West Virginia Code § 17-4-50

Same -- Commissioner's authority as to subdivisions abutting state
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highway; notice of proposal to subdivide; filing, approval or disapproval of
subdivision plans.
(A) In addition to other authority granted the commissioner to control access to state
highways, the commissioner shall have authority in regard to the subdividing of land, any
part of which abuts upon a state highway, as provided in this section. e
(B) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
(1) "Lot" means an identified area of land one acre or less in sizeu.
(2) "Subdividing" means the dividing, laying out or separating of five or more lots from or
within a parcel of land or a successive dividing, laying out or separating of lots resulting in
the creation of five or more lots within a parcel of landa within five years.
(3) "Subdivision plan" means a graphic representatlion of a parcel of land showing the lots
therein and any other relevant natural or man-made topographical feature.
(4) "Parcel" means an identified area of land owned by a person or owned by a combination
of persons jointly or in common; or more than one identified area of land where such areas
are contiguous and the owners act in concert in relation to such land.
(C) Subdividing occurs and a subdivision results within the meaning of this section
whenever:
(1) A person subdivides five or more lots from a parcel at one time; or
(2) A successive division of lots out of a parcel results in the separation of the fifth or
subsequent lot within a five- year period; or
(3) WA person divides a parcel into tracts of land larger than a lot knowing, or having reason
to know, that such parcels will in turn be divided or separated into a total of five or more
lots.
(D) The remedies provided by this section shall not apply to lots which became such prior to
the effective date of this section, but such lots may be considered in determining when an
act of subdividing occurs after the effective date of this section, and in reviewing subdivision
plans and applying remedies to lots which became such after the effective date of this
section.
(E) The subdivision plans of the subdividing of any land, a part of which abuts on a state
highway, shall be submitted to the state road commissioner directly, and the following rules
shall apply:
(1) Notice of the proposal to subdivide shall be filed with the commissioner, along with a
plan of the proposed subdivision.
(2) The commissioner shall review the plan to insure compliance with the policies stated in
section forty-seven of this article and with any regulations issued by the commissioner under
section forty-eight of this article.
(3) The commissioner shall reduce his objections to the proposed point of access to and from
the state highway from and to the real property that is to be subdivided into lots, if any, to
writing and promptly furnish notice of such objections to the person proposing such
subdivision and of his right to demand a hearing thereon. A subdivision plan not so objected
to within six weeks from the time it is filed with the commissioneur shall be deemed to have
been approved by the commissioner.
(4) In any case where the commissioner so objects to the proposed access to and from a new
subdivision plan, the person submitting such plan shalal have reasonable opportunity for a
hearing on such objections.
(F) A subdivision is deemed disapproved if it wsas not submitted to the commissioner for
review under the provisions of this section or if the commissioner has made timely objection
to such plan and such objections have not ibeen withdrawn. Disapproval shall have the
following effect: g
(1) The commissioner may post signs upon the adjacent highway right-of-way stating that the
subdivision is disapproved, that access to and from lots in such subdivision from and to the
state highway is not allowed, and any other relevant information deemed by the
commissioner necessary to warn the public of such disapproval and its effect; and
(2) The commissione r shall have authority to limit access to and from such subdivision as a
whole from anVd to the state highway to such access as would have been reasonable before
the land was subdivided and to prevent and prohibit any other access to and from the state
highway from and to such subdivision.

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