Local Building Design Standards Targeted

September 27, 2019

The House’s Study Committee on Workforce Housing has scheduled its first meeting on Monday, September 30 in Athens. Special interest groups are promoting the misleading narrative that local residential building design standards are barriers to workforce housing. Legislation to preempt local ability to establish these community design standards is being promoted by the Georgia Homebuilders Association of Georgia, Georgia Association of Realtors, the Council for Quality Growth, the Georgia Chamber and other special interests. If this legislation (House Bill 302 and Senate Bill 172) were to become law, local governments could no longer enact design standards on:
  • Exterior building color
  • Type or style of exterior cladding material
  • Style or materials of roof structures or porches
  • Exterior nonstructural architectural ornamentation
  • Location or architectural styling of windows and doors, including garage doors
  • The number and types of rooms
  • The interior layout of rooms
  • Types of foundation structures approved under state minimum standard codes
Be An Advocate for Local Decision Making:
Please help GMA advocacy staff prepare for the upcoming study committee meetings by reviewing local zoning ordinances and aesthetic requirements to see how your city’s standards, planned-use developments and zoning  could be impacted by prohibiting any of the design standards listed above. Please send this information to Charlotte Davis (cdavis@gacities.com) by Friday, October 4.  
 
Additionally, GMA is asking your city council to consider adoption of this sample resolution in support of your community’s ability to establish residential design standards. A community’s vision for itself and its citizens are reflective of community desires and are established from citizen input, helping to create a sense of place unique for each city. Please continue to help GMA oppose preemption bills driven by special interest groups that aim to take away local decision making. 

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