Bill
SB 958
SB 958 would exempt the Midway Rising project in San Diego from standard CEQA review and allow height-related impacts to be considered not significant if specific conditions are me
Authority: California Senate, amended by author. Introduced February 2, 2026; amended and relocated through committees. Co-sponsor: Akilah Weber Pierson.
Purpose and main intent
- SB 958 seeks to create an exemption from CEQA for certain Midway Rising-related activities in the City of San Diego, specifically recognizing the Midway Rising Specific Plan as a project of statewide importance and expediting its environmental review process.
- The bill also adds targeted CEQA exemptions regarding building-height-related environmental impacts, so that environmental impacts tied solely to increased building height can be deemed not significant if specific conditions are met.
- The overall aim is to facilitate rapid development of large-scale, transit-adjacent infill housing and related infrastructure, while ensuring sustainability and high-quality standards.
Key provisions and changes
1) New CEQA exemption for Midway Rising Specific Plan (San Diego)
- Adds Section 21080.75 to the Public Resources Code.
- Exemption applies to the Midway Rising Specific Plan project and any related activity or approval (planning, financing, leasing, construction, maintenance), provided the activity is in substantial conformance with the plan and meets all specified conditions.
- Conditions include:
- Project results in at least 4,250 new residential units, with at least 2,000 affordable units.
- Inclusion of commercial uses, a multipurpose entertainment venue, and open public spaces.
- City of San Diego has completed and certified SEA for the Midway Rising Specific Plan (SEIR No. PRJ-1106734).
- Compliance with a robust set of sustainability requirements (transit priority area, two local bus stops plus one rapid-stop, 100% onsite renewable power, rooftop solar on all residential buildings, green building features, waste diversion, Wi-Fi in public areas, community gardens, EV charging, drought-tolerant plants, trees, all-electric buildings with limited exceptions, and LED exterior lighting).
- Creation of high-wage, highly skilled jobs; potential use of project labor agreements to fulfill wage and workforce requirements.
2) Exemption from environmental impacts of increased building height (CEQA)
- Adds Section 21081.5 to the Public Resources Code.
- For purposes of CEQA, environmental impacts associated with increased building height alone (e.g., air circulation, noise, light, wildlife attraction, geotechnical/hydrological effects) shall not be considered significant if:
- The project’s use and density are analyzed in a certified EIR.
- It is on a previously graded infill site.
- There are no sensitive biological resources on site.
- It is not an industrial use project.
- For sites > 40 acres with construction valuation > $100 million and subject to a project-specific EIR, the project must create high-wage, highly skilled jobs and employ a skilled workforce with Californians in construction and permanent roles.
- Defines “jobs that pay prevailing wages” and related terms; allows a severability clause.
3) Fiscal and local government impact notes
- The bill imposes a state-mandated-local-program requirement for exemptions to CEQA (i.e., local agencies must implement the exemption criteria and process).
- No statewide reimbursement is required to local agencies for these mandates.
Procedural and timeline aspects
- The bill has been moving through the standard California legislative process with amendments and referrals between committees (RLS, L.GOV, EQ, APPR) and scheduled hearings, with latest action indicating readiness for a May 4 hearing in APPR (as of the latest update).
Who would be affected
- The City of San Diego and the Midway Rising Specific Plan project would be directly affected, receiving an exemption from standard CEQA review if conditions are met.
- Local agencies in other jurisdictions could be subject to similar exemptions only if the bill’s provisions were applicable (currently specific to San Diego’s Midway Rising context).
- Developers and construction entities participating in the Midway Rising project would be subject to the sustainability and wage/workforce provisions outlined.
Notes for readers
- The bill emphasizes housing production, affordability, sustainability, and climate/urban transit benefits, while shifting certain environmental review considerations away from height-related impacts for eligible infill projects.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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