A. Zoning ordinances for all purposes shall consider a family day home as defined in § 63.2-100 serving one through four children, exclusive of the provider’s own children and any children who reside in the home as residential occupancy by a single family. No conditions more restrictive than those imposed on residences occupied by persons related by blood, marriage, or adoption shall be imposed upon such a home. Nothing in this section shall apply to any county or city which is subject to § 15.2-741 or 15.2-914.

B. A local governing body may by ordinance allow a zoning administrator to use an administrative process to issue zoning permits for a family day home as defined in § 63.2-100 serving five through 12 children, exclusive of the provider’s own children and any children who reside in the home. The ordinance may contain such standards as the local governing body deems appropriate and shall include a requirement that notification be sent by registered or certified letter to the last known address of each adjacent property owner. If the zoning administrator receives no written objection from a person so notified within 30 days of the date of sending the letter and determines that the family day home otherwise complies with the provisions of the ordinance, the zoning administrator may issue the permit sought. The ordinance shall provide a process whereby an applicant for a family day home that is denied a permit through the administrative process may request that its application be considered after a hearing following public notice as provided in § 15.2-2204. Upon such hearing, the local governing body may, in its discretion, approve the permit, subject to such conditions as agreed upon by the applicant and the locality, or deny the permit. The provisions of this subsection shall not prohibit a local governing body from exercising its authority, if at all, under subdivision A 3 of § 15.2-2286.

History

1994, cc. 781, 798, § 15.1-486.5; 1997, c. 587; 2014, c. 771; 2015, cc. 758, 770.