                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

MILITARY CENTERED COMMUNITY ZONES; LOCAL DESIGNATION (§ 58.1-3853.1)

A. As used in this section, &#8220;military centered community&#8221; means a
community designated by a locality that has a significant presence of military
personnel living or working in the designated area and where such presence
drives, or has the potential to drive, significant economic activity.

B. Any locality may establish, by ordinance, one or more military centered
community zones. Each locality, or another political subdivision acting on
behalf of the locality, may offer unique benefits to businesses looking to
locate within a military centered community zone for the purpose of serving the
needs of military personnel.

C. The benefits may be provided to businesses, including new residential
developments, located in a military centered community zone for up to 20 years
and may include, but need not be limited to, (i) reduction of permit fees, (ii)
reduction of user fees, and (iii) notwithstanding any other provision of law,
reduction of any type of gross receipts tax. In addition, local governing bodies
are authorized to enter into agreements for the payment of economic development
incentive grants to such businesses with payment of the grants conditioned upon
the businesses making certain real property or capital investments, creating and
maintaining new jobs, or performing or meeting other economic development
objectives.

D. The governing body may also provide for regulatory flexibility in such zone
that may include, but need not be limited to, (i) special zoning for the
district, (ii) permit process reform, (iii) exemption from ordinances, and (iv)
any other incentive adopted by ordinance, which shall be binding upon the
locality for a period of up to 20 years.

E. The establishment of a military centered community zone shall not preclude
the area from also being designated as an enterprise zone under the Enterprise
Zone Grant Act (&#xA7; 59.1-538 et seq.) nor shall it preclude the area from
receiving support under the Virginia Military Community Infrastructure Grant
Program established in &#xA7; 2.2-233.1.

HISTORY: 2024, cc. 298, 350.