Zoning › State preemptions › Virginia

Virginia RPA 100-ft Riparian Buffer (Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act) (VA)

Tracked preemption from the Virginia overlay bundle.

Overview

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Effective
1989-09-01
Sunset
—
Authority
state
Scope
state:VA
Other Virginia preemptions
Virginia 2024-2025 Housing Preemption Bills (Status: None Enacted)Virginia Small Cell Wireless Facility Preemption (§§15.2-2316.3 / 15.2-2316.4)Virginia Stormwater Management Program (VSMP)Virginia Military Air Installation Influence Areas (§15.2-2294)Virginia Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Integration (44 CFR 201.6 / Va. Code §44-146.18:2)Virginia Family Day Home Preemption (§15.2-2292)Virginia Floodplain Management — NFIP Coordination (Va. Code §10.1-600 et seq.)Virginia Group Home / Assisted Living Preemption (§15.2-2291)

Trigger predicate

When this evaluates true for a parcel, the law's preempted fields take precedence over base zoning.

AND
  • city.is_in_tidewater_chesapeake_bay_jurisdiction == True
  • OR
    • parcel.in_chesapeake_bay_rpa == True
    • parcel.geometry geographic match

Preempted fields

2 fields on the base district schema are rewritten when the trigger fires.

FieldOpValueNote
base_districts[*].vegetated_buffer_ftfloor_at100RPA buffer must remain vegetated; only water-dependent facilities, redevelopment within existing footprint, and certain agricultural/silvicultural uses (with conservation plans) are allowed.
base_districts[*].new_impervious_in_rpawaive—New impervious surface generally prohibited in RPA buffer absent exception process; encroachments require local-board exception and demonstration of no-net-degradation.

Citation

Authority source
9VAC25-830-140 (Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area Designation and Management Regulations — RPA performance criteria)
§ 9VAC25-830-140
https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title9/agency25/chapter830/section140/

Research notes

This overlay sits inside the broader CBPA overlay but is broken out because the 100-ft riparian buffer is the single most-cited, most-litigated CBPA performance criterion. Buffer is measured landward from the edge of tidal waters, tributary streams, tidal wetlands, and contiguous nontidal wetlands within the RPA. Localities may not reduce below 100 ft; may grant exceptions only via formal process with WQIA.