserved. […]
Less than two weeks after issuing a decision that required the City of Los Altos to approve a 15-unit SB 35 project, the same Santa Clara County Superior Court judge (“Court”) issued a second favorable decision upholding the City of Cupertino’s (“City”) decision to approve an SB 35 project that would redevelop the former Vallco […]
In a groundbreaking ruling, the Santa Clara County Superior Court found that the city of Los Altos acted in bad faith when it denied a 15-unit density bonus project that was proposed under SB 35 and subject to the Housing Accountability Act (HAA). Instead of sending the project back to the City for further consideration, […]
San Francisco Rent Increase Moratorium: Last week, the Board of Supervisors unanimously passed an emergency ordinance that would temporarily prohibit rent increases otherwise permitted by the Rent Ordinance. Initially introduced by Supervisor Peskin, the ordinance is based on a finding that prohibiting rent increases will reduce risk of displacement, “which is essential for public health […]
As San Francisco meets the broad set of challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, San Francisco’s municipal agencies are implementing new processes to help assure that the measures that have been put in place to keep us safe during this challenging time do not hamper the progress of permitting. Procedures at the Department of Building […]
After SB 50 failed to pass earlier this year, Senator Scott Wiener introduced a new housing bill that aims to increase density across the state and provide cities a streamlined process for upzoning certain areas of their communities. Although more modest than the sweeping overhaul that was proposed under SB 50, this bill would effectively […]
San Francisco Boards, Commissions, and Departments have begun to adapt their operations and procedures in response to the Shelter in Place restrictions, and for land use practitioners, this means project processing activity is on the rise. By contrast, on March 31 the Department of Public Health issued an Order that further restricted allowed construction to […]
Local governments, the State of California, and the federal government have or will soon pass a number of measures meant to protect businesses from the economic effects of the coronavirus. This week, we summarize several business assistance programs and available funding sources, as well as San Francisco’s moratorium on commercial evictions. (San Francisco has also […]
We hope that everyone is staying healthy and safe. Pursuant to the San Francisco and Bay Area Shelter-in-Place Orders, our physical offices are currently closed. However, our attorneys and staff are all working remotely, and are connecting with clients and city staff members via email and phone. In this week’s e-update, we wanted to summarize […]
