Staff attending as subject mater expert to provide support - should there be questions

The North Virginia Beach Civic League (NVBCL) joins the City of Virginia Beach and the Virginia Municipal League in opposing SB531. As you did for the companion HB611, we ask that you continue SB531 to 2027 to allow stakeholders time to work out amendments that can gain wider support. Speaking on behalf of SB531 before the Senate Local Government Committee, the Patron Senator Srinivasan claimed 3 times, including in direct response to a direct question from a Senator, that the substitute was permissive. HOWEVER, the primary provision of this bill in paragraph B still states: "Zoning ordinances for single-family residential zoning districts shall be deemed to include accessory dwelling units as a permitted accessory use, and no locality shall require compliance with any other requirements except as provided in this section." As it was for HB611, this is an unnecessary and inappropriate pre-emption of local zoning authority. We request an amendment to either remove this paragraph or make it permissive, as the Patron claimed was intended with the substitute, rather than pre-emptive. We also still take exception to paragraphs D.6, E.1, and E.2, with our requested amendments to these stated in my email to each of you. We continue to support allowing ADUs in our neighborhood, provided that they are on lots that can reasonably accommodate them and that our city can determine appropriate requirements for them. We would support this bill with the amendments requested above, but we cannot support this bill in its current form.

Pacific Legal Foundation supports Senate Bill 531. Please see attached comments.