Restore Down-Zoning/Forsyth Co.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 185

Short Title: Restore Down-Zoning/Forsyth Co. (Local)
Sponsors: Senator Lowe (Primary Sponsor).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
February 27, 2025
*S185-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO RESTORE TH E AUTHORITY TO INITIATE DOWN-ZONING IN FORSYTH 2
COUNTY AND MUNICIPALITIES IN FORSYTH COUNTY. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
SECTION 1. G.S. 160D-601(d), as amended by Section 3K.1(a) of S.L. 2024 -57, 5
reads as rewritten: 6
"(d) Down-Zoning. – No amendment to zoning regulations or a zoning map that 7
down-zones property shall be initiated, enacted, or enforced initiated nor is it enforceable without 8
the written consent of all property owners whose proper ty is the subject of the down -zoning 9
amendment. amendment, unless the down -zoning amendment is initiated by the local 10
government. For purposes of this section, "down-zoning" means a zoning ordinance that affects 11
an area of land in one of the following ways: 12
(1) By decreasing the development density of the land to be less dense than was 13
allowed under its previous usage. 14
(2) By reducing the permitted uses of the land that are specified in a zoning 15
ordinance or land development regulation to fewer uses than we re allowed 16
under its previous usage. 17
(3) By creating any type of nonconformity on land not in a residential zoning 18
district, including a nonconforming use, nonconforming lot, nonconforming 19
structure, nonconforming improvement, or nonconforming site element." 20
SECTION 2.(a) This act applies only to Forsyth County and the municipalities 21
located therein. 22
SECTION 2.(b) This act is effective when it becomes law and applies retroactively 23
to December 11, 2024. Any adopted ordinance affected by Section 3K.1 of S.L . 2024-57 shall 24
be in effect as it was on or before December 11, 2024. 25