Special Section on Architects

A new tool to rebuild communities

In August 2001, the North Carolina General Assembly passed legislation that creates a pilot program for a Rehabilitation Building Code (S. 633, introduced by Sen. Daniel Clodfelter of Charlotte). Beginning this spring, local jurisdictions were given the ability to use a nationally recognized and innovative building code for rehabilitation of older buildings. Many private developers and city officials say that codes for renovating older structures are too cumbersome, creating an impediment to reinvestment in downtowns and older neighborhoods. This new code is designed to make a building a safe place to live or work in while not insisting it look and function like a modern one — making it easier to attract investment to old buildings.

This rehab code is modeled after New Jersey’s, which was implemented there in 1998. New Jersey won the Harvard Kennedy School of Government’s Ford Foundation Innovations in Government award for its effort to create and utilize the code. Since implementation, New Jersey’s cities have realized a dramatic increase in the number of permits for rehab. Many underused and vacant buildings are being renovated and revitalized creating new neighborhood assets that enhance city tax rolls. Incredibly, some New Jersey cities have seen as much as a 1,000 percent increase in rehab permits. Now North Carolina joins Maryland as one of two states adopting New Jersey’s code.

When first introduced, the legislation for the North Carolina pilot program was designed to apply only to Mecklenburg County. But a broad coalition of supporters, including legislators from across the state, the AIA, the Metropolitan Coalition, the N.C. Department of Commerce, local chambers, downtown development advocates and other business groups, worked with Mecklenburg County and the bill sponsors to expand the pilot program. The version that was finally enacted into law allowed many more local jurisdictions to participate.

The rehab code is designed to eliminate many unnecessary restrictions that hamper, complicate and drive up the cost of renovation of older properties. It is designed explicitly for rehab of both commercial and residential structures. As long as the renovations are safe and comply with the federal accessibility requirements, the rehab code allows for flexibility based on the varied and specific circumstances of an older building — it is described as a “common sense approach towards building codes for rehab. The pilot program works this way: The legislation requires the “lead local authority,” Mecklenburg County, to adapt the New Jersey code for use in North Carolina. This process made the necessary code cross-references for North Carolina and insured it complied with state law. It was completed in consultation with the code enforcement staff at the N.C. Department of Insurance and is now available to local jurisdictions that have local plan review authority.

The pilot program allows any local jurisdiction to participate “whose local inspection department has been approved by the N.C. Building Code Council to do local plan review approval in accordance with Section 602.2.3 of the Administrative Volume of the North Carolina State Building Code.” To date, 12 jurisdictions are approved for local plan review: The cities of Raleigh, Greensboro, Asheville, Rocky Mount, Wilson, Kinston, Winston-Salem, Gastonia and the counties of Mecklenburg, Cleveland, New Hanover and Cabarrus.

Education efforts are being undertaken to help familiarize architects and building officials. AIA North Carolina, Mecklenburg County, the city of Raleigh, the city of Asheville, New Hanover County and the North Carolina Building Inspectors Association have collaborated to train those professionals on the details of the new code. To date, more than 400 design and construction professionals have been educated on the use and application of the code.

With the rehab code, real estate professionals, local planning officials and building owners have been given another option when it comes to rebuilding their communities. You can see for yourself what this new code can do for your neighborhood or next project by visiting a web site solely dedicated to the new law at www.ncrehabcode.com.  Or call your local building inspection department or AIA architect to start assessing all of your available development options.