City files downzoning bill
HIGH POINT — The city of High Point is seeking special legislation from the N.C. General Assembly to restore a local power that's been drastically limited by a new state law.
House Bill 317 would revive the city's ability to initiate the downzoning of private property so that High Point can proceed with enactment of its proposed Southwest Mill District revitalization initiative.
The measure is what's known as a 'local bill' because it would apply only to High Point. Its primary sponsors are state Reps. Cecil Brockman of High Point and Amos Quick of Greensboro.
The two Democrats are members of High Point's state legislative delegation.
The measure was filed in response to a law the legislature passed last year that bars any local zoning change that decreases the permitted uses or the density of what can be built on a property without the owner's written consent.
The law defines downzoning as this, as well as any zoning change that would create a nonconforming use or structure on a property.
The city is proposing to create the mill district by rezoning 171 acres of an old industrial area along W. Green Drive to try to spur more redevelopment activity by allowing residential and other new uses in this area, which could make the former mills in the district nonconforming structures.
The local bill would allow the city to initiate the rezonings by effectively exempting it from the state's downzoning restrictions.
In addition, bills to restore at least some aspects of local downzoning powers have been filed that would apply to jurisdictions throughout the state.
The city says statewide legislation is its preference for regaining downzoning power but submitted the local bill as a backup measure.
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