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Kenly council unanimously adopts resolution opposing NC House Bill 765 over local‑control concerns
Summary
The Town of Kenly on May 12 adopted Resolution 2025‑06 opposing House Bill 765, saying the measure would impose minimum density mandates, remove local discretion over site plans, and expose local board members to personal liability; the vote was 5–0.
Kenly’s Town Council voted unanimously on May 12 to adopt Resolution 2025‑06 opposing North Carolina House Bill 765, citing concerns that the proposal would erode local control over planning and zoning.
Interim Town Manager Tony Sears presented the draft resolution and summarized the bill’s key provisions, saying it would require a minimum density of five houses per acre in all zoning districts, allow developers to increase density where the town previously exercised discretion, remove governmental immunity for subdivision board members and make site‑plan approvals an administrative, fast‑track process if not decided within 180 days. Council members raised concerns that those changes could reduce local input, increase the risk of politically motivated decisions and expose individual board members to civil liability.
Council Member Keith Davis moved to accept the resolution; Council Member Garrett Stancil seconded, and the motion passed 5–0. The resolution formally registers the town’s opposition and will be transmitted to the town’s legislative contacts, per the action recorded in the meeting minutes.
Why this matters: council members framed the resolution as a defense of locally controlled land‑use decisions and a caution against shifting decisions to state‑level mandates or expedited administrative approvals. No subsequent state action or formal appeal was recorded in the meeting minutes.
