Article 3-1400, Sec. 3-1402 through 3-1404
Dimensional standards
Servicing
- Applies near
- James River
- Applies within
- 100 ft
- Geographic extent
- Chesapeake Bay Preservation Areas including Resource Protection Areas (RPA) and Resource Management Areas (RMA) within the James River Watershed; RPA includes tidal wetlands, nontidal wetlands, tidal shores, and a 100-foot buffer adjacent to water bodies with perennial flow.
Uses
Extracted standards
13 individual requirements pulled out of this section’s prose, each with the sentence it came from.
Environmental
- AgriculturalAgricultureRaising crops or livestock, generally including the structures that serve them. soil and water quality conservation assessment
Land upon which agricultural activities are being conducted shall have a soil and water quality conservation assessment conducted that evaluates the effectiveness of existing practices pertaining to soil erosion and sediment control, nutrient management, and management of pesticides.
- RPA buffer maintenance
The RPA buffer shall be maintained in accordance with performance standards including removal of indigenous vegetation only for sight lines, access paths, woodlot management, and best management practices; pruning, path construction, removal of dead/diseased trees, and shoreline erosion control.
- Development threshold for subdivision ordinance2,500 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
All development and redevelopment exceeding 2,500 square feet shall be subject to applicable provisions of the Subdivision Ordinance for Surry County, Erosion and Sediment Control Ordinance, and the Zoning Ordinance.
- Minimize imperviousImpervious coverageThe share of a lot covered by anything water cannot soak through — roofs, drives, patios. cover
All land development shall minimize impervious cover consistent with the use or development proposed.
- Preserve indigenous vegetation
Indigenous vegetation shall be preserved to the maximum extent practicable consistent with the use or development proposed.
- Reserve sewage disposal site required
For new construction, provide a reserve sewage disposal site with a capacity at least equal to that of the primary sewage disposal site.
- RMA opt-out criteria
Lots or parcels of record within the RMA may be exempt if they do not possess a RMA feature: 100-year floodplain, nontidal wetlands not connected by surface flow, highly erodible and highly permeable soils, slopes in excess of 15 percent, or a 100-foot land adjacent to a resource protection area where none of the above exist.
- Slope threshold for RMA opt-out15 pct
Slopes in excess of 15 percent.
- Seaward 50 feet of buffer no encroachment50 ft
The encroachment may not extend into the seaward 50 feet of the buffer area.
- RPA buffer width100 ft
A buffer area not less than 100 feet in width located adjacent to and landward of the components listed in subsections A.1. through 4. above, and along both sides of any water body with perennial flow.
- Septic pump-out interval5 years
All on-site sewage disposal systems not requiring VPDES permit shall be pumped out at least once every five years.
- Water quality impact assessment required
A water quality impact assessment is required for any proposed land disturbance, development or redevelopment within an RPA, including any buffer area encroachment, and within an RMA when deemed necessary by the administrator.
- Wetlands permits required
Prior to initiating grading or other on-site land disturbing activities on any portion of a lot or parcel, all wetlands permits required by federal, state and local laws and regulations shall be obtained.
From the ordinance
A buffer area not less than 100 feet in width located adjacent to and landward of the components... The RMA includes all remaining areas of Surry County which are located within the James River Watershed.