The Infill Insiders

Calculating Permitable Density Part 2 of 3: Density Bonus Law and Form Based Zoning

In this second installment of the density calculation series, Sibley Simon walks Serena Collins through form-based density—the method used when local zoning does not specify a units-per-acre standard. The episode explains how developers use Floor Area Ratio (FAR) as the controlling density measure, how to conduct a base density study to convert FAR into a unit count, and how density bonus law then multiplies that count. The discussion also covers strategic use of multifamily ADUs, the role of the Housing Accountability Act in resolving code conflicts, and the critical distinction between entitlement-stage and building-permit-stage decisions.   Guest         Serena Collins – Project Manager, Workbench / New Way Homes Serena has been with Workbench for 5 years  managing project development and capital raising. She specializes in brownfield site cleanup and redevelopment funding and grant writing at both the state and federal level.   Here’s what you’ll learn: * What form-based density means and when it applies (hint: most commercial corridor and mixed-use zones) * How Floor Area Ratio (FAR) becomes your controlling density measure * The base density study process — and why it requires an architect to design a building you’ll never construct * Why your base density study doesn’t need to be financially feasible (and how to use that to your advantage) * How to resolve conflicts between your general plan and zoning code using the Housing Accountability Act * The three density layers: base density + stacked bonuses + multifamily ADU conversions * A real example of how 5-story zoning can yield an 18-story building   Why This Matters: * For developers and landowners: The base density study is the single most important step in maximizing your site’s housing capacity under California law. Getting it right — or getting it wrong — can mean dozens of units of difference on the same parcel. * For housing policymakers: Understanding how form-based density translates into actual unit counts is essential for evaluating whether your zoning code is achieving its housing production goals. * For multifamily investors: The density math is the feasibility math. Knowing how base density, bonus density, and ADU layering interact tells you whether a site pencils — before you ever write a check. Coming next: Part 3 covers the alternative density pathways — additional state law methods that may yield even more units, with different tradeoffs. That episode will complete the full 2026 picture of how to calculate the density you have the right to build on any California site.

Calculating Permitable Density Part 1 of 3 - Density Bonus Law & Units Per Acre

Episode Overview   This episode launches a critical three-part series on how to correctly calculate the maximum permitable density of housing for any given parcel in California. Sibley argues this is among the most misunderstood aspects of California housing development—and that getting it wrong (which happens at least 95% of the time) means leaving significant housing capacity on the table. Part 1 focuses on parcels where density is expressed in units per acre, walking through the full calculation from general plan designation through density bonus law and multifamily ADU provisions.   Host & Guest   Host: Sibley Simon — Founder, Workbench (Integrated Real Estate Development, Santa Cruz, CA)    Guest: Chris Hudon — Director of Development, Workbench (25 years of multifamily development experience in Colorado and Utah)   Why This Guest Sibley specifically brought Chris on for Part 1 because Chris is an experienced multifamily developer—but not in California. His background in Colorado and Utah, where developers rely on local zoning, site constraints, and informal planning department consultations, makes him the perfect stand-in for what most developers do when entering the California market. Chris's fresh perspective highlights just how different—and counterintuitive—California's density calculation system is compared to the rest of the country.

Inside SB79 California's New Transit-Oriented Upzoning Law

What is SB 79? SB 79 is California's landmark transit-oriented housing upzoning bill, passed in 2025 after eight years of legislative attempts. The law requires certain jurisdictions to allow mid-rise apartment buildings (typically 4-7 stories) near major transit stops.   Guest: Aaron Eckhouse Regional Planning Program Director, California YIMBY Aaron has spent eight years working on transit-oriented upzoning legislation in California, from SB 27 and SB 50 to the successful passage of SB 79 in 2025.   Host: Sibley Simon Principal and Impact Development Executive, Workbench Host of The Infill Insiders   Key Takeaways 1. Historic Achievement: First successful statewide transit-oriented upzoning after 8 years of attempts 2. Narrow Victory: Passed by one vote on multiple occasions—every vote counted 3. Political Reality: Bill was trimmed significantly to secure passage; expansion may come if it proves successful 4. Implementation Timeline: Most provisions take effect July 1, 2026; some penalties delayed until January 2027 5. City Options: Jurisdictions can create their own qualifying plans or delay implementation for certain areas 6. Practical Guidance: Developers should focus on sites that can be built lot-line to lot-line to maximize density bonus law benefits 7. Future Cleanup: Expect cleanup legislation to address measurement ambiguities and other technical issues   Key Provisions * Height Limits: Up to 75 feet in Tier 1 zones (highest), with lower tiers at 65 feet and 55 feet * Density: Up to 120 units per acre in top tier zones * FAR (Floor Area Ratio): Up to 3.5 residential FAR in top tier zones * Distance: Applies within quarter-mile and half-mile radii of qualifying transit stops * Effective Date: July 1, 2026 for most qualifying jurisdictions   Where It Applies * Qualifying Counties: Must have 15+ Tier 1 or Tier 2 rail transit stops * Urban Transit Counties: Sacramento, Alameda, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Los Angeles, Orange (soon), San Diego * Transit Types: Heavy rail, light rail, commuter rail, and qualifying Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lines * City Size Threshold: Half-mile radius provisions only apply in cities over 35,000 population   What It Doesn't Cover * Most of California (limited to major transit counties) * Contra Costa County (specifically excluded) * Santa Cruz County and other non-qualifying counties * Areas more than a mile walking distance from transit * Very high fire hazard severity zones (can be excluded) * Sites with existing affordable or rent-controlled housing (7-year lookback)   Impact Assessment Potential Benefits 1. Significant Zone Capacity: Creates substantial new housing capacity near transit 2. Climate Goals: Reduces car dependency by enabling housing where people can use transit 3. Transit Ridership: More residents near transit supports system viability 4. Housing Production: Enables "workhorse" mid-rise multifamily in high-demand areas   Challenges & Limitations 1. Geographic Restrictions: Only applies in a small fraction of California 2. Density Bonus Interaction: Complex calculations may limit project feasibility 3. Inclusionary Requirements: 10% very low income requirement plus local inclusionary ordinances 4. Distance Measurement Ambiguity: "Closest edge" language may create disputes 5. Anti-Displacement Provisions: 7-year lookback may block beneficial redevelopment

California's New Infill Housing CEQA Exemption

Sibley and Aaron Ekhouse from California YIMBY, dissect California's groundbreaking new CEQA exemption for infill housing development, passed as part of AB 130. This legislation represents a major shift in how California approaches environmental review for dense, climate-smart housing projects in urban areas. 00:00 - Introduction & Guest Welcome 00:33 - Aaron's Role at California YIMBY 01:01 - The Eight-Year Journey to CEQA Reform 01:21 - What is AB 130 and Why It Matters 02:08 - Reading the Law: Where to Find It 03:09 - The Environmental Case for Infill Housing 04:06 - Reframing the Debate: Infill as the Solution 05:25 - The Real Problem: Uncertainty, Not Just Cost 06:07 - Understanding the New Exemption 06:43 - Who This Law Applies To 09:52 - What Makes a Location "Urban Infill" 15:24 - Density Requirements Explained 21:37 - Environmental Site Restrictions 28:15 - The Habitat Protection Question 35:42 - Objective Design Standards Requirement 41:18 - Labor Standards and Prevailing Wage 44:29 - The Two-Track System Under SB 6 48:59 - Preventing Lawsuits vs. Reducing Review Costs 50:29 - Observable Criteria Creates Predictability 51:36 - Removing Political Discretion 52:14 - The Power of Clear Rules 52:58 - The Dog That Didn't Bark 53:26 - Grading the Bill's Success 54:47 - What Needs Improvement 55:40 - What's Next: Cost Reduction 56:07 - The Cost Crisis 56:55 - Building Code Reform 57:31 - Making Legal Housing Economically Viable 57:51 - Closing Thoughts Guest Aaron Ekhouse - Local and Regional Policy Program Director, California YIMBY * 8 years with California YIMBY * Instrumental in drafting and passing the CEQA exemption legislation * Works with local governments on implementing state housing laws Key Takeaways * What the Law Does * Why It Matters * Qualification Criteria Highlights * Key Innovation Host -- Sibley Simon, Principal, Workbench Sibley leads the Workbench development team's impact focused projects geared towards creating more affordable housing without public subsidy. With years of experience driving legislative progress, he’s forged strong alliances with leaders dedicated to tackling California’s housing equity challenges. Before joining Workbench, Sibley founded numerous companies and created an impact investment fund to spur new workforce and affordable housing development. ⁠https://www.workbenchbuilt.com/people/sibley-simon⁠ [https://www.workbenchbuilt.com/people/sibley-simon] ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/sibleyverbeck⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sibleyverbeck] Who Are The Infill Insiders? The Infill Insiders break down the highly complex process of infill housing development in California. Host and principal developer, Sibley Simon, shares Workbench's experience to teach developers and land owners how to use the many state housing laws to successfully develop infill housing, while showing jurisdictions what makes the process more efficient, and encouraging elected officials and anyone interested to face the big challenges that still remain in housing creation. Join us and become more effective at creating infill housing. Socials and Contact Instagram: @workbenchbuilt Web: workbenchbuilt.com/theinfillinsiders Email: insiders@workbenchbuilt.com ⁠⁠https://x.com/workbenchbuilt⁠⁠ [https://x.com/workbenchbuilt] References ⁠https://www.hcd.ca.gov/⁠ [https://www.hcd.ca.gov/] ⁠https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=65941.1⁠ [https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=65941.1]. Credits Recording, Editing and Animation: Josh Bootz Assistant Producer: Wednesday Manners -- California | State Housing Laws | Infill Development | Santa Cruz |  Housing Santa Cruz County | California Affordable Housing | Affordable Housing Developer | Support Affordable Housing | Build Affordable Homes | California Living | Housing For All | Affordable Living | Housing Solutions |  Community Development

Who Are The Infill Insiders? - Intro

Listen in to hear about what we'll be talking about in our upcoming Podcast, The Infill Insiders. We here at Workbench are developers helping to solve the state's housing crisis by creating denser infill housing that is good for residents and communities, environmentally sustainable, and less car oriented. We want to have more impact, so this podcast is going to share what we’ve learned. Whether you're a developer or part of a jurisdiction’s permitting department, you'll learn what your rights and obligations are under current state law. We'll share examples from our own work, and we'll get into the details on the latest guidance from the California Department of Housing & Community Development, what courts have ruled, and how everything is evolving year after year. Buckle up because we can't wait to share our knowledge with you! Socials & Contact Questions & Ideas: ⁠insiders@workbenchbuilt.com⁠ [ insiders@workbenchbuilt.com] Workbench: workbenchbuilt.com/theinfillinsiders [https://workbenchbuilt.com/theinfillinsiders] YouTube: @workbenchbuilt [https://www.youtube.com/@workbenchbuilt] Instagram: ⁠@workbenchbuilt⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/workbenchbuilt/] Twitter: https://x.com/workbenchbuilt [https://x.com/workbenchbuilt] Host -- Sibley Simon, Partner, Workbench Sibley leads the Workbench development team's impact focused projects geared towards creating more affordable housing without public subsidy. With years of experience driving legislative progress, he’s forged strong alliances with leaders dedicated to tackling California’s housing equity challenges. Before joining Workbench, Sibley founded numerous companies and created an impact investment fund to spur new workforce and affordable housing development. https://www.workbenchbuilt.com/people/sibley-simon [https://www.workbenchbuilt.com/people/sibley-simon] https://www.linkedin.com/in/sibleyverbeck [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sibleyverbeck] Who Are The Infill Insiders? The Infill Insiders break down the highly complex process of infill housing development in California. Host and principal developer, Sibley Simon, shares Workbench's experience to teach developers and land owners how to use the many state housing laws to successfully develop infill housing, while showing jurisdictions what makes the process more efficient, and encouraging elected officials and anyone interested to face the big challenges that still remain in housing creation. Join us and become more effective at creating infill housing. References https://www.hcd.ca.gov/ [https://www.hcd.ca.gov/] https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=65941.1 [https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=65941.1]. Credits Recording, Editing & Animation: Josh Bootz Assistant Producer: Wednesday Manners -- California | State Housing Laws | Infill Development | Santa Cruz | Housing Santa Cruz County | California Affordable Housing | Affordable Housing Developer | Support Affordable Housing | Build Affordable Homes | California Living | Housing For All | Affordable Living | Housing Solutions | Community Development