Bill > S688

This bill proposes several significant reforms to local government land use and zoning regulations in North Carolina, primarily focusing on limiting local governments' regulatory powers and providing more specific guidelines for development. The bill clarifies that local governments may only exercise planning, zoning, and development regulation authority as expressly authorized by statute, and places new restrictions on what local governments can regulate in zoning and development ordinances. Key provisions include prohibiting local governments from regulating certain building design elements for residential structures, setting limits on parking space requirements, restricting minimum size requirements for dwellings, and mandating minimum residential density per acre in both large and small cities. The bill also introduces new provisions for conditional districts, requiring that any conditions imposed must be specifically authorized by law and cannot include unauthorized limitations on land development. Additionally, the bill enhances legal remedies for property owners by allowing them to challenge local government actions more easily and providing for potential attorney's fees and damages if a local government is found to have acted outside its statutory authority or arbitrarily. The changes will become effective January 1, 2026, with any inconsistent local ordinances becoming void and unenforceable at that time.

https://www.ncleg.gov/BillLookUp/2025/S688