WOODSIDE, Calif. (KNX) – The town of Woodside announced it will begin to accept Senate Bill 9 housing applications on Monday, after trying to make the town a mountain lion sanctuary.
Town council met Sunday evening and said, “they’ve been advised not to declare the entire town a habitat for mountain lions”, according to CBS San Francisco.
In January, the town’s planning director said it couldn’t comply with Senate Bill 9 because it would impact the mountain lions in the area, adding that the town’s municipal code regarding protected species exempts the town from completing projects related to Senate Bill 9.
Senate Bill 9 allows homeowners to build up to four residential units on single-family lots to fight housing affordability in the state.
The reversal comes one day after state Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a memo accusing the wealthy suburb of avoiding building affordable homes in the area.
“This memorandum is — quite clearly — contrary to the law, and ironically, contrary to the best interests of the mountain lions the town claims to want to protect,” Bonta wrote.
Californians for Homeownership, which requested to meet with the town’s council last week, said they were happy the town changed its mind, CBS San Francisco reported.
“We are glad to hear that the Town has decided to reverse course and allow the development of much-needed housing within its borders,” Matt Gelfand of Californians for Homeownership told the outlet.
“Legitimate habitat exclusions and other environmental protections are a critically important component of state housing law, and it is vital that these protections not be abused by cities and towns looking to exclude housing. We always seek to resolve our disputes without resorting to litigation, and we are happy that we were able to do that in Woodside.”
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