15.2-903 - Ordinances taxing and regulating "automobile graveyards," junkyards," and certain vacant and abandoned property.
§ 15.2-903. Ordinances taxing and regulating "automobile graveyards,""junkyards," and certain vacant and abandoned property.
A. Any locality may adopt ordinances imposing license taxes upon andotherwise regulating the maintenance and operation of places commonly knownas automobile graveyards and junkyards and may prescribe fines and otherpunishment for violations of such ordinances.
No such ordinance shall be adopted until after notice of the proposedordinance has been published once a week for two successive weeks in anewspaper having general circulation in the locality. The ordinance need notbe advertised in full, but may be advertised by reference. Every suchadvertisement shall contain a descriptive summary of the proposed ordinanceand a reference to the place or places within the locality where copies ofthe proposed ordinance may be examined.
As used in this section the terms "automobile graveyard" and "junkyard"have the meanings ascribed to them in § 33.1-348.
B. The Counties of Bedford, Campbell, Caroline, Fauquier, Rockbridge,Shenandoah, Tazewell, Warren and York may adopt an ordinance imposing thescreening of automobile graveyards and junkyards, unless screening isimpractical due to topography, as set forth in § 33.1-348. Any such ordinancemay apply to any automobile graveyard or junkyard within the boundaries ofsuch county regardless of the date on which any such automobile graveyard orjunkyard may have come into existence, notwithstanding the provisions of §33.1-348.
C. The City of Newport News may adopt an ordinance imposing screening orlandscape screening for retail or commercial properties that have been vacantor abandoned for more than three years within designated areas consistentwith the city's comprehensive plan.
(Code 1950, § 15-18; 1956, c. 672; 1958, c. 552; 1962, c. 623, § 15.1-28;1968, c. 409; 1993, c. 714; 1995, c. 207; 1997, c. 587; 1998, c. 180; 2001,c. 10; 2004, c. 493; 2005, c. 702; 2006, cc. 669, 722.)