There's an old saying that you can ignore everything a person says before the word "but," as in "I believe in the lower taxes, but…" That's because everything following that word will contradict what the person said before it. Likewise, whenever a conservative politician uses the term "local control," you can discard whatever else that pol might say about limiting government. It's an excuse for empowering bureaucrats.
California's latest housing debate centers on Huntington Beach, which is challenging the state's recent housing reforms that force cities to approve housing projects on a "by right" basis—e.g., without all the nettlesome and subjective local-government approvals. If builders meet basic standards, they are free to build these projects.
