Critics warn proposal to accelerate construction permitting in Georgia threatens water quality

Proponents of a bill designed to speed up the construction permitting process say the changes are needed to address a lack of affordable housing.  But local officials and environmental groups warn the proposal would add a “shot clock” that could compromise public safety and lead to increased water pollution from construction runoff. The bill, sponsored […]

Georgia Rep. Mike Cheokas (left), an Americus Republican, listens while Austin Hackney, executive vice president of Home Builders Association of Georgia, presents the bill on Nov. 18, 2025 in Atlanta. Georgia House of Representatives livestream

Proponents of a bill designed to speed up the construction permitting process say the changes are needed to address a lack of affordable housing. 

But local officials and environmental groups warn the proposal would add a “shot clock” that could compromise public safety and lead to increased water pollution from construction runoff.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Mike Cheokas, an Americus Republican, and backed by the home building industry, was met with sharp opposition Tuesday at an off-session hearing before a subcommittee of the House Governmental Affairs Committee. 

The measure could limit local governments’ ability to adopt more stringent building codes by requiring a Georgia Department of Community Affairs review and accelerating the review timelines for denied soil erosion permits. The bill would mandate a specific written list of deficiencies and a subsequent 14-day review period.

“The bill that you see in front of you … amends the existing statute to give that approval or disapproval process some teeth. If a local government wants to adopt a more stringent mandate in the construction code, they can continue to do that, but our goal would be for (DCA) to review that local amendment and make a binding determination about its need and whether it should be adopted locally,” said the executive vice president of Home Builders Association of Georgia, Austin Hackney, who sat next to Cheokas during the presentation.

The association and other proponents said that the delays, which they say can occur after a project has already received zoning approval, turn a process that should take two months into a year or more ordeal.

“Currently, I’ve heard horror stories of the length of time it takes for contractors to get a building permit,” said Cheokas, saying that such delays add to the cost of housing. He argued his measure is one step toward addressing the rising cost of homes.

The proposal faced pushback from the Georgia Municipal Association and the Association County Commissioners of Georgia, which expressed concern that the mandated deadlines would compromise public safety and environmental oversight.

Noah Roenitz, senior governmental relations associate with the Georgia Municipal Association, said a main reason for delays is not “politics” or “obstruction,” but “incomplete submissions, unlicensed engineers drawing plans, repeated revisions that introduced new scopes to the developments, and understaffing.”

The legislation was also opposed by environmental groups and Soil and Water Conservation Districts. Chattahoochee Riverkeeper Jason Ulseth, a district supervisor with the Fulton County Soil and Water Conservation District, said the accelerated timelines could apply to gigantic commercial projects like data centers, not just housing, saying it would cause “a lot of confusion, a lot of heartache.”

“I’m all for expediting housing, but to apply it to every project in Georgia is pretty tough to do, I think. And I’ll say this, I have reviewed thousands of plans. I’m a certified plan designer. I’m a certified plan reviewer. And out of all the plans that I see, the ones that slow down are the ones who don’t do it right,” Ulseth said.

The subcommittee took no action on the bill Tuesday. Lawmakers will return to Atlanta in January for the 2026 legislative session.