Part VIII. Procedures and Requirements for Zone Designations
13VAC5-112-460. Procedures for zone application and designation.
A. Upon recommendation of the Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development, the Governor may designate up to 30 enterprise zones in accordance with the provisions of this section. Such designations are to be done in coordination with the expiration of existing zones designated under earlier Enterprise Zone Program provisions or the termination of designations pursuant to 13VAC5-112-510, 13VAC5-112-520, and 13VAC5-112-530 D.
B. Applications for zone designation will be solicited by the department on a competitive basis in accordance with the following procedures and requirements:
1. An application for zone designation must be submitted on Form EZ-1 to the Director, Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, 600 East Main Street, Suite 300, Richmond, Virginia 23219, on or before the submission deadline established by the department.
2. Each applicant jurisdiction must hold at least one public hearing on the application for zone designation prior to submission of the application to the department. Notification of the public hearing is to be in accordance with § 15.2-2204 of the Code of Virginia, relating to advertising of public hearings. An actual copy of the advertisement must be included in the application.
3. In order to be considered in the competitive zone designation process, an application from a jurisdiction must include all the requested information, be accompanied by a resolution of the local governing body, and be signed by the chief administrator or the clerk to county board of supervisors where there is no chief administrator. The chief administrator or clerk, in signing the application, must certify that the applicant jurisdiction held the public hearing required in subdivision 2 of this subsection.
C. Within 60 days following the application submission deadline, the department shall review and the director shall recommend to the Governor those applications that meet a minimum threshold standard as set by the department and are competitively determined to have the greatest potential for accomplishing the purposes of the program.
D. Enterprise zones designated pursuant to § 59.1-542 of the Code of Virginia will be designated for an initial 10-year period except as provided for in 13VAC5-112-510 and 13VAC5-112-520. Upon recommendation of the director of the department, the Governor may renew zones for up to three five-year renewal periods.
E. A local governing body whose application for zone designation is denied shall be notified and provided with the reasons for denial.
Statutory Authority
§ 59.1-541 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 23, Issue 12, eff. March 21, 2007; amended, Virginia Register Volume 35, Issue 23, eff. August 7, 2019; Volume 36, Issue 4, eff. November 13, 2019.
13VAC5-112-470. Procedures and requirements for joint applications.
A. Two or more adjacent localities may file a joint application for an enterprise zone as provided for in 13VAC5-112-430 and must meet the requirements set out in this section.
B. Localities applying for a joint zone must demonstrate a regional need for an enterprise zone and a regional impact that could not be achieved through a single jurisdiction zone.
C. Applicants for a joint zone shall also specify what mechanisms will be used to ensure that the economic benefits of such a zone are shared among the applicant localities.
D. A joint enterprise zone shall consist of no more than three noncontiguous zone areas for each participating locality.
E. Each jurisdiction comprising the proposed joint enterprise zone may have the maximum acreage as specified by the size guidelines in 13VAC5-112-440.
F. The applicants may designate one jurisdiction to act as program administrator. The jurisdiction so designated shall be responsible for filing annual reports as provided for in 13VAC5-112-560.
G. In order to submit a joint application, Form EZ-1 must be completed and filed by the jurisdiction acting as program administrator in accordance with the procedures set forth in subdivision B 1 through 3 of 13VAC5-112-460. In addition, a copy of Form EZ-1-JA must be completed by each of the other participating jurisdictions to certify that they are in agreement in filing the joint application. A copy or copies of Form EZ-1-JA must be submitted to the department with Form EZ-1.
H. The applicants must meet all other requirements of these regulations pertaining to applicants. In the case of joint applications, all references to "applicant" and "local governing body" contained in the text of these regulations shall mean the governing body of each participating jurisdiction.
Statutory Authority
§ 59.1-541 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 23, Issue 12, eff. March 21, 2007.
13VAC5-112-480. Application considerations.
A. Consideration for enterprise zone designations shall be based upon the localitywide need and impact of such a designation.
B. Need shall be assessed in part by the following distress factors: (i) the average unemployment rate for the locality over the most recent three-year period, (ii) the average median adjusted gross income for the locality over the most recent three-year period, and (iii) the average percentage of public school students within the locality receiving free or reduced price lunches over the most recent three-year period. These distress factors shall account for at least 50% of the consideration given to local governments for enterprise zone designation.
C. Local governments submitting applications for enterprise zone designation shall propose local incentives that address the economic conditions within their locality and that will help stimulate real property improvements and new job creation. Such local incentives include, but are not limited to (i) reduction of permit fees; (ii) reduction of user fees; (iii) reduction of business, professional and occupational license tax; (iv) partial exemption from taxation of substantially rehabilitated real estate pursuant to § 58.1-3221 of the Code of Virginia; and (v) adoption of a local enterprise zone development taxation program pursuant to Article 4.2 (§ 58.1-3245.6 et seq.) of Chapter 32 of Title 58.1 of the Code of Virginia. The extent and duration of such incentives shall conform to the requirements of the Constitution of Virginia and the Constitution of the United States. In making application for designation as an enterprise zone, the application may also contain proposals for regulatory flexibility, including but not limited to, (a) special zoning districts, (b) permit process reform, (c) exemptions from local ordinances, and (d) other public incentives proposed in the locality's application which shall be binding upon the locality upon designation of the enterprise zone.
D. The likely impact of proposed local incentives in addressing the economic conditions within the locality, and in stimulating real property investments and job creation together with the projected impact of state incentives, will be factors in evaluating applications.
E. A locality may establish eligibility criteria for local incentives that differ from the criteria required to qualify for the incentives provided in this chapter.
F. Proposed local incentives may be provided by the local governing body itself or by an assigned agent or agents such as a local redevelopment and housing authority, an industrial development authority, a private nonprofit entity or a private for-profit entity. In the case of a county that includes acreage in an incorporated town(s), the county may designate the governing body of the town(s) to serve as its assigned agent for incentives to be provided by the town(s).
Statutory Authority
§ 59.1-541 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 23, Issue 12, eff. March 21, 2007.