Ban on local limits on wood buildings awaits Deal’s OK

Calling it a fight between the needs of urban Georgians and those who live in rural areas, the state Senate has given final approval to a bill keeping local governments from banning the use of wood when constructing high-rise apartments.

The legislation, House Bill 876, now heads to Gov. Nathan Deal for his signature.

The bill’s sponsor, state Rep. John Corbett, R-Lake Park, and other supporters of the measure say the law is needed to bolster the state’s forestry industry. Corbett is a timber farmer.

“Rural Georgia has supplied us in urban Georgia with just about everything we have,” said state Sen. David Lucas, D-Macon. “And now you want to dictate to them about construction.”

Beginning in 2014, Atlanta suburbs such as Dunwoody and Sandy Springs started restricting the use of woodframe construction on buildings that are taller than three stories.

Local governments put the restriction in place for firesafety reasons, saying having wood frames for large structures puts lives at risk.

State Sen. John Wilkinson, R-Toccoa, said international building codes, which set safety standards for construction, don’t limit the use of wood. Other materials, such as steel, are not always safer, he said.

“The ark was built out of wood,” he said. “The Titanic was built out of steel.”

Besides the safety issue, state Sen. Renee Unterman, R-Buford, said she disagreed with taking control from local governments.

“I don’t like these issues of urban versus rural,” Unterman said. “We’re picking the wood industry over the local government. What else is it that cities are going to do that you don’t like?”