Lafayette Opposes State Housing Bill, Backs Wildfire Reforms, Faces Pathway Fight

The Lafayette City Council took unanimous positions on three state bills Monday night — opposing one that would bypass local housing review and supporting two wildfire-preparedness measures — while a community attorney made a public plea to protect decades-old public access to a disputed pathway before the city finalizes a legal settlement. Residents also pressed the council to plan now for the expiration of Measure H's sales tax revenue and to ensure state transit dollars reach local bus service.

• Council votes to oppose AB 1751, a state bill that would allow ministerial approval of townhomes on multifamily-zoned sites, warning it could actually reduce housing density
• Two wildfire bills earn unanimous support: SB 876 closes fire insurance gaps; SB 894 creates a loan program for community hardening
• Attorney for Save the Dips urges council not to sign settlement that could extinguish public access to a longstanding pathway
• Resident proposes standing fiscal advisory body to prepare for Measure H's sunset in roughly five years
• Transit worker asks council to ensure SB 63 funds go to bus operations, not competing priorities at the Contra Costa Transit Authority

The basics: AB 1751, the Missing Middle Townhome Ownership Act by Assemblymember Quirk-Silva, would create a ministerial (automatic) approval pathway for townhome developments — similar to streamlining already available for large multifamily projects. The bill has passed both the Assembly and Senate unanimously, including votes by local legislators Rebecca Bauer-Kahan and Tim Grayson.