Planning and Zoning Law Bulletin #28

A relatively small number of bills affecting planning and development regulation were enacted in 2019, but they were significant. Part II of S.L. 2019-111 (S.B. 355) completely reorganizes the statutes related to planning and development regulation. That law is briefly summarized in this bulletin, but due to its length and complexity, it is the subject of separate School of Government publications coming later in the year. Check nc160D.sog.unc.edu for resources and training on that legislation. The legislature also enacted bills revising the law on third-party requests to downzone property, permit choice, vested rights, and judicial review of zoning decisions. Significant legislation was also enacted affecting regulation of short-term rentals and performance guarantees for subdivision improvement. Pending legislation that addresses outdoor advertising and a few other topics is also summarized at the end of this bulletin.