Council discusses easing permitting for small projects to benefit local businesses.

House Bill 25-17 would allow regional transit authorities to apply early for land use and technical permits and to construct rail guideway facilities that may exceed local development standards where necessary; sponsors said concurrent permitting could reduce uncertainty and save months, while local governments asked for property-owner notice protections.

The Hayward Planning Commission voted to recommend that the City Council adopt municipal-code text amendments, zoning map revisions and fee schedule updates tied to the "Business Friendly Hayward" project. Staff said data centers under 50 megawatts will be reviewed by the planning commission, while projects at or above 50 megawatts will require a new major conditional use permit and council approval.

The Board approved an ordinance-streamlining and housing-accommodation package to modernize permit processes and update open-space, density and commercial-depth rules; the board accepted several Montecito-specific recommendations and clarified 'primary street frontage' language for neighborhood-commercial zones.