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Charlotte County adopts 2021 Virginia building code; board directs staff to explore civil penalties
Summary
The Board adopted the 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code and directed the County Administrator, Building Official and County Attorney to develop potential civil penalties after the Building Official reported repeated code noncompliance in local Amish construction.
The Charlotte County Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution on Aug. 14, 2024, to adopt the 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC), effective Jan. 18, 2024, replacing the 2018 code. The resolution directs the county’s Building Official to post public notice of the adoption.
Building Official John Hess briefed the Board on mandatory requirements under the USBC, explaining that the term "shall" in the code denotes mandatory obligations for smoke alarms, sanitation, lighting, heating, certificates of occupancy, fire extinguishers, insulation and fenestration requirements. Hess said he has observed repeated instances where new construction in the Amish community did not meet code, which has caused conflicts and complaints. He told the Board there are currently four new builds in the Amish community that do not meet code and asked the Board to consider directing the County Administrator and County Attorney to develop an ordinance establishing civil penalties for noncompliance.
Vice-Chairman Walter Bailey, citing long experience as a firefighter, supported stricter enforcement and said interconnected smoke alarms are necessary to reduce fire risk in homes using certain heating and lighting sources. Chairman Gary Walker and Administrator Daniel Witt discussed next steps; the Board directed Administrator Witt, Mr. Hess and the County Attorney to confer and report back with recommendations. The Board then adopted the resolution to formally adopt the 2021 USBC.
What this means: The county’s enforcement responsibilities will move forward under the 2021 USBC; any civil penalties or ordinance language would require additional review by staff and the County Attorney before returning to the Board for consideration.
