Planning Office

An amendment to the Prince William County Zoning Ordinance to make changes based on the Virginia General Assembly 2023 General Assembly Session.

Background

The Governor signed SB 1151 that "[s]tandarizes the frequency and length of time that notices of certain meetings, hearings, and other intended actions of localities must be published in newspapers and other print media," including for certain land use matters, and HB 1450 and SB 798, identical bills, that [r]eplaces various instances of the terms 'handicap,' 'handicapped,' and similar variations throughout the Code of Virginia with alternative terms, as appropriate in the statutory context, such as 'disability; and 'impairment."

Every year, the Board of County Supervisors reviews the Prince William County Code of Ordinances ("County Code") following the Virginia General Assembly general session, primarily to ensure that the County Code is amended to remain consistent with the Virginia Code given recent legislative changes. The General Assembly has concluded that 2023 year's general session and several Acts of the Assembly necessitate amendments to the County Code, including the Zoning Ordinance. Revisions to the Zoning Ordinance can only be made through the usual process for zoning text amendments that are referred to the County's Planning Commission, and then ultimately to the Board of County Supervisors. 

On June 27, 2023, the Board of County Supervisors in Res. No. 23-344 initiated an amendment to the Prince William County Code to address the Requirements of the  Acts of Assembly enacted during the 2023 General Session. 

• Staff Report

Approval 

On March 12, 2024, the Board of County Supervisors in Ord. No. 24-05 approved the zoning text amendment.