Berkeley changes zoning law

The Berkeley City Council voted unanimously early Wednesday to end single family zoning by the end of 2022.

The resolution is mostly symbolic, but necessary as a first step in undoing a history of racist housing policies, said Vice Mayor Lori Droste, who introduced the item.

In 1916, singlefamily zoning was enacted in Berkeley’s Elmwood neighborhood, forbidding the construction of any configurations other than one home on each lot.

“It felt really good even though it’s just a resolution, and we have a robust community process in front of us,” Droste said. “It felt good to try to right the wrongs of our past.”

Berkeley is the latest city looking at opening up these exclusive neighborhoods to more housing as the region struggles with exorbitant rents and home prices and increasing homelessness. Sacramento recently took

“It felt good to try to right the wrongs of our past.”

Berkeley Vice Mayor

Lori Droste

a big step in allowing fourplexes in these neighborhoods, and one San Francisco politician is pushing a similar plan while San Jose and South San Francisco are also considering the issue.

Critics say ending singlefamily zoning could hurt “neighborhood character” and create traffic and parking problems.

State Sen. Scott Wiener, DSan Francisco, applauded Berkeley’s efforts in a statement and called on his city to consider similar measures.

“I hope to see my own city, San Francisco, live up to its progressive values and follow suit,” he said. “San Francisco is the most expensive city in the country. It’s time we end mandated singlefamily zoning and legalize multifamily apartments and affordable housing throughout our great city.”

On Monday, the Berkeley City Council land use committee will begin discussions on a proposal to allow fourplexes, which will go to the full council next month. The council will then direct the city’s planning commission to develop zoning recommendations and guidelines to allow fourplexes.

The process will involve robust community outreach, Droste said. Changes to the city’s zoning will take time.

Councilman Ben Bartlett said in a statement that the vote will likely not produce an “explosion in housing,” but the move is still significant.

“We cannot ignore that from the outset, zoning’s sole purpose was to segregate by race, to the detriment of people of color,” Bartlett said.