SB 196 North Carolina Senate · 2025-2026 Session

Winston-Salem/Forsyth Co. Planning and Zoning.

This bill revises Winston-Salem and Forsyth County zoning laws to clarify the joint City-County Planning Board's authority over zoning changes and promote affordable housing. It allows the city to offer density bonuses - permitting more housing units than normally allowed - to developers who build or donate land for low/moderate-income housing. The bill also establishes two zoning district types: "general use" districts (permitting multiple land uses without specifying the intended use) and "special use" districts (requiring developers to specify a single use, like a park or apartment building, with conditions set by the City Council). These changes directly affect property owners, developers, and residents in Winston-Salem and the three-mile area surrounding the city, where zoning regulations now extend.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Feb 27, 2025 Last action Mar 3, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Filed Edition 1 · 3 edits
MINOR
The bill underwent formatting and procedural updates during its initial filing to first edition transition, including changes to header information, bill numbering, and referral details. A substantive policy change was made to Section 43, which now explicitly allows the imposition of reasonable conditions on zoning districts to protect public health, safety, and welfare, replacing the incomplete original text.
Scope change
The bill's scope remains focused on Winston-Salem/Forsyth County planning and zoning authority, with no change to geographic applicability or jurisdiction.
REQUIREMENT

Section 43 was amended to clarify that zoning districts may include reasonable conditions designed to secure public health, safety, and welfare, replacing incomplete text that appeared to mention 're' (likely 'redevelopment' or 'regulations').

TECHNICAL

Header information was updated from 'FILED SENATE' with filing date to 'GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA' with session information and bill number S196-v-1.

Added referral information directing the bill to 'Rules and Operations of the Senate' dated March 3, 2025.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
3
Key actions
0
Committee
1
Mar 3, 2025
Committee
Ref To Com On Rules and Operations of the Senate
upper
Feb 27, 2025
Introduced
Filed
upper
0 primary · 1 co-sponsor

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.