                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO BE PREPARED AND ADOPTED; SCOPE AND PURPOSE (§ 15.2-2223)

A. The local planning commission shall prepare and recommend a comprehensive
plan for the physical development of the territory within its jurisdiction and
every governing body shall adopt a comprehensive plan for the territory under
its jurisdiction.
			In the preparation of a comprehensive plan, the commission shall make careful
and comprehensive surveys and studies of the existing conditions and trends of
growth, and of the probable future requirements of its territory and
inhabitants. The comprehensive plan shall be made with the purpose of guiding
and accomplishing a coordinated, adjusted, and harmonious development of the
territory that will, in accordance with present and probable future needs and
resources, best promote the health, safety, morals, order, convenience,
prosperity, and general welfare of the inhabitants, including the elderly and
persons with disabilities.
			The comprehensive plan shall be general in nature, in that it shall designate
the general or approximate location, character, and extent of each feature,
including any road improvement and any transportation improvement, shown on the
plan and shall indicate where existing lands or facilities are proposed to be
extended, widened, removed, relocated, vacated, narrowed, abandoned, or changed
in use as the case may be.

B. 1.  As part of the comprehensive plan, each locality shall develop a
transportation plan that designates a system of transportation infrastructure
needs and recommendations that include the designation of new and expanded
transportation facilities and that support the planned development of the
territory covered by the plan and shall include, as appropriate, roadways,
bicycle accommodations, pedestrian accommodations, railways, bridges, waterways,
airports, ports, freight corridors, and public transportation facilities. The
plan shall recognize and differentiate among a hierarchy of roads such as
expressways, arterials, and collectors. In developing the plan, the locality
shall take into consideration how to align transportation infrastructure and
facilities with affordable, accessible housing and community services that are
located within the territory to facilitate community integration of the elderly
and persons with disabilities. The Department of Transportation shall, upon
request, provide localities with technical assistance in preparing such
transportation plan.

   2. The transportation plan shall include a map that shows road and
   transportation improvements, including the cost estimates of such road and
   transportation improvements from the Department of Transportation, taking into
   account the current and future needs of residents in the locality while
   considering the current and future needs of the planning district within which
   the locality is situated.

   3. The transportation plan and any amendment to such plan pursuant to &#xA7;
   15.2-2229 shall be consistent with the Commonwealth Transportation
   Board&#8217;s Statewide Transportation Plan developed pursuant to &#xA7;
   33.2-353, the Six-Year Improvement Program adopted pursuant to subsection B of
   &#xA7; 33.2-214, and the location of routes to be followed by roads comprising
   systems of state highways pursuant to subsection A of &#xA7; 33.2-208. The
   locality shall consult with the Department of Transportation to assure such
   consistency is achieved. The transportation plan need reflect only those
   changes in the annual update of the Six-Year Improvement Program that are
   deemed to be significant, new, expanded, or relocated roadways.

   4. Prior to the adoption of the transportation plan or any amendment to such
   plan, the locality shall submit such plan or amendment to the Department of
   Transportation for review and comment. The Department of Transportation shall
   conduct its review and provide written comments to the locality on the
   consistency of the transportation plan or any amendment to the provisions of
   subdivision 1. The Department of Transportation shall provide such written
   comments to the locality within 90 days of receipt of the plan or amendment,
   or such other shorter period of time as may be otherwise agreed upon by the
   Department of Transportation and the locality.

   5. The locality shall submit a copy of the adopted transportation plan or any
   amendment to such plan to the Department of Transportation for informational
   purposes. If the Department of Transportation determines that such plan or
   amendment is not consistent with the provisions of subdivision 1, the
   Department of Transportation shall notify the Commonwealth Transportation
   Board so that the Board may take appropriate action in accordance with
   subsection F of &#xA7; 33.2-214.

   6. If the adopted transportation plan designates corridors planned to be
   served by mass transit, as defined in &#xA7; 33.2-100, a portion of its
   allocation from (i) the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority
   distribution specified in subdivision B 1 of &#xA7; 33.2-2510, (ii) the
   commercial and industrial real property tax revenue specified in &#xA7;
   58.1-3221.3, and (iii) the secondary system road construction program, as
   described in Article 5 (&#xA7; 33.2-351 et seq.) of Chapter 3 of Title 33.2,
   may be used for the purpose of utility undergrounding in the planned corridor,
   if the locality matches 100 percent of the state allocation.

   7. Each locality&#8217;s amendments to its transportation plan shall be made
   on or before its ongoing scheduled date for updating its transportation plan.

C. The comprehensive plan, with the accompanying maps, plats, charts, and
descriptive matter, shall show the locality&#8217;s long-range recommendations
for the general development of the territory covered by the plan. It may
include:

   1. The designation of areas for various types of public and private
   development and use, such as residential, including age-restricted housing,
   tiny homes, or accessory dwelling units; business; industrial; agricultural;
   mineral resources; conservation; active and passive recreation; public
   service; and flood plain and drainage. For purposes of this subdivision, the
   term &#8220;tiny home&#8221; means a dwelling that is 400 square feet or less
   in floor area, excluding lofts, and the term &#8220;accessory dwelling
   unit&#8221; means an independent dwelling unit on a single-family dwelling lot
   with its own living, bathroom, and kitchen space. An accessory dwelling unit
   may be within or attached to a single-family dwelling unit or in a detached
   structure on a lot containing a single-family dwelling;

   2. The designation of a system of community service facilities such as parks,
   sports playing fields, forests, schools, playgrounds, public buildings and
   institutions, hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, community
   centers, waterworks, sewage disposal or waste disposal areas, and the like;

   3. The designation of historical areas and areas for urban renewal or other
   treatment;

   4. The designation of areas for the implementation of reasonable measures to
   provide for the continued availability, quality, and sustainability of
   groundwater and surface water;

   5. A capital improvements program, a subdivision ordinance, a zoning
   ordinance, and zoning district maps, mineral resource district maps, and
   agricultural and forestal district maps, where applicable;

   6. The location of existing or proposed recycling centers;

   7. The location of military bases, military installations, and military
   airports and their adjacent safety areas; and

   8. The designation of corridors or routes for electric transmission lines of
   150 kilovolts or more.

D. The comprehensive plan shall include the designation of areas and
implementation of measures for the construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance
of affordable housing, which is sufficient to meet the current and future needs
of residents of all levels of income in the locality while considering the
current and future needs of the planning district within which the locality is
situated.

E. The comprehensive plan shall consider strategies to provide broadband
infrastructure that is sufficient to meet the current and future needs of
residents and businesses in the locality. To this end, local planning
commissions may consult with and receive technical assistance from the Center
for Innovative Technology, among other resources.

F. The comprehensive plan is encouraged to consider strategies to address
resilience. As used in this subsection, &#8220;resilience&#8221; means the
capability to anticipate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from significant
multi-hazard threats with minimum damage to social well-being, health, the
economy, and the environment.

HISTORY: 1975, c. 641, § 15.1-446.1; 1976, c. 650; 1977, c. 228; 1988, c. 268;
1989, c. 532; 1990, c. 19; 1993, cc. 116, 758; 1996, cc. 585, 600; 1997, c.;
2003, c. 811; 2004, cc. 691, 799; 2005, cc. 466, 699; 2006, cc. 527, 563, 564;
2007, c. 761; 2012, cc. 729, 733; 2013, cc. 561, 585, 646, 656; 2014, cc. 397,
443; 2018, cc. 420, 691, 796, 828; 2023, cc. 353, 354, 424; 2025, c. 570.