eNews Action Alert – February 26, 2026

OPPOSE: SB454 - UPDATE - Substitute language does NOT change VML's position; bill creates a monumental shift in local land use authority

Thursday, February 26, 2026/Categories: eNews

OPPOSE: SB454 - UPDATE - Substitute language does NOT change VML's position; bill creates a monumental shift in local land use authority

SB454 will be heard in the full House Counties, Cities and Towns Committee at 9:00am tomorrow (Friday, Feb. 27)!

UPDATE  (2/26/2026 at 7:15pm) : Substitute language (highlighted in the version available here) does not change VML's position. Please OPPOSE SB454 for all the reasons outlined below. 

SB454 (Van Valkenburg) Zoning; by-right multifamily development. Requires cities and towns over 20,000 in population and all localities within a metropolitan planning area to include in a zoning ordinance the authority for by-right development and construction of multifamily residential uses on at least 75% 50% of all land contained in commercial or business zoning district classifications and for any zoning district classification permits single-family use by-right.

Reasons to OPPOSE SB454:

• Localities will NOT have the ability to preserve land for economic development; it has the potential to mandate that prime commercial land be developed for residential use.
• Would prohibit rezoning, so there would be NO public input on these by-right communities.
• All the capital costs driven by the development (schools, fire stations, roads, parks, etc.) would be transferred to the taxpayers.
• This is a local government mandate that erodes local zoning authority and removes the ability to receive proffers on these parcels (i.e., proffers are only allowed when a rezoning occurs, so this would prohibit proffers).
• This is NOT an affordable housing initiative – the word “affordable” does NOT appear in the bill.

Action requested:

This is a monumental shift in land use – please contact all the members of the Counties, Cities and Towns Committee (below) and ask them to OPPOSE SB454!

VML Contact: Michelle Gowdy, mgowdy@vml.org