High Point staff brief council on Senate Bill 166 changes to building and land-use rules

At a special meeting, High Point assistant city manager Damon Duquesne and inspection services director Reggie Hux briefed City Council on Senate Bill 166, a broad package of building- and land-use-related changes recently enacted by the General Assembly and made law after a gubernatorial veto was overridden.

The briefing covered multiple provisions that affect plan-review timelines, certificates of occupancy, curb-and-gutter and sidewalk requirements in extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ), third-party inspection and certification of infrastructure, and how certain residential structures are classified for code purposes. "The city's already, compliant with that," Duquesne said about one provision on cross-connection/backflow devices. He also told council that the department's average plan-review turnaround currently is "three to five days," well inside the new statutory deadlines.

Why it matters: Several provisions limit local discretion on technical standards and permitting practices that cities have used to shape subdivision and development. Staff told council that most changes will not immediately alter High Point practice but that some will require Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) text amendments and updated contract or inspection policies.

Key changes and local…