“This is not how we’re going to build the next generation of middle-class California families.”
Under standard permitting, projects can face months or years of discretionary review, environmental analysis and potential litigation, Gray said. SB 684 created what is known as ministerial review — meaning if a project meets the legal requirements, it must be approved within 60 days.
“It’s impossible to scale housing production as long as you have these sorts of delays,” Gray said.
Campbell Mayor Daniel Furtado said projects like Mercury Lane are precisely what the city needs. Campbell, a city of about 47,000 in Santa Clara County, already has roughly equal shares of single-family and multi-family housing. Campbell is the first city in Santa Clara County with a state-certified housing plan and a pro-housing designation.
The project’s developer, AlphaX RE Capital, is a Silicon Valley firm that has used new state housing laws to build more than 500 units. In this case, the company submitted its application under SB 684 in January 2025 and received approval eight months later.
Ruby Huo, a director at the firm, said the streamlined process led to a viable project that would have otherwise been financially unworkable.
Huo said the streamlined review process helped the developer and builder reduce the holding and financing costs. Each unit will range from roughly 1,400 to nearly 2,000 square feet, with floor plans offering three or four bedrooms and two-car garages.
AlphaX said that midway through construction, it plans to open an interest list for buyers, with a focus on younger families and first-time buyers. Huo said the firm is already using the same state law as it works on about 20 similar projects across the Bay Area, including four additional developments in Campbell.
California YIMBY’s Muhammad Alameldin noted that while 60-day approval is a meaningful step forward, housing advocates would like to see more aggressive policy changes.
“Our goal here is for homes to be approved within 24 hours, just like it is in many other states,” he said. “This is a good start, but we’re in a housing crisis, and we’re treating it like a crisis.”
