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VIDEO. From the Half Moon Bay City Council regular meeting on Tuesday, June 16th, 2026 at 7:00pm, as a hybrid meeting, with remote comment. Agenda. Staff Report for Item #10B: Staff Recommendation: “Receive a presentation and conduct a public hearing on a 52-unit multi-family very-low to low income housing development proposal by MidPen Housing, located on Main Street at Metzgar”.
Staff Report Background. On June 3, 2026, MidPen Housing submitted a Notice of Intent to file an application with the City for a 52-unit affordable housing project on Main Street at Metzgar. The project proposal is subject to Senate Bills 35 and 423, which allow ministerial review of affordable housing projects in the coastal zone. The ministerial review is performed at the staff level using objective development standards. No CEQA evaluation is required.
The City Council prepared for this inevitable proposal by approving interim Objective Design Standards in December 2024. The Objective Design Standards were reviewed by a joint committee of Architectural Advisory Committee members and Planning Commissioners before being approved by City Council.
Under SB 35, the City is required to hold a public hearing at a regularly scheduled City Council meeting within 45-days of receiving the Notice of Intent. Consequently, this June 16, 2026, Council meeting is the only meeting where this public hearing can take place since the first Council meeting in July is cancelled. MidPen Housing also held a voluntary community meeting on June 4, 2026, where they presented the proposal, received public feedback, and provided renderings of the project proposal.
Discussion
MidPen Housing will provide an information presentation about the development proposal. City Council may ask questions and hear public comments. No action is needed at the public hearing
California Senate Bill 35 (SB 35) is a state law that expedites the approval process for multifamily affordable housing projects in cities and counties that have failed to meet their state-mandated housing construction goals. It exempts qualifying developments from lengthy California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) reviews.
Key Features
- Streamlined Approval: It forces local governments to use a swift, ministerial (non-discretionary) review process for eligible housing developments.
- No CEQA Delays: Qualifying projects are generally exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act, removing one of the biggest traditional hurdles to development.
- Affordability Mandate: Developments must include a specific percentage of affordable housing units (typically at least 10%).
- Labor Requirements: Developers must pay prevailing wages to construction workers on projects with 10 or more units.
- Objective Standards: Localities can only apply objective, “as-of-right” planning standards (like design and zoning rules) to block or alter these projects.
Where It Applies
SB 35 does not apply to every city equally. It is triggered only in California jurisdictions that have fallen short of their Regional Housing Need Allocation (RHNA) targets. You can check your local city’s compliance and current building quotas by referencing the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD).
Extension and Future (SB 423)
While SB 35 was initially set to sunset, Senate Bill 423 was signed into law, extending these streamlining provisions through 2036 while expanding the rules to allow for more mixed-income housing.
Senate Bill (SB) 35 generally does not allow for traditional public hearings or discretionary public comment. Because SB 35 establishes a “ministerial” (administrative) approval process, local agencies are not permitted to use standard discretionary hearings to delay, condition, or deny projects that comply with existing objective standards. [1, 2, 3, 4]
However, there are a few specific nuances depending on the location and the project:
- No Discretionary Review: Projects cannot be subjected to California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) environmental review or subjective public hearings where the community can vote to reject the project. [1, 2]
- Limited Public Meetings: In certain census tracts—specifically those designated as moderate resource areas, low resource areas, or areas of high segregation and poverty—the city is required to hold a public meeting to allow community input on the development. [1]
- Design Review: Municipalities can still choose to subject an SB 35 project to a design review or public oversight process, but it must be strictly objective. This review cannot inhibit or prevent the ministerial approval.
Community members interested in the proposed Metzgar Street Housing Project will have two upcoming opportunities to learn more about the project and the review process.
Residents are encouraged to attend one or both meetings to learn more about the project and the applicable review procedures.
City Council Public Hearing
June 16, 2026 | 7:00 p.m.
Ted Adcock Community Center
Representatives from MidPen Housing, the project applicant, will present information about the proposed development and answer questions during a public hearing before the City Council.
Planning Commission SB 35 Process Presentation
June 23, 2026 | 7:00 p.m.
Ted Adcock Community Center
This informational presentation will be provided by the City’s Attorney’s Office and is intended to help community members better understand the SB 35 review process. The presentation will focus on the legal and procedural framework governing the project’s review and provide an opportunity for questions regarding the process.
Additional meeting details, including agendas and supporting materials, will be available on the City’s website prior to each meeting.
Biological Resource Evaluation Report; Sept 2025, Revised January 2026
MidPen Community Meeting for 3-Story, 52 Unit Housing Project on Metzgar Street Project;
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More on the Half Moon Bay City Council on Coastside Buzz
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