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Building and design standards are an important part of a community’s economic development plans.
It’s why so many cities and towns—including Indianapolis—have community-based design standards, which help ensure the quality, safety and aesthetic integrity of structures, including houses, condos, town houses and apartments.
Unfortunately, the Indiana General Assembly is debating legislation that would strip local communities of the power to set these design standards. If House Bill 1114 becomes law, builders and developers would only have to abide by minimum standards set through Indiana building codes.
The bill passed the House Government and Regulatory Reform Committee by an 8-5 vote on Feb. 2 and is now eligible for a vote in the full House chamber. If it passes the House, it will move to the Senate for consideration.
This bill is not a new idea. A similar bill was debated in 2020, and it was not passed, because it’s not good for Indiana.
The American Institute of Architects Indiana, like so many others, believes local communities should have the ability to set their own design standards, which can help protect home values and increase opportunities to attract businesses and residents.
While proponents of the bill say this is about creating more affordable housing, AIA—along with firefighters, engineers, cities and towns, and others—disagrees. We support allowing local communities to make decisions about what is to be built in their communities.
While affordable housing is important, residents of all income levels deserve to have quality, well-designed, safe and well-built housing. Diminishing standards, as HB 1114 will do, will not solve the affordable-housing shortage.
Homes built with low-quality materials will have a long-term negative economic impact. Materials that do not meet high-quality standards, which most communities want, will result in homes falling into disrepair more quickly, increasing cost of upkeep for homeowners and communities. They won’t be as energy-efficient, causing increased energy costs and more.
Plus, lower design standards will result in lower property values for nearby neighborhoods.
HB 1114 will strip the rights of our cities and counties across Indiana to tackle local issues specific to their communities and instead put those decisions in the hands of special-interest groups. And that’s not good for Indiana.
We urge residents to contact legislators to let them know they believe building-design decisions should be made by local communities.•
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Shelley is executive director of the American Institute of Architects Indiana, which represents more than 750 licensed architects and designers across the state.
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Jason, sorry to disappoint you but the the home builders and others in the House are in control. This has nothing to do with with what is right but who can make the most money at the expense of others.
Please stop supporting these Republicans, yes I said Republicans because no Democrat would offer or vote for such a bill.
Indiana’s legislature is controlled by special interest groups who write and pass legislature to line their pockets. This is no longer lobbyists controlling the legislature, this is lobbyist in the legislature. They have cut out the middle man.