Virginia Law

A. The applicant shall submit a site plan that includes maps showing the physical features, topography, and land cover of the area within the site, both before and after construction of the proposed project. The site plan shall be submitted at a scale sufficient for project review, may include multiple pages, and shall include the following:

1. Boundaries of the site, disturbance zone, areas of solar panels, open areas, and screening areas;

2. Prime agricultural soils;

3. Contiguous forest lands and lands enrolled in a program for forestry preservation pursuant to subdivision 2 of § 58.1-3233 of the Code of Virginia;

4. A tabulation of all the areas enumerated in subdivisions 1, 2, and 3 of this subsection;

5. Location, height, and dimensions of all existing and proposed PV systems, other structures, fencing, and other infrastructure;

6. Location, grades, and dimensions of all temporary and permanent onsite and access roads from the nearest county or state-maintained road;

7. Waterbodies, waterways, wetlands, and drainage channels;

8. Expected types and approximate areas of permanent stormwater management facilities;

9. Location of any cemetery subject to protection from damage pursuant to § 18.2-127 of the Code of Virginia; and

10. Location of any mitigation measures and resources subject to mitigation required pursuant to 9VAC15-60-60, as applicable.

B. The applicant shall submit a context map including the area encompassed by the site and within five miles of the site boundary. The context map shall show state and federal resource lands and other protected areas, Coastal Avian Protection Zones, Chesapeake Bay Resource Protection Areas pursuant to 9VAC25-830-80, historic resources, state roads, waterways, locality boundaries, forests, open spaces, farmland, brownfield sites, and transmission and substation infrastructure.

C. In the event an approved PBR includes mitigation requirements pursuant to 9VAC15-60-60 D, E, or F and the proposed disturbance zone changes from what is shown on the site plan approved with the PBR, the applicant shall submit a final development site plan including tabulation of areas required pursuant to subsection A of this section. The final development site plan shall be submitted to the department along with conservation easements or the in-lieu fees required pursuant to 9VAC15-60-60. Provided the changes were the result of optimizing technical, environmental, and cost considerations and do not materially alter the environmental effects caused by the facility or do not alter any other environmental permits that the Commonwealth requires the applicant to obtain, the final development site plan shall not be deemed a revision of the PBR.

D. The applicant shall submit as-built post-construction site plans to the department within six months after commencement of commercial operation that show the physical features, topography, and land cover of the area within the site. The plans shall contain the following:

1. The boundaries of the site, disturbance zone, open areas, and screening areas;

2. Panel placement;

3. Mitigation required pursuant to 9VAC15-60-60, as applicable; and

4. Location of any avoided cultural resources as a result of project design.

E. All site plans submitted pursuant to this section shall be accompanied by digital files containing the information in a geographic information system (GIS) file format.