Canton City Council Adopts Resolution in Opposition to HB 514 and HB 517 During the March 2 City Council meeting, Mayor Bill Grant and Canton City Council adopted a resolution seeking to keep local control over design standards, development fees, zoning regulations, and decisions related to development moratoriums at the level of government closest to the citizens most impacted. “Current legislation circulating at the State Capitol (HB 514 and HB 517) would eliminate local powers related to development and building standards and regulations,” explained City Manager Billy Peppers. “These bills would strip enforcement of decisions made through public processes at the City level in an effort to make homebuilding more profitable and faster for builders. This move for profit and productivity comes at the cost of public health, public safety, and citizen input related to the styles and standards of residential projects to be built on neighboring properties.” Canton Mayor Bill Grant added to Peppers’ sentiments, “Our citizens rely on their local government to control housing standards, quality of development, and the character of our community. House Bills 514 and 517 would undermine the mayor and Council’s control of maintenance and zoning standards in our city and, therefore, give developers an upper hand.” Among some of the items these bills seek to remove from local control include standards related to building materials, minimum lot sizes, minimum square footage requirements for residential units, and minimum requirements for road frontage for the development of a lot. Eliminating these controls removes local character from design, inhibits safety on public roadways, and impacts the property values of existing residents in favor of profiting national builders. The City Council will transmit the resolution to the local delegation and encourage concerned residents to reach out to the members of the House and Senate to voice their opinions on this preemptive legislation. A link to the resolution can be found at CantonGa.gov. Details about House Bills 514 and 517 can be found at Legis.Ga.gov.
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