May 6. By Dave Yochum. The Local Gov. Development Regulations Omnibus, House Bill 765, does almost everything it can to address the housing crisis in North Carolina, but it does too much, according to the Cornelius Town Board.

Designed to lessen restrictions on the building process, HB 765 instead takes away rights of local officials to limit growth and turn down developments whether town are ready or not, Assistant Town Manager Wayne Herron said at last night’s Town Board meeting.

Wayne Herron

The board voted 5-0 to express opposition to the bill which will be heard in the Housing and Development committee tomorrow at noon. If it passes committee, it will go back the Rules committee and then to the floor for votes, according to NC Rep. Beth Helfrich, who represents Cornelius in Raleigh.

Details

Essentially, the proposed legislation would put limits on how localities regulate residential development to promote affordability.

Developers could sue

Mayor Washam

Among other changes, it would allow developers to sue local officials for positions they take on development projects, create minimum density requirements based on population size and cut into local governments’ rights on zoning decisions and parking standards.

Quotable

“There is really nothing good about this bill, and it’s moving forward in a way that we’re now concerned,” said Mayor Woody Washam.