Senate File 2442 - Introduced SENATE FILE 2442 BY COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT (SUCCESSOR TO SSB 3152) A BILL FOR An Act relating to county zoning ordinances governing 1 residential buildings. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 6848SV (1) 91 ms/js
S.F. 2442 Section 1. Section 335.3, subsection 1, Code 2026, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 1. a. Subject to section 335.2 and paragraph “b” , the 3 board of supervisors may by ordinance regulate and restrict the 4 height, number of structures, and size of buildings and other 5 structures, the percentage of lot that may be occupied, the 6 size of yards, courts, and other open spaces, the density of 7 population, and the location and use of buildings, structures, 8 and land for trade, industry, residence, or other purposes, and 9 may regulate, restrict, and prohibit the use for residential 10 purposes of tents, trailers, and portable or potentially 11 portable structures. However, such powers shall be exercised 12 only with reference to land and structures located within the 13 county but lying outside of the corporate limits of any city. 14 b. (1) The board of supervisors shall not restrict the 15 construction or development of residential buildings. The 16 board of supervisors may by ordinance regulate residential 17 buildings to the extent necessary for the safety of life or 18 property, but shall not otherwise impose any regulations 19 related to residential buildings that has the effect of 20 restricting the construction or development of residential 21 buildings. 22 (2) For purposes of this paragraph, “residential building” 23 means the same as defined in section 414.1, subsection 1, 24 paragraph “h” , subparagraph (2). 25 EXPLANATION 26 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 27 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 28 This bill relates to county zoning ordinances that govern 29 residential buildings. 30 Under current law, a county board of supervisors may 31 by ordinance regulate and restrict the height, number of 32 structures, and size of buildings and other structures, the 33 percentage of lot that may be occupied, the size of yards, 34 courts, and other open spaces, the density of population, 35 -1- LSB 6848SV (1) 91 ms/js 1/ 2
S.F. 2442 and the location and use of buildings, structures, and land 1 for trade, industry, residence, or other purposes, and may 2 regulate, restrict, and prohibit the use for residential 3 purposes of tents, trailers, and portable or potentially 4 portable structures. This authority is limited to land and 5 structures in the unincorporated area of the county. 6 The bill provides that a county board of supervisors cannot 7 restrict the construction or development of residential 8 buildings, and that any regulation of residential buildings 9 must be necessary for the safety of life or property. 10 “Residential property”, for purposes of the bill, means 11 any single or multifamily residential dwelling and includes 12 single-family and two-family dwellings and townhouses, 13 condominiums and apartments with a maximum of 12 units per 14 building, and all secondary structures to such a single or 15 multifamily residential dwelling. 16 -2- LSB 6848SV (1) 91 ms/js 2/ 2