RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — North Carolina Governor Josh Stein signed into law a bill that would make it easier to build backyard cottages, garage apartments and in-law suites.
The Regulatory Reform Act would require cities with more than 50,000 residents, excluding coastal communities, to allow accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in lots zoned for single-family homes.
The bill makes it easier to redevelop existing commercial properties into residential and mixed-use housing by requiring certain cities to allow residential uses by right on qualifying redevelopment sites. That provision only applies to cities with more than 80,000 residents in counties with more than 1 million residents, like Raleigh in Wake County and Charlotte in Mecklenburg County…