FAQs

The California State Legislature approved Assembly Bill (AB) 2011 in 2022, which provided an expedited Planning project processing track with specified timelines for review and approval of qualified affordable housing projects in commercial zones. To qualify for AB 2011 streamlining, which was amended by AB 893, housing projects need to demonstrate that they are in urban areas, do not physically disturb sensitive environmental areas, and meet the affordability requirements (e.g., 100% of units, excluding managers’ units, must be restricted to lower-income households at an affordable cost). The County can only review the project based on the criteria stated in Government Code Title 7, Division 1, Chapter 4.1 (Affordable Housing and High Road Jobs Act of 2022), as amended. For example, the County can only apply objective zoning, subdivision, and design standards to these projects. 

Staff-level determination means that staff shall review the project in accordance with state law and local objective standards, and the County Planning Director shall make the determination of the project’s eligibility for streamlined, ministerial approval. The Board of Supervisors authorized County staff to review streamlined ministerial housing applications through Resolution 214-2024. 

Ministerial projects refer to Planning projects that are not subject to the County’s discretion. In other words, the County must approve these projects if they meet the required standards referenced in state law. 

Streamlined projects refer to those projects that have specified, shortened timelines for review and approval. For example, the AB 2011 project must be reviewed for consistency by the County within 60 calendar days.

Previously, the applicant applied for a Tentative Parcel Map application (P24-0009), which was approved by the Zoning Administrator on August 21, 2024. The determination was appealed to the Board of Supervisors, which approved the appeal and overturned the Zoning Administrator approval determination on September 24, 2024; the tentative map was consequently denied. County staff subsequently determined that the project would not be eligible for AB 2011 streamlining because of the presence of wetlands on the site.

• August 21, 2024: The County’s Zoning Administrator approved the Tentative Parcel Map for Bass Lake Family Apartments (P24-0009).
• September 24, 2024: The Board of Supervisors approves the appeal of the Zoning Administrator determination and ends up denying the Tentative Parcel Map.
• September 26, 2024: Staff determines that the project is ineligible for AB 2011 streamlining due to the presence of wetlands on-site. 
• October 10, 2025: California State Legislature passes AB 893, which limits local government review of AB 2011 projects to areas that will be physically disturbed by construction. In other words, AB 893 allows projects to qualify for AB 2011 streamlining if they do not physically disturb on-site areas (e.g., environmentally sensitive areas) that would have previously deemed it ineligible for AB 2011 streamlining.
• January 1, 2026: AB 893 becomes effective. 
• March 5, 2026: The applicant submits AB 2011 Streamlined Ministerial Housing application with the County.  

County staff will have 60 calendar days to provide a written determination whether the project application is consistent or inconsistent with the objective planning standards. 

Once the project is determined to be consistent with the objective planning standards, the County must approve the project within another 60 days. 

Please check back on this project webpage for updates or email greenvalleyfamilyapts@edcgov.us