City: 'Radical' bill would usurp authority

Apr. 11—HIGH POINT — High Point has joined other cities in strongly worded opposition to proposed legislation that would alter residential zoning rules across the state.

Senate Bill 349 and companion House Bill 401 would require local governments to allow buildings with up to four dwelling units in single-family zoning districts.

The city and the N.C. League of Municipalities argue that this would undermine local ordinances that typically don't allow apartments and single-family houses to be built within the same neighborhood.

"It's positioned as being friendly to affordable housing," said Assistant City Manager Greg Ferguson. "Basically, the thought process behind it is, if a city is allowed to create single-family zones, then they're allowed to keep more affordable housing out, because some single-family product is just too expensive."

The city council this week unanimously approved a resolution opposing the legislation, terming the bill "a radical and comprehensive attack" on local authority to regulate development.

The bill's primary sponsors — Rep. Destin Hall of Lenoir and Sen. Chuck Edwards of Hendersonville, both Republicans — could not be reached for comment.

The bill's introductory language states that its intent is to "provide reforms to local government zoning authority to increase housing opportunities."

It states that local governments must allow "middle housing" — defined as a duplex, triplex, quadplex or townhouse — in residential zones, including single-family districts.

The city argues that this would take away its ability to decide what areas of town are appropriate for multifamily housing through its long-established planning and zoning processes.

"There's a host of factors that go into that, but broadly declaring that single-family zones all over the city should be open to multifamily housing doesn't respect that local input process," Ferguson said.

The resolution also points out that the city has long had an affordable housing program and devotes considerable funds to it.

"We'd be willing to do more if the legislature granted some additional tools," Ferguson said. "But this is not really a tool; this is a sledgehammer that fractures the current framework. It's really kind of a heavy-handed approach to trying to fix affordable housing."

The League of Municipalities, which lobbies on behalf of cities across the state, terms the bill "the latest effort by development interests — now cloaked in the language of affordable housing — to extinguish local authority when it comes to determining how growth and development proceed."

The organization also argues that the bill would undermine the rights of property owners and damage existing home values.

"We typically don't, as a body, take stands and pass resolutions regarding politics that's happening in Washington or in Raleigh," Mayor Jay Wagner said. "We do our business and we try to stay out of their business, unless we're calling them to lobby them or something. But I think in a situation like this, where it's going to have a direct effect on the authority of the city, I think it's reasonable for us to pass a resolution and state a position on it."

pkimbrough@hpenews.com — 336-888-3531