Virginia Law

Article 4. The Official Map.

In localities where no official map exists, or where an existing official map is incomplete, the local planning commission may make, or cause to be made, a map showing the location of any:

1. Legally established public street, alley, walkway, waterway, and public area of the locality; and

2. Future or proposed public street, alley, walkway, waterway and public area.

No future or proposed street or street line, waterway, nor public area, shall be shown on an official map unless and until the centerline of the street, the course of the waterway, or the metes and bounds of the public area, have been fixed or determined in relation to known, fixed and permanent monuments by a physical survey or aerial photographic survey thereof. In addition to the centerline of each street, the map shall indicate the width of the right-of-way thereof. Local planning commissions are hereby empowered to make or cause to be made the surveys required herein.

After adoption by the governing body of an official map, the local governing body may acquire in any way permitted by law property which is or may be needed for the construction of any street, alley, walkway, waterway or public area shown on the map. When an application for a building permit is made to a locality for an area shown on the official map as a future or proposed right-of-way, the locality shall have sixty days to either grant or deny the building permit. If the permit is denied for the sole purpose of acquiring the property, the locality has 120 days from the date of denial to acquire the property, either through negotiation or by filing condemnation proceedings. If the locality has not acted within the 120 day period, the building permit shall be issued to the applicant provided all other requirements of law have been met.

Code 1950, § 15-965; 1962, c. 407, § 15.1-458; 1976, c. 619; 1988, c. 436; 1995, c. 264; 1997, c. 587.

After the official map has been prepared and recommended by the local planning commission it shall be certified by the commission to the governing body of the locality. The governing body may then approve and adopt the map by a majority vote of its membership and publish it as the official map of the locality. No official map shall be adopted by the governing body or have any effect until approved by ordinance duly passed by the governing body of the locality after a public hearing, preceded by public notice as required by § 15.2-2204.

Within thirty days after adoption of the official map the governing body shall cause it to be filed in the office of the clerk of the circuit court.

Code 1950, § 15-965.1; 1962, c. 407, § 15.1-459; 1997, c. 587.

The governing body may by ordinance make, from time to time, other additions to or modifications of the official map by placing thereon the location of any proposed street, street widening, street vacation, waterway, impounding structures and their dam break inundation zones, or public area in accordance with the procedures applicable to the locality.

Prior to making any such additions or modifications to the official map, the governing body shall refer the additions or modifications to the local planning commission for its consideration. The commission shall take action on the proposed additions or modifications within sixty days and report its recommendations to the governing body.

Upon receipt of the report of the commission, the governing body shall hold a public hearing on the proposed addition or modification to the official map and shall give notice of the hearing in accordance with § 15.2-2204. All such reports of the commission, when delivered to the governing body, shall be available for public inspection.

Any ordinance embodying additions to or modifications of the official map shall be adopted by at least the vote required for original adoption of the official map. After the public hearing and the final passage of such ordinance, the additions or modifications shall become a part of the official map of the locality. All changes, additions or modifications of the official map shall be filed with the clerk of the court as provided in § 15.2-2234.

Code 1950, § 15-965.2; 1962, c. 407, § 15.1-460; 1988, c. 436; 1997, c. 587; 2008, c. 491.

The official map and any additions thereto or modifications thereof shall be reviewed within five years from the date of adoption or readoption of the map by the governing body. The procedure by the local planning commission and the governing body in connection with the review shall conform to that prescribed as to original adoption of the map. Neither the official map nor any additions thereto or modifications thereof shall be of any force or effect for more than five years after adoption or readoption of the map unless readopted by the governing body.

Code 1950, § 15-965; 1962, c. 407, § 15.1-461; 1997, c. 587.

During the preparation of an official map the local planning commission shall consult with the Commonwealth Transportation Board or its local representative as to any streets under the jurisdiction of the Board, and prior to recommendation of the map to the governing body it shall submit the map to the Board for comment. Any recommendations of the Board, not incorporated in the official map, shall be forwarded to the governing body when the map is recommended by the commission. When any locality has adopted an official map in accordance with the terms of this chapter a certified copy of the map and ordinance adopting it shall be sent to the Board.

Code 1950, § 15-965.4; 1962, c. 407, § 15.1-462; 1988, c. 436; 1997, c. 587.

The provisions of this article shall not affect the exercise of the authority contained in Article 2 (§ 33.2-705 et seq.) of Chapter 7 by counties that have withdrawn their roads from the secondary state highway system.

Code 1950, § 15-965.5; 1962, c. 407, § 15.1-463; 1997, c. 587.