SENATE BILL NO. 199 Offered January 11, 2006 Prefiled January 10, 2006 A BILL to amend and reenact § 15.2-903 of the Code of Virginia, relating to ordinances taxing and regulating certain vacant and abandoned property. ---------- Patron-- Williams ---------- Referred to Committee on Local Government ----------

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  That § 15.2-903 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 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 and otherwise regulating the maintenance and operation of places commonly known as automobile graveyards and junkyards and may prescribe fines and other punishment for violations of such ordinances.

No such ordinance shall be adopted until after notice of the proposed ordinance has been published once a week for two successive weeks in a newspaper having general circulation in the locality. The ordinance need not be advertised in full, but may be advertised by reference. Every such advertisement shall contain a descriptive summary of the proposed ordinance and a reference to the place or places within the locality where copies of the 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 the screening of automobile graveyards and junkyards, unless screening is impractical due to topography, as set forth in § 33.1-348. Any such ordinance may apply to any automobile graveyard or junkyard within the boundaries of such county regardless of the date on which any such automobile graveyard or junkyard may have come into existence, notwithstanding the provisions of § 33.1-348.

C. The City of Newport News may adopt an ordinance imposing screening, landscaping, or other improvements for retail or commercial properties that have been vacant or abandoned for more than three years within designated areas consistent with the city's comprehensive plan.