North Carolina

NC is historically local-control, but the legislature has imposed targeted preemptions and is trending toward more. Settled: building-design preemption (§160D-702(b)) bars regulation of specified exterior design elements for most 1–2 family dwellings; §160D-703 forbids cities from extracting impact fees via conditional zoning. Active movement: SB 675 (2023) advanced statewide ETJ removal; further preemption bills pending in 2025.

NC cities have extraterritorial jurisdiction for planning/zoning under §160D-202 (typically up to one mile beyond city limits). ETJ is being actively dismantled: local acts have stripped specific cities, SB 675 sought statewide removal, and 2025 bills would bar ETJ in counties with zoning. Forced annexation was effectively ended by 2011–2012 reform.

Two statutory tracks under Chapter 160D. Permit choice (§160D-108): applicants choose the version of changed regulations that applies. Site-specific vesting plans (§160D-108.1): approval vests rights for a statutory minimum of two years (up to five by ordinance, or ~25 years by development agreement), precluding adverse zoning changes except for limited exceptions.

NC does not authorize general impact fees. Courts have repeatedly refused to imply fee authority (*Lanvale Properties v. County of Cabarrus*, 2012); §160D-703 expressly bars extracting impact fees via conditional zoning. The only authorized fee-type is the System Development Fees Act (G.S. §162A-201 et seq.) for water/sewer capacity only — making NC the "impact-fees-prohibited" regime in this pilot.

North Carolina has no mini-NEPA for private development. The State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA, G.S. §113A-1 et seq.) requires environmental documents only for major state actions involving public lands or public funds. Coastal projects in the 20 CAMA counties face separate review under the Coastal Area Management Act. For typical private development, no state environmental-review requirement applies.