Senate Bill 9 Development

What is Senate Bill 9 (SB9)?

SB9 went into effect on January 1, 2022. SB9 adds Sections 65852.21 and 66411.7 to the Government Code and requires cities to ministerially process (no public hearing required) the following types of residential development:

  1. The development of two residential structures on an existing single-dwelling unit zoned property under certain development requirements; and/or 
  2. The subdivision of an existing single-dwelling unit zoned lot into two parcels with up to two residential structures on each resulting parcel, known as an Urban Lot Split.

What does this mean for the city and how do I apply for SB9?


Under SB9, qualifying properties in the city have the potential to develop up to four units on a single-dwelling unit zoned property and/or to subdivide a single-dwelling unit zoned lot into two parcels and develop a maximum of two residential structures on each resulting parcel.

State law provides that the city’s Local Coastal Program is not preempted by SB9. Since the entire city is located within the Coastal Zone, all development related to SB9 requires a Coastal Development Permit and each Coastal Development Permit must be consistent with the city’s certified Local Coastal Program. Therefore, on December 7, 2021, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2021-52, affirming that until the California Coastal Commission certifies a Local Coastal Program Amendment for SB9, the city is unable to make the required Local Coastal Program consistency findings for any Coastal Development Permit for proposed SB9 development projects. Therefore, the city is not accepting SB9 applications until the SB9 implementation ordinance and Local Coastal Program Amendment is adopted and approved by the California Coastal Commission.

Ordinance Timeline

March 14, 2023 – The Planning Commission will review the draft implementation ordinance for recommendation to the City Council at a future date. The Planning Commission public notice and draft implementation ordinance are available here:

April - May 2023 – Tentative City Council public hearing to introduce the SB9 ordinance and second reading of the ordinance if approved by the City Council.

May 2023 – The city will submit the Local Coastal Program Amendment to the California Coastal Commission for review.