Virginia Small Cell Wireless Facility Preemption (§§15.2-2316.3 / 15.2-2316.4) (VA)
Tracked preemption from the Virginia overlay bundle.
Overview
← All state preemptionsVirginia overlay roll-upVirginia zoning wikiVirginia building codesFederal overlaysGlossaryFederal-conflict: Yes
Effective
2017-07-01
Sunset
—
Authority
state
Scope
state:VA
Other Virginia preemptions
Virginia 2024-2025 Housing Preemption Bills (Status: None Enacted)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 RPA 100-ft Riparian Buffer (Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act)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
project.use_type==small_cell_wireless_facilityproject.antenna_enclosure_cubic_ft≤6project.associated_equipment_cubic_ft≤28
Preempted fields
4 fields on the base district schema are rewritten when the trigger fires.
| Field | Op | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
review_type | override | administrative_review_only_no_sup_or_variance | Co-location of small cell facilities on existing structures requires only administrative review — no special exception, special use permit, or variance may be required. New support structures ≤50 ft are also administrative-review-eligible if they don't exceed nearby utility-pole heights by >10 ft within 500 ft and avoid historic districts. |
base_districts[*].small_cell_shot_clock_days | cap_at | 60 | 60-day shot clock from receipt of complete application; 10-day window for locality to notify applicant of missing info (otherwise application is deemed complete). Locality may extend by an additional 30 days in writing. Applications are AUTOMATICALLY APPROVED if locality fails to act within these timeframes. |
base_districts[*].small_cell_application_fee_cap | cap_at | 100_dollars_first_five_then_50_each_up_to_35_per_application | Fee cap: $100 for each of the first five facilities per application; $50 for each additional facility up to 35 per application. |
base_districts[*].small_cell_aesthetic_conditions | waive | — | Localities may NOT impose aesthetic conditions as mandatory requirements; may only accept voluntarily-submitted aesthetic conditions. Disapproval permitted only for: (1) material interference with pre-existing or planned communications facilities, (2) public safety / critical public service need, (3) aesthetic impact on publicly-owned property, or (4) conflict with historic preservation ordinances on eligible historic properties. |
Citation
Authority source
Va. Code §15.2-2316.3 (definitions) and §15.2-2316.4 (zoning; small cell facilities); 2017 Acts of Assembly Chapter 835
§ §§15.2-2316.3, 15.2-2316.4
Research notes
Virginia state preemption layered on top of federal Telecommunications Act §332(c)(7) and FCC Order 18-133 (2018) small-cell deployment shot-clocks (60 days for collocation, 90 days for new structures). The Virginia framework is in many respects stricter than federal — Virginia's fee caps and explicit denial-ground enumeration go beyond FCC rules. Federal conflict check: FCC §6409(a) (eligible facilities request modifications), TCA §332(c)(7) preemption of effective-prohibition local actions, and FCC Order 18-133 all apply in parallel. Cities have repeatedly lost lawsuits attempting to impose stealth/concealment requirements as mandatory conditions on small cells.