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Below is information that you can share with subcommittee members when urging them to vote no.
Why Cities Are Concerned About HB 943
1. Takes Away Local Decision-Making
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Cities have rules to make sure new buildings fit into neighborhoods and don’t cause problems. This bill ignores those rules and lets almost anything be built anywhere.
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It could mean huge apartment buildings or mixed-use in quiet neighborhoods, even where they don’t make sense.
- Developments are approved in back rooms and out of the sunshine. No public meetings mean citizens are shut out completely.
2. Religious Land Can Be Developed However Developers Want
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If a church or religious group owns land, they can build anything on it—even a mall or a factory—without following city rules.
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Developers could trick the system by temporarily giving land to a religious group just to skip zoning laws.
3. Puts Apartments & Big Buildings in Single-Family Areas
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Right now, apartment buildings are built in areas where they fit. This bill would force cities to allow them almost anywhere, even next to single-family homes.
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Golf courses, parks, and open spaces could be fair game for development in PUD districts.
4. Makes Taxpayers Pay for Developers' Costs
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Cities charge developers “impact fees” to help pay for things like roads, schools, and water when new buildings go up.
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This bill cuts those fees, which means taxpayers might have to cover the costs instead.
5. Cities Could Get Sued for Enforcing Basic Rules
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If a city asks a developer to follow basic rules like having enough parking, keeping sidewalks safe, or preventing flooding, they could get sued.
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This means developers get special treatment, while cities lose the power to protect their communities.
6. Less Parking, More Traffic Problems
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This bill reduces parking requirements, even in areas with no public transportation or sidewalks.
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If big buildings go up without enough parking, it could make traffic and parking problems worse in neighborhoods.
7. Cities Can’t Pause Development for Important Reasons
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Sometimes, cities pause new construction to fix problems, like water shortages or storm damage.
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This bill takes away that option, so cities could be forced to approve new buildings even when there’s no water or roads to support them.
8. More Airbnb Rentals Instead of Affordable Housing
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The bill lets people build extra homes (Accessory Dwelling Units or ADUs) in their backyards but removes the rule that they have to be affordable.
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Instead of helping with the housing crisis, this could create more short-term rentals like Airbnbs, making housing even harder to find.
9. Encourages Sprawl & Traffic Jams
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Cities usually plan new neighborhoods where roads, schools, and services already exist.
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This bill allows development far outside city limits, which could lead to more sprawl, longer commutes, and overloaded infrastructure.
The Big Picture
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Everyone wants more affordable housing, but this bill goes too far and takes away cities’ ability to manage growth responsibly.
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It puts neighborhoods at risk, takes away local decision-making, shifts costs to taxpayers, and allows unchecked development.
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Cities should have the power to make smart choices for their communities.
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