Virginia Law

A. Acceptance of signed and sealed plans in lieu of local plan review. In lieu of a local plan review or retaining a local certified plan reviewer, a rural Tidewater locality may accept plans and supporting calculations for erosion and sediment control and stormwater management for any land-disturbing activity equal to or greater than 2,500 square feet but less than one acre if the following criteria are met:

1. The plans are prepared and submitted by a professional licensed to engage in practice in the Commonwealth under Chapter 4 (§ 54.1-400 et seq.) or 22 (§ 54.1-2200 et seq.) of Title 54.1 of the Code of Virginia and who shall hold a certificate of competence in the appropriate subject area, as provided in § 62.1-44.15:30 of the Code of Virginia; and

2. The plan and supporting calculations are appropriately signed and sealed by the professional with a certification that states: "This plan is designed in accordance with applicable state law and regulations."

B. For determining the water quantity technical criteria applicable to a land disturbance equal to or greater than 2,500 square feet, but less than one acre, any rural Tidewater locality may elect to use certain tiered water quantity control standards based on the percentage of impervious cover in the watershed as provided in § 62.1-44.15:27.2 of the Code of Virginia.

C. Tiered approach to water quantity technical criteria compliance.

1. A rural Tidewater locality may adopt the following tiered approach to water quantity management based on the percent impervious cover of the watershed in accordance with this subsection for land-disturbing activities that disturb an area of 2,500 square feet or more but less than one acre:

a. For less than 5.0% impervious cover, apply the Virginia Erosion and Sediment Control Minimum Standard 19 in effect prior to July 1, 2014, for the protection of downstream properties and waterways from sediment deposition, erosion, and damage due to increases in volume, velocity, and peak flow rate of stormwater runoff for the stated frequency storm of 24-hour duration.

b. For 5.0% or more impervious cover but less than 7.5%, detain and release over a 24-hour period the expected rainfall resulting from the one year, 24-hour storm, which practices shall be exempt from any flow rate capacity and velocity requirements for natural or manmade channels.

c. For 7.5% impervious cover or more, apply the water quantity technical criteria in accordance with 9VAC25-875-600.

2. The establishment and conduct of the tiered approach by the locality pursuant to this section shall be subject to review by the department.

3. Prior to the adoption and implementation of the tiered approach to water quantity management, the local governing body shall:

a. Develop a watershed map that includes the following:

(1) The boundaries of the locality and each watershed located partially or wholly within the locality based on the most recent version of Virginia's 6th order National Watershed Boundary Dataset;

(2) The percentage of impervious cover within each watershed. Data provided by the Virginia Geographic Information Network (VGIN) shall be sufficient for the initial determination of impervious cover percentage at the time of the initial adoption of the map; and

(3) The locations at which the governing body expects or proposes that development should occur and may indicate the projected future percentage of impervious cover based on proposed development. The governing body may designate certain areas within a watershed in which it proposes that denser-than-average development shall occur and may designate environmentally sensitive areas in which the water quantity technical criteria in 9VAC25-875-600 shall apply.

b. After the watershed map has been developed, the governing body may then approve and adopt the map by a majority vote of its membership and publish it as the official watershed map of the locality. No official watershed map shall be adopted by the governing body or have any effect until it is approved by an ordinance duly passed by the governing body of the locality after a public hearing, preceded by public notice as required by § 15.2-2204 of the Code of Virginia. Within 30 days after adoption of the official watershed map, the governing body shall file the watershed map in the office of the clerk of the circuit court.

4. At least once per year, the governing body shall by majority vote make additions to or modifications of the official watershed map to reflect actual development projects. The governing body shall change the indication on the map of the impervious cover percentage within a watershed where the percentage has changed and shall update the map and supporting datasets with actual development project information, including single-family housing projects and any projects covered by the General VPDES Permit for Discharges of Stormwater from Construction Activities (9VAC25-880) and administered by the department for opt-out localities pursuant to § 62.1-44.15:27 of the Code of Virginia. The governing body may incorporate into the official watershed map the most recent VGIN data, including data on state and federal projects that are not reviewed or approved by the locality. The governing body shall keep current its impervious cover percentage for each watershed located within the locality as reflected in the official watershed map and shall make the map and such percentages available to the public.

5. The locality shall notify the department and update the official watershed map within 12 months of the approval of the development plan for any project that exceeds the percent impervious cover percentage of the watershed in which it is located and causes the impervious cover percentage for the watershed to increase such that the watershed percent impervious cover is categorized by the next higher tier pursuant to subdivision 1 of this subsection.

6. No official watershed map or its adopting or amending ordinance shall take precedence over any duly adopted zoning ordinance, comprehensive plan, or other local land-use ordinance, and in the case of a conflict, the official watershed map or ordinance shall yield to such land-use ordinance.