Homes near rail stations get an OK

A bill that could mean hundreds of new apartments near Bay Area Rapid Transit stations and other rail lines across California narrowly cleared its first legislative hurdle Wednesday.

The measure, approved 4-3 by the Senate Local Government Committee, would let urban and suburban developers build multistory houses near transit stations under certain conditions without city council votes.

The bill, which must clear both houses, also would provide a new source of public funding for such projects by extending the state’s redevelopment powers to land near transit stations.

Though some housing exists within a quarter-mile of many rail stations, cities and transit districts have had difficulty attracting developers to small sites near transit stops.