Restore Down-Zoning Auth./Multiple Counties.

SB 198 restores local government authority to initiate "down-zoning" in Chatham, Durham, and Wake Counties without requiring written consent from all affected property owners. The bill amends state law to allow counties to reduce development density (e.g., fewer homes per acre) or limit permitted land uses (e.g., banning commercial buildings) through zoning changes, reversing a prior requirement for owner consent. This directly affects property owners and developers in those three counties by changing how zoning regulations can be updated. The law applies retroactively to December 11, 2024, and only covers the specified counties and their municipalities. It does not create new zoning rules but restores the pre-2024-57 process for local governments to adjust zoning maps.