Beginning in 2009 in response to the then-pending housing crisis, the Virginia General Assembly enacted legislation that automatically extended the expiration dates for certain zoning approvals. These approvals included site plans, subdivision plats, special exceptions, special use permits, and conditional use permits that were valid as of January 1, 2009. This legislation was extended multiple times over the next several years to allow such approvals to remain viable until July 1, 2020. During the last legislative session, legislation was proposed, but not enacted, to further extend this deadline. Therefore, if action is not taken beforehand to request an extension from the local governing body, all impacted approvals will expire on July 1, 2020.
Given the current government shutdowns as a result of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus), it is more imperative than ever to ensure that any existing approvals do not expire this summer. Please contact a member of Venable's Land Use Practice Group if you have any questions about an existing zoning approval that might be impacted.