Development Application Process

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Development Administration

The town's Development Administration staff reviews all subdivision and site plans for conformance with the Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Ordinance to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the general public. Rezoning requests and conditional use permit requests are coordinated by staff for further evaluation and review by the Planning Commission and the Town Council. If proposed projects are located in the town’s Historic District, review by the Historical or Design Review Board is also coordinated by staff.

To submit any of the below applications, please use our online application portal OpenGov.

Public hearing requests such as Rezonings/CUPs and ROW vacations require a pre-submittal meeting and are due by the first of the month to begin the public hearing process.

In addition to the application, there are several forms you may need to complete with your application that can be found below. Each application will indicate which attachments are required based on your proposed project.

If this is your first time using OpenGov for an application, you can use these Help Guides to learn how to:

You can use the same OpenGov account for all your community development applications with Town including building permits, zoning permits, and development applications.

This checklist may be a helpful tool to ensure all required items are included in your plan set.

Engineering Site and Subdivision Checklist (PDF)

Plats/Subdivisions

A plat is drawing that represents changes to parcel property lines such as subdivision (creating new lots); vacation (reducing the number of lots, or combining lots); and adjustment (modifying parcel lines with no net gain or loss of the number of lots). Approved plats are legal documents that are then recorded at the Montgomery County courthouse.

A subdivision is any division of land into two or more parts.

A Minor Subdivision contains five or fewer lots.
A Major Subdivision contains six or more lots.
A Lot Line Adjustment, (or Boundary Line Adjustment), is moving the lot line so that one lot becomes bigger or smaller than another.
A Lot Line Vacation removes a lot line so that two lots become one larger lot.
The application is the same for all of these development requests and the fees are as follows:

Minor Subdivision - $500
Major Subdivision - $1000
Lot Line Adjustment/Vacation - $300

To apply for a plat, use our online application portal OpenGov.

Plat Application

Site Plans

A Site Plan is a set of construction documents for site development. It shows the location of all proposed and existing buildings, parking lots, water and sewer facilities, landscaping and any other site improvements. Site plans are required for:

Any use or development in all zoning districts, including conditional uses, except for individually developed single-family detached dwelling units and individually developed two-family dwellings. (Ord. No. 1184, adopted 6-9-98).
Any change in a previously approved site development plan.
The conversion of an existing residential use to a commercial, industrial or higher density residential use.
All public or semipublic buildings.
All other uses involving a structure requiring review by the Planning Commission under Code of Virginia § 15.2-2232.
Development of lot or land without access to or abutting on a public right-of-way.
Any addition of four hundred (400) square feet or more to an existing development and any addition to an existing development which implicates other site development plan requirements.
Modification to an existing site where other site development plan requirements are implicated.

A pre-application meeting is recommended prior to submitting the online application.

The fee for a site plan is $500 for the first two reviews.

To apply for a site plan, use our online application portal OpenGov.

Site Plan Application

Rezonings

A rezoning is a request to change the existing zoning district on a property to a different zoning district. Zoning districts regulate allowable land uses and development standards. Please contact the Planning and Building Department at 540-443-1300 for more information and to schedule the required pre-application meeting.

A rezoning is a change in the zoning district designation for a property which regulates allowable land uses. The applicant may voluntarily proffer, in writing, reasonable conditions prior to the public hearing. The rezoning itself should give rise to the conditions and the conditions should have a reasonable relation to the rezoning. All conditions shall be in conformity with the Comprehensive Plan. Any proffer statements must be included in the application.
Rezoning fee is $1500. Rezoning of PR, (Planned Residential), is $2000 and an amendment to PR is $1000.

To apply for a rezoning, use our online application portal OpenGov.

Rezoning Application

Conditional Use Permit

A conditional use permit allows for certain land uses in a given zoning district that generally require a more in depth study than by-right uses. Please contact the Planning department for more information and to schedule the required pre-application meeting.

To receive a conditional use permit, the applicant must demonstrate that the proposed use will be in conformity with the statement of intent of the specific district in which it will be located and the Comprehensive Plan. The applicant must also show that the proposed use will not have an adverse impact on the surrounding neighborhood or area.
The conditional use permit application fee and/or an amendment to an existing special use permit application are both $500.

To apply for a conditional use permit, use our online application portal OpenGov.

Conditional Use Permit Application

Zoning Variances and Appeals

Variance

A variance is a provision in the Zoning Ordinance which allows an applicant to depart from the standard rules of the Zoning Ordinance.

The Board of Zoning Appeals may grant a variance if the applicant can prove the following items:

Because of special conditions associated with the property, such as exceptional topographic conditions, the strict application of the Zoning Ordinance would effectively prohibit or unreasonably restrict the use of the property
OR- due to the condition or development of immediately adjacent property, the strict application of the Zoning Ordinance would effectively prohibit or unreasonably restrict the use of the property.

If the board finds that a hardship does exist, they must then consider the following before granting a variance:

That the strict application of the Zoning Ordinance cannot be applied in this case.
That the hardship is not shared generally by other property in the same zoning district and the same vicinity.
That the authorization of such variance will not be of substantial detriment to adjacent property and that the character of the district will not be changed by the granting of a variance.

The cost to apply for a variance to the Board of Zoning Appeals is $250.

Before filing for a variance, it is recommended you discuss your situation with a member of the Planning and Building Department. A solution may be discovered without the use of a variance.

Appeal

A zoning appeal to the Board of Zoning Appeals may be filed when the decision or determination made by the zoning administrator is questioned.

Appeals may be filed within 30 days of a zoning administrator's decision.
After making an application to appeal a decision, a public hearing will be conducted at a regular Board of Zoning Appeals meeting, (every second Wednesday of the month as needed). The Board of Zoning Appeals must decide if the zoning administrator correctly interpreted the Zoning Ordinance and a final decision is rendered by vote of the board.
The cost to apply for a Zoning Appeal to the Board of Zoning Appeals is $250.

To apply for a variance or an appeal, use our online application portal OpenGov.

Board of Zoning Appeals Application for Variance or Appeal

Historic District

Determine if your proposed project is located within the Blacksburg Historic District.

For more information, contact the Planning and Building Department at 540-443-1300.

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