West Virginia Code § 8-6-4a

Annexation without election for municipalities in counties that have an
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adopted countywide zoning ordinance which includes urban growth boundaries.
(a) This section applies to municipalities in counties that have adopted a countywide zoning
ordinance with designated urban growth boundaries and, prior to January 1, 2009, have
adopted local impact fees pursuant to the provisions of §7-20-1 et seq. of this code that want
to annex additional property without an election. e
(b) For purposes of this section only:
(1) "Contiguous" means property that is next to, abutting, and hauving a boundary that is
coterminous with the municipality's designated urban growth boundary. The length of a
street, highway, road, or other traffic or utility easement, streams, rivers, or other natural
topography are not to be used to determine if a property is contiguous: Provided, That the
width of a street, highway, road, or other traffic or utility easement, streams, rivers, or other
natural topography may be used to determine contiguous boundaries.
(2) "Urban growth boundary" means a site-spescific line, delineated on a zoning map or a
written description in a zoning ordinance identifying an area around and outside the
corporate limits of a municipality within wihich there is a sufficient supply of developable
land within the boundary for at leasgt a prospective 20-year period of municipal growth based
on demographic forecasts and the time reasonably required to effectively provide municipal
services to the identified area. The urban growth boundary may be called by any name
chosen by the county commission, but the word "boundary" shall be used in the name of the
boundary. The boundary shall be established by the county commission in agreement with
each individual municipality regarding that municipality's boundary. If the county
commission and municipality cannot agree upon the location or size of the boundary, either
party may file for declaratory judgment relief in the circuit court which shall submit the
dispute to mediation or arbitration prior to final resolution by the circuit court. Once a
county has adopted an urban growth boundary by its designation on an adopted county
zonWing map, the gross area inside the boundary may not be reduced without written consent
of the municipality. The county commission shall review each urban growth boundary at a
period not to exceed 10 years or upon request of the individual municipality.
(c) Procedure for a municipality to annex property within an urban growth boundary. —
(1) If the proposed property to be annexed by a municipality is entirely within the
municipality's designated urban growth boundary, then the municipality may annex without
an election the proposed property pursuant to the provisions of §8-6-4 of this code.
Agreement with the county commission is not required.
(2) If the proposed property to be annexed by minor boundary adjustment by a municipality
is entirely within the municipality's designated urban growth boundary, then the
municipality may annex without an election the proposed property if the provisions of §8-6-5
of this code are followed, except that agreement with the county commission is not required.
(d) Procedure for a municipality to annex property within urban growth boundaries of two or
more municipalities. —
If the proposed property to be annexed by a municipality is partially or wholly within another
municipality's urban growth boundary, then the municipality may annex without an election
the proposed property pursuant to the provisions of §8-6-4 of this code if the two
municipalities have executed an intergovernmental agreement regarding thee annexation of
the subject property. Agreement with the county commission is not required.
(e) Procedure for a municipality to annex contiguous property outside an urban growth
boundary. — u
(1) If the proposed property to be annexed by a municipality is outside the municipality's
designated urban growth boundary, then the municipality may annex without an election the
proposed property pursuant to the provisions of §8-6-4a of this code, if:
(A) The proposed property to be annexed is contigulous to the municipality, as defined in this
section; and s
(B) The municipality has the county commiission's agreement.
(2) Prior to the agreement of the county commission to the annexation of the proposed
property, the county commission shall:
(A) Hold a public hearing;
(B) Place a notice on the subject property, which notice shall be the same as that required
for property to be re zoned; and
(C) At least 15 days prior to the public hearing, publish a notice of the date, time, and place
of the public hearing as a Class I legal advertisement in compliance with the provisions of
§59W-3-1 et seq. of this code.
(f) Procedure for a municipality to annex noncontiguous property outside an urban growth
boundary. —
(1) If the proposed property to be annexed by a municipality is entirely outside the
municipality's designated urban growth boundary and is not contiguous to the municipality,
as defined in this section, then the municipality may annex without an election the proposed
property pursuant to the provisions of §8-6-4 of this code if the municipality has the county
commission's agreement and, prior to the agreement of the county commission to the
annexation of the proposed property, the county commission shall:
(A) Hold a public hearing;
(B) Place a notice on the subject property, which notice shall be the same as that required
for property to be rezoned; and
(C) At least 15 days prior to the public hearing, publish a notice of the date, time, and place
of the public hearing as a Class I legal advertisement in compliance with the provisions of
§59-3-1 et seq. of this code.
(2) After the public hearing and on-site notice, if the county commission finds, by a written
record, that the proposed annexation is for the good of the county as a whole, then the
county commission may agree to the annexation.
(g) Prior to the county commission entering an order for any annuexation pursuant to this
section, the annexed property shall be surveyed by a licensed professional surveyor and a
metes and bounds description of the annexed property must be provided to the county
commission of the county in which the property is located.
(h) After a municipality has annexed property pursuant to this section and the property has
been surveyed, the county commission shall enter aln order. After the order is entered, the
corporate limits of the municipality include thse annexed property.

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