Tuesday, May 5, 2026

Pasadena Assemblymember’s Bill Would Shield Historic Districts From State Housing Law

The measure would close gaps in SB 79 that preservation advocates say leave locally designated landmarks vulnerable to demolition

A bill authored by Assemblymember John Harabedian would extend state protections to historic districts and landmarks listed on local, state, and national registers — a direct response to concerns that California’s sweeping transit-oriented housing law left too many of those resources exposed.

AB 2576, which passed the Assembly floor and now moves to the California Senate according to a press release from Harabedian’s office, proposes what the release describes as “targeted clean-up amendments” to SB 79, the Abundant & Affordable Homes Near Transit Act signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in October 2025. That law allows midrise housing of up to seven stories within half a mile of major transit stops and takes effect July 1, 2026. Critics, including the Los Angeles Conservancy, have said SB 79’s preservation provisions are too narrow — capping historic resource exemptions at 10 percent of any transit-oriented development zone and primarily protecting properties listed at the local level.

Harabedian’s bill targets those gaps. AB 2576 would explicitly recognize historic districts, including local landmark districts, as eligible historic resources under SB 79. It would also expand protections to cover sites listed on all three tiers of historic registers: local, state, and national.

“As a former mayor, I understand the responsibility cities carry to both grow and protect what makes them unique,” Harabedian said in a statement issued by his office. “AB 2576 will make sure that as we build for the future, we do not erase the history and character that communities have worked for generations to preserve.”

The bill carries particular weight in Pasadena and Altadena, both of which sit within Harabedian’s Assembly District 41. Pasadena alone has designated more than 100 local landmarks and numerous landmark districts concentrated within its 23 square miles, according to the city’s Design and Historic Preservation division and the LA Conservancy. The city’s properties on the National Register of Historic Places number roughly 130, including five National Historic Landmarks such as the Gamble House, a Greene and Greene Craftsman masterpiece built in 1908. Pasadena Heritage, the nonprofit founded in 1977 to combat the demolition of historic structures, has advocated for protections of landmarks including the Colorado Street Bridge, City Hall, and Old Pasadena.

Altadena, an unincorporated community still recovering from the January 2025 Eaton Fire, also contains historic resources that could be affected by transit-oriented development rules. The fire destroyed thousands of structures across the community, raising questions about how rebuilding will interact with state housing mandates.

SB 79, authored by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), represents Wiener’s third attempt at transit-oriented upzoning after failed efforts with SB 827 in 2018 and SB 50 in 2020. The law overrides local density limits near qualifying transit stops in counties with significant transit infrastructure, including Los Angeles County, which has roughly 150 transit stops in areas that could see zoning changes. Under the law, local governments may adopt alternative transit-oriented development plans, but those plans cannot reduce density for any individual site by more than 50 percent — except for sites in very high fire hazard zones, areas vulnerable to sea level rise, or designated local historic resources, subject to the 10 percent cap.

According to Harabedian’s press release, the measure responds to concerns from cities across Assembly District 41 that existing law leaves too many historic districts and resources vulnerable. The release states that AB 2576 provides “clear, practical protections so local governments can continue to plan responsibly.”

AB 2576 passed the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee before advancing to the full Assembly floor, according to Harabedian’s office. The bill is expected to be heard in the California Senate in the coming months, the press release states.

Harabedian, a Democrat elected to represent the 41st Assembly District in 2024, grew up in nearby Sierra Madre and lives in Pasadena. He served on the Sierra Madre City Council beginning in 2012, was re-elected in 2016, and twice served as mayor. He co-chairs the Select Committee on Housing Finance and Affordability. His district includes Pasadena, Altadena, La Cañada Flintridge, Sierra Madre, Monrovia, Bradbury, San Dimas, La Verne, Claremont, Upland, Rancho Cucamonga, Oak Hills, Piñon Hills, and Phelan.

The information in this article is drawn from a press release issued by Assemblymember Harabedian’s office, the legislative text of AB 2576 and SB 79 as published on the California Legislature’s website, and publicly available records from the City of Pasadena and the Los Angeles Conservancy.

Pasadena’s historic neighborhoods — from the Craftsman bungalows of Bungalow Heaven to the Beaux Arts corridors of the Civic Center — now wait to see whether Sacramento agrees they deserve a wider shield.