Grow Our Economy

LEGO-Style Blueprints

Pre-approved building designs

"Building shouldn't require months of bureaucratic delays and thousands in architectural fees. By offering pre-approved, 'LEGO-style' building plans, we will make it radically easier for our homeowners to invest in their own property and build the housing our city needs."

Dave Henderson
The Challenge
The Current Reality

The Soft Cost Barrier

Right now, if an average Lynchburg homeowner wants to build a small "mother-in-law suite" (an Accessory Dwelling Unit, or ADU) in their backyard, or if a local contractor wants to build a small duplex on an empty infill lot, they hit a massive financial wall before a shovel ever hits the dirt.

They are forced to hire expensive architects to draft custom plans, submit those plans to City Hall, and wait months for the bureaucracy to review and approve the designs. These "soft costs" (architect fees, holding costs, and permitting delays) can easily add tens of thousands of dollars to a project. This completely prices out the average working-class resident who wants to build wealth on their own property, leaving housing development exclusively to massive corporate developers with deep pockets.

Systemic Barrier Active Obstacle

The Financial Wall

Homeowners and local contractors face massive up-front expenses and architectural fees just to draw up blueprints, stalling projects before construction can even begin.

Click highlighted words to analyze the impact
The Action Plan
The Action Plan

Dave's ADUh Plan

01 LEGO-Style Catalog
02 Skip the Line
03 Empower the Developer
Strategic Specification: Initiative 01

The LEGO-Style Catalog

City Hall will commission and pre-approve a catalog of high-quality, architecturally appropriate building plans for ADUs, duplexes, and small single-family homes.

Scope of Work & Objectives
Acquire and pre-approve architectural plans for diverse backyard units and duplex designs.
Ensure designs complement the historic architectural aesthetic of Lynchburg's neighborhoods.
Provide the entire pre-vetted blueprint catalog completely free to local property owners.
The Evidence
Evidence & Research

Why EZ-Zoning Matters

Case Study 01 Time & Cost Savings
Case Study 02 Los Angeles ADU
Case Study 03 South Bend Infill
Analytical Abstract

The Time and Cost Savings

Data indicates that pre-approved plan catalogs reduce residential development soft costs by $15,000 to $25,000 and accelerate permitting timelines from months to under 14–30 days. By bypassing discretionary design reviews for zoning compliance, these plans streamline construction for builders.

Certified Case File Pew Research

$25k Soft Cost Cut

Review PDF Source
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