Government Code section 65658.8
(a)
(1)Notwithstanding any local law, if a local government’s planning director or equivalent position determines that an adaptive reuse project submitted pursuant to this article is consistent with the objective planning standards specified in Section 65658.5 and Section 65658.6, if applicable, the local government shall approve the adaptive reuse project within the following timeframes:(A)
Within 60 days of the date that the project has been deemed consistent pursuant to this paragraph and paragraph (2), if the project contains 150 or fewer housing units.(B)
Within 90 days of the date that the project has been deemed consistent pursuant to this paragraph and paragraph (2), if the project contains more than 150 housing units.(2)
Upon a determination that an adaptive reuse project submitted pursuant to this section is in conflict with any of the objective planning standards specified in Section 65658.5 or Section 65658.6, if applicable, the local government staff or relevant local planning and permitting department that made the determination shall provide the development proponent written documentation of which standard or standards the development conflicts with, and an explanation for the reason or reasons the development conflicts with that standard or standards within the following timeframes:(A)
Within 60 days of submittal of the adaptive reuse project to the local government pursuant to this section if the project contains 150 or fewer housing units.(B)
Within 90 days of submittal of the adaptive reuse project to the local government pursuant to this section if the project contains more than 150 housing units.(C)
Within 30 days of submittal of any adaptive reuse project that was resubmitted to the local government following a determination of a conflict with one or more objective planning standards pursuant to this paragraph.(3)
If the local government’s planning director or equivalent position fails to provide the required documentation pursuant to paragraph (2), the adaptive reuse project shall be deemed to satisfy the objective planning standards specified in Section 65658.5 and Section 65658.6, if applicable.(4)
For purposes of this section, an adaptive reuse project is consistent with the objective planning standards specified in Section 65658.5 and Section 65658.6, if applicable, if there is substantial evidence that would allow a reasonable person to conclude that the project is consistent with the objective planning standards. The local government shall not determine that an adaptive reuse project, including an application for a modification under subdivision (f), is in conflict with the objective planning standards on the basis that application materials are not included, if the application contains substantial evidence that would allow a reasonable person to conclude that the project is consistent with the objective planning standards.(5)
Upon submittal of an application for streamlined, ministerial approval pursuant to this section to the local government, all departments of the local government that are required to issue an approval of the adaptive reuse project before the granting of an entitlement shall comply with the requirements of this section within the time periods specified in paragraphs (1) and (2).(b)
(1)(A)Any design review of the project may be conducted by the local government’s planning commission or any equivalent board or commission responsible for design review. That design review shall be objective and be strictly focused on assessing compliance with the criteria required for streamlined projects. That design review shall not in any way inhibit, chill, or preclude the ministerial approval provided by this article.(B)
Any design review for the adjacent portion of the project shall be objective and be strictly focused on assessing compliance with the objective criteria required for streamlined projects, including, as applicable, those for new exterior additions to historic buildings described in Preservation Brief 14: New Exterior Additions to Historic Buildings: Preservation Concerns released by the National Park Service within the United States Department of the Interior.(2)
If the adaptive reuse project is consistent with the requirements of Section 65658.5 and Section 65658.6, if applicable, and is consistent with all objective subdivision standards in the local subdivision ordinance, an application for a subdivision pursuant to the Subdivision Map Act (Division 2 (commencing with Section 66410)) shall be exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (Division 13 (commencing with Section 21000) of the Public Resources Code) and shall be subject to the public oversight timelines set forth in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a).(c)
(1)Notwithstanding any law, a local government, whether or not it has adopted an ordinance governing automobile parking requirements in multifamily developments, shall not impose automobile parking standards for an adjacent portion of the project that was approved pursuant to this article in any of the following instances:(A)
The adjacent portion of the project is located within one-half mile of public transit.(B)
The adjacent portion of the project is located within an architecturally and historically significant historic district.(C)
When on-street parking permits are required but not offered to the occupants of the adjacent portion of the project.(D)
When there is a car share vehicle located within one block of the adjacent portion of the project.(2)
If the adjacent portion of the project does not fall within any of the categories described in paragraph (1), the local government shall not impose automobile parking requirements for the adjacent portion of the project approved pursuant to this article that exceed one parking space per unit.(d)
Notwithstanding any other law, a local government shall not require any of the following prior to approving an adaptive reuse project that meets the requirements of this article:(1)
Studies, information, or other materials that do not pertain directly to determining whether the adaptive reuse project is consistent with the objective planning standards applicable to the development.(2)
(A)Compliance with any standards necessary to receive a postentitlement permit.(B)
This paragraph does not prohibit a local agency from requiring compliance with any standards necessary to receive a postentitlement permit after a permit has been issued pursuant to this section.(C)
For purposes of this paragraph, “postentitlement permit” has the same meaning as provided in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (3) of subdivision (j) of Section 65913.3.(e)
(1)If a local government approves an adaptive reuse project pursuant to this article, then, notwithstanding any other law, that approval shall not expire if the project satisfies both of the following requirements:(A)
The project includes public investment in housing affordability, beyond tax credits.(B)
At least 20 percent of the units are affordable to households making at or below 80 percent of the area median income.(2)
(A)If a local government approves an adaptive reuse project pursuant to this article, and the project does not satisfy the requirements of subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1), that approval shall remain valid for three years from the date of the final action establishing that approval, or if litigation is filed challenging that approval, from the date of the final judgment upholding that approval. Approval shall remain valid for a project provided construction activity, including demolition and grading activity, on the development site has begun pursuant to a permit issued by the local jurisdiction and is in progress. For purposes of this subdivision, “in progress” means one of the following:(i)
Construction has begun and has not ceased for more than 365 days.(ii)
If the project requires multiple building permits, an initial phase has been completed, and the project proponent has applied for and is diligently pursuing a building permit for a subsequent phase, provided that once it has been issued, the building permit for the subsequent phase does not lapse.(B)
Notwithstanding subparagraph (A), a local government may grant a project a one-time, one-year extension if the project proponent can provide documentation that there has been significant progress toward getting the adaptive reuse project construction ready, such as filing a building permit application.(3)
If the qualified adaptive reuse project proponent requests a modification pursuant to subdivision (f), then the time during which the approval shall remain valid shall be extended for the number of days between the submittal of a modification request and the date of its final approval, plus an additional 180 days to allow time to obtain a building permit. If litigation is filed relating to the modification request, the time shall be further extended during the pendency of the litigation. The extension required by this paragraph shall only apply to the first request for a modification submitted by the development proponent.(f)
(1)(A)A development proponent may request a modification to a qualified adaptive reuse project that has been approved under the streamlined approval process provided in this article if that request is submitted to the local government before the issuance of the final building permit required for construction of the adaptive reuse project.(B)
Except as provided in paragraph (3), the local government shall approve a modification if it determines that the modification is consistent with the objective planning standards specified in subdivision (a) that were in effect when the original adaptive reuse project application was first submitted.(C)
The local government shall evaluate any modifications requested pursuant to this subdivision for consistency with the objective planning standards using the same assumptions and analytical methodology that the local government originally used to assess consistency for the adaptive reuse project that was approved for streamlined, ministerial approval pursuant to subdivision (a).(2)
Upon receipt of the adaptive reuse project proponent’s application requesting a modification, the local government shall determine if the requested modification is consistent with the objective planning standard and either approve or deny the modification request within 60 days after submission of the modification, or within 90 days if design review is required.(3)
Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the local government may apply objective planning standards to an adjacent portion of the project adopted after the project application was first submitted to the requested modification in any of the following instances:(A)
The adjacent portion of the project is revised such that the total number of residential units or total square footage of construction changes by 15 percent or more. The calculation of the square footage of construction changes shall not include underground space.(B)
The adjacent portion of the project is revised such that the total number of residential units or total square footage of construction changes by 5 percent or more and it is necessary to subject the project to an objective standard beyond those in effect when the project application was submitted in order to mitigate or avoid a specific, adverse impact, as that term is defined in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (j) of Section 65589.5, upon the public health or safety and there is no feasible alternative method to satisfactorily mitigate or avoid the adverse impact. The calculation of the square footage of construction changes shall not include underground space.(C)
Objective building standards contained in the California Building Standards Code (Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations) or the California Historical Building Code (Part 8 of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations), including, but not limited to, building plumbing, electrical, fire, and grading codes, may be applied to all modification applications that are submitted prior to the first building permit application. Those standards may be applied to modification applications submitted after the first building permit application if agreed to by the development proponent.(4)
The local government’s review of a modification request pursuant to this subdivision shall be strictly limited to determining whether the modification, including any modification to previously approved density bonus concessions or waivers, renders the project inconsistent with the applicable objective planning standards and shall not reconsider prior determinations that are not affected by the modification.
Source:
Section 65658.8, https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=65658.8. (updated Jan. 1, 2026; accessed Dec. 15, 2025).
