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Committee delays bill that would narrow neighbor notice for National Register nominations
Summary
Senate Bill 68, which would change notice rules for adjacent property owners when properties are nominated to the National Register or Virginia Landmarks Register, was passed by for a week after committee debate over transparency and public‑notice timing.
Senate Bill 68, carried by Senator Diggs, would change how adjacent property owners are notified when a property is nominated for listing on the National Register of Historic Places or the Virginia Landmarks Register and would align public notice timing to other agency practices.
"What this bill does is it changes the requirement for notifying adjacent property owners," Senator Diggs said, citing a Charlottesville case where hundreds of adjacent owners were notified though they could not formally object.
Roger Kirchon, director of the Department of Historic Resources, told the committee that the bill retains statutory public‑notice requirements in the code, that notices will be advertised on the agency website and that a public hearing will allow input. Kirchon said scheduling constraints with local newspapers have sometimes made compliance with the current timing impracticable.
Several senators pushed back, saying removing specific notice to abutting owners reduces transparency. Senator Richard Stewart warned that when designations create historic districts, adjacent owners "can be dramatically impacted" and should be informed. Senator Stella Pekarski and others said the change risks the perception of hiding information and urged caution.
After discussion the sponsor agreed the agency wanted to refine the language and the committee agreed to pass the bill by for the week for further work.
Next steps: the agency will return with suggested fixes and the bill will be taken up again at a later hearing.
