A waiver must be approved when a project proposes to waive or modify site code requirements. The county can approve a waiver or variation where strict application of the standard cannot be met for a particular site or where new or creative designs are proposed. The proposed waiver or variation must meet the intent of the code provisions and a statement of justification for requesting the waiver or modification, including supporting data and information, must accompany the submission. Request for approval of a waiver, modification, and exception are all submitted as PLUS record type “Waivers.” A modification request requires county approval to modify a particular specification or requirement. An exception is a request for relief from the provisions of Articles 4 and 5 of the Stormwater Management Ordinance, or pursuant to the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Ordinance for work in the Resource Protection Area (RPA).

Depending on the scope of your project, you may need to apply for a separate building permit record in PLUS. To determine whether your project requires a permit, visit When a Permit is Required. Once you determine the appropriate record type, review the associated Permit Library guide to find details regarding the submission and review process.
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This information is the most common for how to obtain the necessary approval for your project and is not representative of all the conditions you may encounter.

 

WHO SHOULD APPLY?

Developers or their duly authorized agents may submit waivers, however, supporting plans associated with the waiver request should be sealed by a professional engineer, land surveyor, architect or landscape architect licensed by the Commonwealth of Virginia and meeting the respective code requirements.

 

PLAN AHEAD

Before submitting, ensure you are aware of all applicable regulations and conditions that could affect your project to avoid surprises during the review process. Some of those factors include:

• Zoning Information
• Design Codes and Standards
• Do I Need to Hire a Design Professional?
• Floodplains
• Resource Protection Areas (RPA)
• Grading/Site Plans
• Parking Tabulation
• Types of Soils and Problem Soils
• Researching Site Conditions

To get a detailed description about each regulation and condition, visit our Plan Ahead page.

 

HOW DO I SUBMIT MY RECORD?

PLUS Application

Apply for your waiver online in PLUS under the Site tab. If you are a first-time user, you must first register for an account.

 

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Minor Addition Exception and Removal of Vegetation in an RPA requests are both reviewed by the Site Services Minimum Submission Review (MSR) team. The PLUS submission process is available online.

 

 

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Tutorial on Uploading Plans and Documents in PLUS

Helpful Instruction Guide:

• Uploading Plans and Documents

 

 

Requirements

Depending on the scope of your project, one or more of the following may be required:
 

First Submissions:

• Appropriate waiver application (dependent on scope):
  • Exception Request & WQIA-Minor Additions Form – for RPA requests proposing a minor addition to an existing home that will result in no more than 2,500 square feet of land disturbance or 1,000 square feet of impervious area. For submission details, visit the RPA & Floodplain Review for Minor Additions webpage.
  • Waiver/Modification/Exception Application Form – for PFM modifications requests, subdivision ordinance waiver requests and stormwater management ordinance exceptions.
  • Chesapeake Bay Preservation Ordinance RPA Exemption/Exception Request – for RPA requests that can be reviewed administratively and do not require a public hearing.
  • Exception for Public Hearing (RPA) – for RPA exception requests unable to meet administrative provisions and requiring a public hearing under Article 6 of the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Ordinance provisions.
• Reference to specific code sections that are the subject of the request
• Detailed description of the requested waiver/modification
• Detailed justification including why the code requirement cannot be met and how the waiver or modification meets the intent of the associated code provisions
• Supporting documentation necessary for the county to assess the request (as referenced in the applicable application above)
• Digital signature - verifiable digital signature of the licensed design professional, when applicable
• Review fee

 

Subsequent Submissions:

• Digital signature - verifiable digital signature of the licensed design professional
• Applicant responses - enter responses to all open issues in the PLUS Digital Plan Room
• Review fee

Helpful Videos:

 Reviewing Issues, Conditions, & Notes in PLUS - YouTube

 Upload Corrected Plans in PLUS - YouTube

Helpful Instruction Guides:

• Corrections Required
• VOID Sheet Process

 

What's Next?

To get a step-by-step guide on PLUS statuses and what they mean, see our What is My PLUS Status? Site Plans Infographic.

 

Review Process

Staff from the Site Application Center and Site Development and Inspections Division will review your package for completeness and compliance with applicable codes and county ordinances. You will be notified of any deficiencies. Plan corrections, resubmission fees and additional supporting documents may be required.

• Queue times
• Fees
• Common plan comments for site review
• Workflow Routing Slip to track review and plan assignment

For a detailed summary of application progress, to include the name(s) of assigned review staff, click on “Reports” in the top-right corner of the PLUS screen, when you are in a specific record, and select “Workflow Routing Slip Report.”

Waiver Letter Issuance

Once all reviews are complete and fees paid, the letter of determination regarding your requested waiver/modification will be available to download from PLUS.

Helpful Video:

 Access Approved Plans in PLUS - YouTube Video