A bill introduced in the state Senate attempts to encourage more workforce affordable housing by eliminating some of the development regulations imposed by cities like Greensboro.
According to a study by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), 23.8 percent of the price of a new home is due to government regulations.
When you look at the chart of how to get plans approved in Greensboro, it may seem that the cost estimated by the NAHB is low.
Above is the plan review process in Greensboro in chart form from the City of Greensboro website. It can be found at: https://www.greensboro-nc.gov/home/showpublisheddocument
Perhaps this makes the plan review process clear as a bell to some people, but anything that takes that many steps, has that many arrows and possible routes the plans could go, appears to be the opposite of streamlined.
According to this chart, a plan can make its way through all the steps to arrive almost to the bottom of the chart and then be sent all the way back to the starting point.
The arrows that go around in a circle for Technical Review Committee (TRC) approval seem particularly noteworthy. There is no indication on the chart of how a plan gets out of that circle and moves on to the numerous rectangles and arrows. Perhaps the circular arrows indicate that at some point centrifugal force spins the plans out of the TRC circle and into the tangle of other approvals necessary. Or perhaps it is an indication that if a plan gets caught up in the TRC vortex there is no exit.
Imagine a developer planning their first project in Greensboro and being handed this chart on how to get their plans approved. It’s hard to imagine anyone would look at that and say, “piece of cake.”
Good gosh they suck.
Rectangle, circle, square, arrow, circular arrow, and we wonder why there is a housing shortage. I guess this account for the 24% of new home construction cost that each builder must pay.
How does NC or Greensboro or anywhere else determine housing needs? I wonder if government says that there is a housing shortage to help developers build more housing. As far as the Plan Review Process, It has to be much easier now than in the past with the use of the Internet, faxes and emails. The NAHB’s study showing that 23.8 percent of the price of a new home is due to government regulations, I do not buy that. If it is that high, it is because government is trying to protect consumers from the builders. That is a good thing. Builders cut corners where ever they can.
“As far as the Plan Review Process, It has to be much easier now than in the past with the use of the Internet, faxes, and emails.”…….surely you jest?
No, I do not jest. If you believe that technology has not made the process more streamlined, please explain.
“Government is criminal enterprise, writ large.”
the late Murray Rothbard
“Government is criminal enterprise, writ large.”
the late Murray Rothbard
I am not a fan of government. Government must be kept in check, which it is not. However, I am not a fan of developers. Developers are in the business to make money. Developers should develop from the inner city out not destroying land miles away from inner city because it is cheaper to build on raw land that more often than not requires annexation to provide public utilities.