Spoiler: Exploiting disaster relief and mislabeling the bill. In a bill entitled “Disaster Recovery Act of 2024 – Part III,” the developer controlled state assembly deprived all the local governments in North Carolina of the right to downzone property unless the land owners agree to the down zone. “Downzoning” means restricting the use of the land in any way.
I asked Dr. Google how this happened and got the following AI response. Being old school, I never accept AI’s offers to write my emails, and I strongly condemn bots presence on social media. I wrote about the AI generated Griselda meddling in last year’s municipal elections. So much fakery.
However, I’m not against a new tool reducing my research time, which Dr. Google does very well. AI should never be relied on exclusively – Check and double check – but it’s a great starting point. Below is Google Gemini’s explanation of how control of development was stolen from all the counties in North Carolina. Digest this, and we will later explore what we can do to make our voices matter.
In the 2025–2026 North Carolina General Assembly, several legislators with direct professional ties to the building and development industry hold significant leadership positions. They primarily chair committees that oversee housing policy, state spending, and regulatory reform.
Key Legislators and Their Committee Chairs
- Representative Mark Brody (R-Union): A career general contractor, he serves as Co-Chair of the House Housing and Development Committee. He is a central figure in drafting legislation that reduces local development restrictions and building code requirements.
- Representative Jeff Zenger (R-Forsyth): An active developer and builder, he also serves as Co-Chair of the House Housing and Development Committee. Additionally, he chairs the House Regulatory Reform Committee, which reviews rules that impact industry costs.
- Representative Matthew Winslow (R-Franklin): A professional home builder, he serves as a Senior Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, which controls state funding. He is also a member of the Housing and Development Committee.
- Senator Steve Jarvis (R-Davidson): A builder by trade, he serves as Chair of the Senate Commerce and Insurance Committee. This committee is critical because it oversees the Department of Insurance, which manages the state’s building codes.
North Carolina General Assembly (.gov) +7
Influence on Recent Building Code Reforms
Legislators with industry backgrounds have been instrumental in several major shifts in how North Carolina regulates construction:
- Delaying the 2024 Building Code: Under Session Law 2024-57, the legislature delayed the implementation of the updated 2024 North Carolina State Building Code until July 1, 2025. Industry-affiliated members argued that the new codes—which included stricter energy efficiency and safety standards—would have added significant costs to new home construction.
- Reorganizing the Building Code Council: Through House Bill 488, legislators moved to strip the existing Building Code Council of its authority over residential construction. They created a new, separate Residential Code Council starting in 2025, with seats specifically reserved for industry professionals appointed by legislative leaders.
- Blocking Resilient Standards: Republican leadership, often supported by the North Carolina Home Builders Association, has blocked certain updates that would have mandated higher elevations in floodplains or stricter wind-resistance inspections. While these moves save builders money, critics and the Governor’s office argue they make homes more vulnerable to natural disasters and may cost the state federal recovery funding.
- The inclusion of the “down-zoning” restriction in Senate Bill 382 (Session Law 2024-57), which was formally titled the “Disaster Recovery Act of 2024 – Part III,” has been a point of significant political and legal controversy.
- Context of Inclusion
- While the bill was branded as an urgent relief package for Western North Carolina following Hurricane Helene, the vast majority of its 131 pages contained unrelated changes to state government and law. The restriction on local “down-zoning”—which prevents municipalities from reducing property density without unanimous owner consent—was tucked into the final section of this act.
- Passage and Veto Override
- Due to its inclusion in a disaster relief bill, the legislation moved rapidly:
- It was made public just one hour before debate began in the House.
- Former Governor Roy Cooper vetoed the bill, calling it a “sham” that prioritized political power over comprehensive aid.
- The General Assembly overrode the veto on December 11, 2024, making the zoning restrictions law.