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Gloucester County adopts consolidated erosion and stormwater ordinance to align with state rules
Summary
After a staff presentation on state-mandated consolidation, the Board adopted a revised county code combining erosion, sediment control and stormwater into a single chapter to align with Virginia regulations effective July 1, 2024.
The Gloucester County Board of Supervisors voted to repeal county Code chapters 6 and 7.5 and enact a consolidated Chapter 6 to implement the Virginia erosion and stormwater management program (VESMP).
Mister Wilmot introduced the item, saying recent state amendments make it incumbent on localities "to combine their stormwater management ordinances and their erosion and sediment control ordinances into one model ordinance, or a version thereof." County environmental programs director Mister Landry described the regulatory history — a 2016 DEQ directive, a 2019 regulatory advisory panel and the 2023 state water control board action creating the consolidated regulations effective July 1, 2024 — and summarized practical changes in the draft ordinance: a single handbook replacing several guidance documents, an "agreement in lieu" option for simple farm buildings, BMP inspections tied to GIS, and the expanded use of county contract inspectors for large projects over 30 acres (costs billed to developers).
Landry said the consolidated ordinance is about "18% shorter" than the prior two ordinances and removes redundancy while better reflecting technical changes such as the Virginia runoff reduction method for phosphorus calculations. He noted appeals previously assigned to an unused local stormwater board will instead go to circuit court to match state practice.
With no public comment, the board moved and seconded the resolution in the packet and approved it by roll call. The chair announced, "Motion carries."
