HB2439 is Detrimental to Texas Cities

I am a development consultant that works with developers every day - this is bad for everyone.

This would negtively impact the crucial work that hs gone into iconic Texas developments cities that has led to increased private investment. Please veto this bill.

The Cities should maintain local control of building ordinances.

Please do do to cities what you don’t want the feds to do to you. Veto HB2439. Many developers will choose the least costly means of building -just look at Woden fences along rights of way. 5 years after being built they are falling down and look like the devil. Please use common sense and let professional planners and engineers help us keep our cities the best looking and best lasting they can be. Thanks for listening Jim

Governor Abbott - please DO NOT sign this bill. Our communities deserve the right - and pay for it dearly - to define the building standards we want in our neighborhoods and our communities in general.

The proposed legislation seeks to remove a municipality’s authority to prohibit, directly or indirectly, the use of a building product, material, or method in the construction, renovation, maintenance, or other alteration of a residential or commercial structure if the building product, material, or method is approved for use by a national model code. Building codes provide only the most minimal construction standards. The result will be that builders will use the least expensive building materials possible, leading to higher maintenance costs. Yet the proposed legislation does not guarantee that a builder will pass the reduction in the construction cost to the owner. The bill also retroactively applies to materials used in existing developments. Developers of residential and commercial projects use exterior building materials to establish a unique look and feel for their developments. This bill would allow incompatible structures using different materials to be located in an existing development without regard to the negative effect it may have on the established buildings. Many cities already have processes in place to allow a builder to use alternate materials. These include zoning changes, special exceptions by local Boards of Adjustment, and site plan reviews, which can all be handled at the local level. Building codes are intended to regulate the construction of buildings to ensure they can be safely occupied. These codes were not intended to substitute for zoning regulations and design guidelines established by the citizens of Texas municipalities. Please veto HB 2439.

This bill is an unwarranted overreach of state government. I thought this was a party of local government (not big government). Please don't do this!

As a Planning & Zoning Commissioner, I am staunchly opposed to this level of micromanagement from the state. Home Rule Authority allows cities to regulate the appearance of structures to ensure we have the "look and feel" that is so desired by the residents and businesses. It's part of what draws people into our unique communities and gives them a sense of home and belonging. This is an unnecessary and overreaching regulation by the state and I request that Governor Abbott veto the legislation.

Governor Abbot....I am asking that you please veto this bill. As I understand, this bill will have far reaching negative implications for cities in trying to maintain some type of order as to their zoning ordinances and will give the appearance that local gov't. has lost control over its ability to manage its own affairs. In my opinion, this will cause property values to plummet, which will in turn cause Texas to loose its appeal for people to move here. Thank you!!

These decisions should reside on the local level. Let individual cities shape their own futures.

I own historic property on the Historic Square in Denton feel our city officials and property owners are better informed in how to set the building standards of our downtown structures.

The best part of planning is the involvement of the community and how the residents shape the identity of their cities. This bill will stop "great places" from happening and it would negatively impact cities in many different ways. Please veto this bill!

This bill will suck the magic out of Texas’ extraordinary communities. Please VETO! Thanks

APA Texas has clearly articulated the issues with this bill. I concur with their assessment.

Design and historic preservation regulations are essential components of city planning and urban design.

This affects neighborhoods, cities, and communities from demanding better investment. This limits cities ability to create better quality environments. Cities/communities have that right.

Against this bill. Governor Abbot, please Veto this bill.

GOVERNOR ABBOTT, please VETO HB 2439 as it will have severe adverse consequences ,in our communities throughout Texas ,such as lowering of property values as a result of substandard construction materials on buildings, lack of incentive by quality developers to build nicer products ,just to mention a few.

To say that this bill is detrimental and will undermine cities and their ability to pursue tourism, maintain quality of life, create identity, and decide as a community how they want to develop is a colossal understatement. Texas has incredible diversity in the uniqueness, history & character of its cities, and it’s shameful that the state of Texas has decided to declare war on these cities and their ability to set standards without regard to the far-reaching impacts. As someone who has worked in Texas cities for 16 years, I know that the short-sightedness of this action will ultimately render our cities, districts and corridors unattractive and sterile. This has a significant impact on property values and desirability, and long-term effects that are financially negative. This isn’t about affordable housing, masonry, vendors of building supplies, or any of the other purported “causes”. This is about eradicating the rights of cities and the people of those cities to make decisions that are best for their community and create the future and vision they desire. It is the antithesis of Texas pride and the retroactive nature of it will have a devastating effect on the carefully curated developments that have leveraged significant reinvestment around the state. It is the equivalent of using a jackhammer to drive a nail and it is the very kind of overreach state leaders have advocated against.

This is the worst piece of legislation I have ever heard of! Cities should be left alone to make their own decisions about what works best in their particular community. Architectural standards promote investment, increase property values, and promote attractive communities. If Cities no longer have the right to regulate architectural standards, every city in texas will have crappy metal buildings lining their commercial corridors. This will bring down property values, and will hurt the local economy. Veto this bill, PLEASE!