SB-684 to Subdivide 10 or less Homes

SB 684 is game changer for people looking to subdivide their lot.

Recognizing the severe need for housing (particularly the need for more new construction homes for sale), CA lawmakers have passed a new bill that would eliminate one of the largest barriers to development under The Subdivision Map Act.

It’s called…SB 684.

For context, the biggest driver behind the development of new homes in Southern California for decades has largely been new home subdivisions. That's where developers take large plots of land, split them up into individual homes, and then offer each of them up for sale to buyers.

In the past, getting a home subdivision approved could take anywhere from 5 to as much as 20 years. Yes, you heard that correctly, 20 years. This is because cities largely did not like the idea of people being able to subdivide their homes, unless they were willing to shell out serious dough. They would even go so far as to throw special rules and regulations at developers to discourage their development wherever possible. And it's why today, the state is short an estimated 2.5 million homes.

Well, with SB 684, lawmakers have made it possible for the process to take as little as 60 days. The new bill goes even further to all but guarantee developers that they can subdivide land to produce 10 or fewer homes. 

Ministerial Approval Process to Subdivide Homes

The bill mandates that local agencies consider, without discretionary review or public hearing, parcel maps, tentative maps, or housing development projects that create 10 or fewer residential units.

This streamlined approach applies primarily to developments meeting the following conditions:

• Small-scale Developments: Housing projects resulting in either 10 or fewer newly created parcels, or 10 or fewer newly created residential units.

• Parcel Size: Developments must be located on multifamily residential zoned lots up to 5 acres in size

• Parcel Location: Developments must be surrounded by compatible urban uses.

What’s even more exciting is that should projects meet certain requirements, they can even receive waivers on minimum parcel size or the requirement to form a homeowners’ association.

How it Would Work

Timely Decision Making

Under the bill, local agencies must approve or deny completed applications within 60 days of submission. Failure to do so within the specified timeframe results in automatic approval of the application. Denials must be accompanied by detailed feedback on deficiencies and how to remedy them, ensuring clarity and efficiency in the review process.

Building Permit Facilitation

Once a tentative map or parcel map is approved, the bill mandates local agencies to issue building permits for residential units within the development swiftly, provided all requirements are met. This aims to further expedite the transition from approval to actual construction.

Exemptions and Restrictions

The bill introduces exemptions from certain zoning and subdivision standards that could otherwise impede development, while also outlining specific standards that local agencies can impose, ensuring that basic zoning and design principles are upheld without imposing unnecessary restrictions.

CEQA Exemptions

Recognizing the environmental impact review process under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the bill expands exemptions for ministerial projects, allowing streamlined approval without requiring a full environmental impact report. This exemption aims to reduce bureaucratic hurdles for qualifying developments.

Implementation and Local Impact

While the bill mandates state-level standards, it also acknowledges the diversity of local contexts by allowing local agencies to enforce objective zoning, subdivision, and design standards that align with broader state goals. However, it prohibits agencies from imposing property-specific standards to a proposed subdivision, as this would undermine the bill's intent to facilitate streamlined housing development.

regulations to meet broader state housing goals and tackle the housing affordability crisis.

Conclusion

While new, the bill is definitely one that homeowners and property developers should consider when trying to maximize the value of their land.

Schedule a consult to see if your property might be eligible.