Virginia Voluntary Settlement Agreements (§15.2-3400) (VA)
Tracked preemption from the Virginia overlay bundle.
Overview
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Effective
1979-07-01
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 RPA 100-ft Riparian Buffer (Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act)Virginia Floodplain Management — NFIP Coordination (Va. Code §10.1-600 et seq.)
Trigger predicate
When this evaluates true for a parcel, the law's preempted fields take precedence over base zoning.
city.has_executed_voluntary_settlement_agreement == TruePreempted fields
1 field on the base district schema is rewritten when the trigger fires.
| Field | Op | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
base_districts[*].cross_jurisdiction_terms | override | voluntary_settlement_agreement_terms | Court-approved Voluntary Settlement Agreement between a county and a city/town overrides any conflicting local zoning, annexation, revenue-sharing, or boundary terms for the duration of the agreement. |
Citation
Authority source
Va. Code §15.2-3400 (Voluntary settlement of boundary and related issues by counties, cities, and towns)
§ §15.2-3400
Research notes
Unique Virginia tool: counties and adjacent independent cities/towns may negotiate court-approved 'Voluntary Settlement Agreements' (VSAs) addressing annexation moratoria, revenue sharing, urban-services boundaries, joint land-use planning, and infrastructure cost-sharing. Examples: Albemarle–Charlottesville (1982, revised), Chesterfield–Richmond, Henrico–Richmond, Roanoke County–Roanoke City, Augusta–Staunton/Waynesboro. VSA terms supersede local zoning to the extent of conflict during the agreed term.