California's Law to Streamline Housing Already Having a Big Effect

A mega-project adding 2,402 units of housing, including 1,201 affordable units, is on a fast track to approval in Cupertino, California, thanks to a 2017 state law.

June 27, 2018, 9am PDT | James Brasuell | @CasualBrasuell

Sand Hill Property Co.

Vallco Town Center

"The developer of a project to replace the mostly vacant Vallco Mall in Cupertino, less than a mile from Apple’s spaceship campus, won a key approval from the city as it aims to start construction in September," reports Roland Li.

The Vallco Town Center project will add 2,402 residential units, 400,000 square feet of retail space, and 1.81 million square feet of office. Sand Hill Property Co. is developing the project.

City staff essentially decided the project qualifies for streamlined approval under SB 35, a "2017 law [that] shortens approval time to 180 days for projects that contain affordable housing and meet other requirements including using union labor for construction." California State Senator Scott Weiner authored SB 35.

In the case of Vallco Town Center, the project includes "360 units for renters making no more than 50 percent of the area median income and 841 units for renters making up to 80 percent of the area median income," according to Li.

For more information on SB 35, see a detailed explanation from Planetizen Correspondent Irvin Dawid, published in February 2018.

Full Story:

Key approval for Cupertino housing, office, retail project near Apple

Published on Monday, June 25, 2018 in The San Francisco Chcronicle