Senate Bill (SB) 79
Senate Bill (SB) 79 has been signed by the governor and will become effective on July 1, 2026. SB 79 enables increased housing density near transit by introducing new by-right development standards for parcels located near defined Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) stops. The bill’s TOD stops are categorized into two tiers with scaled development standards for properties located within ¼ mile and ½ mile, creating TOD zones, with Tier 1 granting more permissive development standards than Tier 2. All sites within the station area or TOD zone will be eligible for development pursuant to state law except for manufacturing zones and sites containing more than two units subject to the Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) that have been occupied by tenants within the past seven years.
SB 79 — Transit Tiers
SB 79 establishes by-right development standards for sites within a ½ mile of a TOD stop, providing new density, Floor Area Ratio (FAR), and height standards. These new development standards will be available for all eligible projects, including sites with more restrictive zoning, and sites located in Specific Plans and other Overlays.
Based on an initial review of the law, Santa Ana Regional Transportation Center (SARTC) and OC Streetcar stops qualify as Tier 2 TOD stops. Areas within one half mile of these stops—roughly bounded by Washington Avenue to the north, Bishop Street to the south, Harbor Boulevard to the west, and Linwood Avenue to the east—will be permitted to be developed by right at the densities and heights in the table below.
| Adjacent* | Within 1/4 Mile | Within 1/2 Mile | |
| Density - Minimum (du/ac) | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Density - Maximum (du/ac) | 140 | 100 | 80 |
| Floor Area Ratio - Minimum | 4.0 | 3.0 | 2.5 |
| Minimum No. of Units | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Maximum Height (feet) | 85 | 65 | 55 |
* Within 200 feet of a TOD
SB 79 Citywide Potential Eligibility
Disclaimer: The map linked below is in draft format and intended for exploratory purposes only, based on initial analysis of the language contained in Senate Bill 79. SB 79 requires that the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) create a map of the City's transit-oriented development stops and zones by tier, as designated by SB 79, and in accordance with any guidance prepared by the Department of Housing and Community Development.
Draft Citywide Potential Eligibility Map
SB 79 Draft Map with Current General Plan Land Use Density/Intensity Map
Disclaimer: The map linked below is in draft format and intended for exploratory purposes only, based on initial analysis of the language contained in Senate Bill 79. The map compares SB 79 eligibility areas to the current General Plan Land Use Map. The Land Use Map determines the permitted land use on a parcel and provides the maximum development capacity in terms of dwelling units per acre, floor area ratio, and height. Different land uses are represented by different colors on the map below, with the key explaining each color and allowed use. Sites with more than two units subject to the Rent Stabilization Ordinance (RSO) that have been occupied by tenants within the past seven years will also be ineligible for the bill.
Draft SB 79 Potential Eligibility Map with General Plan Land Uses