Dick Spotswood: Transit-oriented development rules don’t make sense here

Californians constantly hear the cry that the Golden State faces a “housing crisis.” Our state Legislature is reacting to the shortage of mid- to lower-priced housing with a flood of new laws. Some are long overdue. Others, often introduced by Sen. Scott “Mr. Housing” Wiener, Democrat of San Francisco, apply a “one-size-fit-all category” blunderbuss approach.

To expedite the process, Wiener’s strategy is eliminating the role of city and county governments from determining the location, size...