‘Landmark’ law eliminates parking mandates in housing near transit

“AB 2097, by Assembly Member Laura Friedman, D-Glendale, will prohibit cities and counties from imposing minimum parking requirements on certain residential, commercial and other developments located within one-half mile of public transit.

“[Brian Hanlon, CEO of California YIMBY, a housing advocacy group, said,] ‘AB2097 is landmark legislation — it prioritizes affordable housing for people while eliminating costly parking mandates that are a significant cause of climate pollution in our state’

“The measure ‘does not prohibit property owners from building on-site parking,’ Friedman said. ‘Rather, it would give them the flexibility to decide on their own how much on-site parking to provide, instead of requiring them to comply with a one-size-fits-all mandate.’

“The bill is one of many in recent years that seeks to override local requirements that thwart new housing construction, particularly in wealthy, coastal cities that oppose most new development. The city of Newport Beach wrote in opposition to the bill: ‘We believe cities, not the State, are best suited to determine the parking needs of development projects in their jurisdiction.’ ”