Clemmons leaders, residents urge withdrawal of House Bill 765, warn it would curb local land‑use control

CLEMMONS, N.C. — Village of Clemmons Councilman Mike Thomas told a packed special meeting on April 23 that House Bill 765 and several companion bills introduced in the North Carolina General Assembly would “fundamentally change Clemmons as we know it today” and asked residents to press legislators to withdraw the measures.

Thomas led a roughly 30‑minute presentation that focused on five bills he described as the most impactful of a larger legislative package. He said one provision would require an official assessment by the (as presented) “Physical Research Division” whenever a proposed law could affect the net cost of housing; the presenter argued that the bills themselves lacked the assessments they would mandate.

“The more I read about this legislation and study it, the more clear it becomes that if this legislation passes, it will…fundamentally change Clemmons as we know it today,” Thomas said in his presentation. He also urged constituents to ask sponsors to withdraw the bills: “Withdraw it if you're a sponsor. Withdraw your sponsorship.”

Why it matters

Thomas told attendees he believes the bills would remove key local zoning tools — including parking and lot‑size rules — set minimum residential densities (he cited a minimum of five dwellings per acre as written in the bill text he presented) and expose local elected and appointed board members to new legal liability for land‑use decisions. He said those…