Strategic Zoning Initiative

About the Program

Category: Planning (Best in Category)

Year: 2016

This application is being submitted to recognize Hanover County, Virginia’s Strategic Zoning Initiative. Economic development remains a top priority for the Hanover’s Board of Supervisors. The County continually investigates unique strategies to further enhance economic development retention and recruitment efforts. The Strategic Zoning Initiative was developed in response to favorable changes in the Commonwealth of Virginia’s real estate taxation enabling statutes related to agriculturally zoned properties. The Strategic Zoning Initiative incentivizes property owners with land holdings in areas designated for industrial development to rezone for speculative purposes, while deferring many of the costs normally associated with rezoning to later in the land development process. The modified rezoning process is streamlined compared with conventional rezoning processes, and yet ensures that 1) the citizens of the County are adequately protected from potential adverse impacts resulting from the rezoning, and 2) defers increased tax assessments until such time as the use, and not just the zoning, changes. Once rezoned, the property is eligible for entry into state, regional, and local economic development marketing data bases. Implementation of this process change has resulted in rezoning approximately 213 acres of land located in prime economic development corridors. The program was first implemented in January 2015.