Bill > S196

This bill amends the existing zoning laws for Winston-Salem by making several key modifications to the city's planning and zoning capabilities. The bill updates terminology throughout the document, replacing "Board of Aldermen" with "City Council" and standardizing capitalization. It expands the City Council's authority by allowing them to confer rezoning powers, including site plan amendments, to the joint City and County Planning Board, with specific rights of appeal and review. The bill maintains the city's ability to create both general use and special use zoning districts, clarifying the process for rezoning petitions and the conditions under which special use permits can be issued. It also reaffirms the city's zoning jurisdiction extending up to three miles beyond its corporate limits, subject to Forsyth County Board of Commissioners' approval for areas beyond one mile. The bill further allows the city to provide density bonuses or financial incentives to developers who create housing for low or moderate-income residents, and explicitly states that the terms "Board of Aldermen" and "City Council" are to be considered equivalent. The legislation applies exclusively to the City of Winston-Salem and becomes effective immediately upon becoming law.

https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/S196