Virginia Law

A. Conceptual sketch. A conceptual sketch of the development that shows sufficient information for the department to review and concur with the proposed functional classification for each street in the development shall be provided to the district administrator's designee by the local official prior to preparing detailed construction plans for review. Any preliminary or conceptual plat, plan or sketch that conforms to the locality's zoning requirements or subdivision ordinance is acceptable if the information required by this subsection is shown. The submittal should include:

1. The general location and configuration, including the terminus, of each street, and the traffic volume anticipated when the land served is fully developed in accordance with the land uses anticipated.

2. The location, area, and density or floor area ratio (FAR) of each type of proposed land use within the development.

3. The location of any proposed transportation facility including any public transportation facilities as well as bicycle and pedestrian accommodations within the development's boundaries included in the comprehensive plan of the governing body.

4. The proposed functional classification for each street in the development.

5. The connectivity of the network addition as proposed, if applicable.

6. The location of stub outs on adjoining property and the existing land use of such adjacent property, if applicable, and the location of any proposed stub outs within the network addition, if applicable.

7. Any waiver or modification of the connectivity requirements or pending requests therefore pursuant to 24VAC30-92-60 C.

8. General preliminary information on the type of any storm sewer system, such as BMP, outfalls, or conveyance channels, that is proposed to be located within the right-of-way as described in 24VAC30-92-120 L 2 and if the project is located in a MS4 regulated area or a TMDL watershed.

9. Other available information pertinent to the intended development, including but not limited to any proposed phased development of streets pursuant to 24VAC30-92-80.

B. Conceptual sketch review. The district administrator's designee will review the layout and functional classification of streets shown in the concept sketch and within 45 calendar days notify the local official in writing, as well as the developer, if applicable, of his concurrence or recommendations and whether or not the streets in the proposed network addition meet the connectivity and other requirements of this chapter. This concurrence will be valid as long as the basic concept for the development, including the general street layout and design, as submitted for review, remains unchanged. The district administrator's designee shall also review any unresolved request for modifications to the connectivity requirements and include his decision in the written notification to the local official and the developer. As part of his review, the district administrator's designee shall review the provision of collector and other higher order streets and if necessary make recommendations for the provision of such streets to address the traffic generated by the development.

C. Plan of development submission. Plats or plans, or both, together with other pertinent data as herein prescribed, shall be submitted to the local official in accordance with the practices of the local government and to the district administrator's designee for all proposed developments whose streets are intended to be added to the secondary system of state highways maintained by the department. The district administrator's designee may, subject to the availability of staff and upon the request of the local official, cooperate in the review of proposed developments to be developed to these standards but not initially intended for addition to the secondary system of state highways maintained by the department. The department may recover the costs for this service in accordance with 24VAC30-92-140.

D. Plan review. Upon receipt of the plats or plans, or both, the district administrator's designee will arrange for the appropriate review to determine compliance with the requirements of this chapter and other applicable VDOT requirements. The general procedure for this review is described in the Guidance Document for the Commonwealth Transportation Board's Secondary Street Acceptance Requirements, 2011 (VDOT).

E. Plan approval. The district administrator's designee will advise the appropriate local official and the developer, if applicable, as to the results of the review.

1. If the street development proposed by the plats or plans, or both, is determined to be in compliance with these requirements, the district administrator's designee will provide written confirmation of this finding. This action signifies the district administrator's designee's approval of the street layout and design shown on the plats or plans, as submitted. Any subsequent revision, additions, or deletions thereto shall require specific written approval of the district administrator's designee for each such change.

2. If a revision of the submitted plats or plans is determined necessary, the district administrator's designee will list the required changes in a written response to the local official and the developer, if applicable. Upon completion of the specified revisions, the plats or plans will be resubmitted for review and approval by the district administrator's designee.

The department's approval of a street construction plan shall constitute its commitment to accept the street or network addition depicted thereon when all applicable provisions of these requirements are satisfied and the streets have been constructed according to the approved construction plan and supporting specifications. However, during the department's or other approved inspection of construction as specified by this chapter, if a situation is discovered that was not addressed on the approved plan that could, in the opinion of the district administrator's designee, adversely affect public safety or the integrity of either the roadway or the adjacent property, acceptance of the street or network addition shall be deferred until the situation is corrected.

The department's approval of a street construction plan shall expire after a period of five years if construction has not commenced, in which case the subdivision street construction plan shall be resubmitted for subsequent review and approval. This shall not affect the adequacy of the approved concept plan as depicted on a recorded final plat, as provided for under § 15.2-2241 of the Code of Virginia.

Network additions will only be accepted when the entire network addition has been constructed, except in such instances where the constructed portion meets the applicable public benefit requirements of this chapter.

F. Street acceptance. Upon the satisfactory completion of construction of the street or streets in a network addition, the department will advise the local governing body regarding the street or network addition's readiness for acceptance and the local governing body, in consultation with the district administrator's designee, will initiate its acceptance into the secondary system of state highways maintained by the department provided:

1. The developer dedicates the prescribed right-of-way to public use.

2. The street has or streets in the network addition have been constructed in accordance with the applicable specifications, standards and the plats or plans approved by the department.

a. Traffic control markings, signs, and devices have been installed in accordance with VDOT standards, specifications, and practices.

b. Speed limits have been set in accordance with Article 8 (§ 46.2-870 et seq.) of Chapter 8 of Title 46.2 of the Code of Virginia. For any streets with speed limits different from those set out in § 46.2-870 or §§ 46.2-873 through 46.2-875 of the Code of Virginia, traffic engineering investigations supporting such speed limits have been submitted to VDOT.

3. The developer furnishes all required information and data to the district administrator's designee and the local government official pertaining to the development's stormwater management system that are pertinent to the locality's, department's, or other entity's Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit, if applicable.

4. The street or streets in a network addition provides sufficient public benefit as prescribed in 24VAC30-92-60 and meets the requirements of this chapter.

5. The street or streets in the network addition has been properly maintained since its completion.

6. The developer furnishes the surety and fees in accordance with 24VAC30-92-140.

7. The governing body or other responsible parties have executed all agreements prescribed by these requirements, unless specifically waived on an individual case basis by the department employee, or his successor or his designee, responsible for overseeing these requirements and the final acceptance of streets as part of the secondary system of state highways maintained by the department.

8. The governing body, by proper resolution, requests the department to accept the street or streets in the network addition for maintenance as part of the secondary system of state highways under its jurisdiction. The resolution shall include the governing body's guarantee of an unrestricted and unencumbered right-of-way as dedicated, plus any necessary easements for fills, drainage, or sight distance.

Upon the department's determination that the requested street or network addition is in compliance with the applicable provisions of these requirements, the governing body will be officially advised of the street or network addition's acceptance into the secondary system of state highways and the effective date of such action. This notification serves as the district administrator's designee's authority to begin maintenance thereon.