(a) The governing body of a municipality or a county may regulate land use within its jurisdiction by:

Ask a real estate law question, get an answer ASAP!
Thousands of highly rated, verified real estate lawyers.
Specialties include: All Real Estate Law, Landlord and Tenant Law, Foreclosure, Homeowners' Association, Trespassing, Property Law, General Legal and more.
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

Terms Used In West Virginia Code 8A-7-1

  • Governing body: means the body that governs a municipality or county. See West Virginia Code 8A-1-2
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Plan: means a written description for the development of land. See West Virginia Code 8A-1-2
  • Planning commission: means a municipal planning commission, a county planning commission, a multicounty planning commission, a regional planning commission or a joint planning commission. See West Virginia Code 8A-1-2
  • Zoning: means the division of a municipality or county into districts or zones which specify permitted and conditional uses and development standards for real property within the districts or zones. See West Virginia Code 8A-1-2

(1) Adopting a comprehensive plan;

(2) Working with the planning commission and the public to develop a zoning ordinance; and

(3) Enacting a zoning ordinance.

(b) A zoning ordinance may cover a county's entire jurisdiction or parts of its jurisdiction.

(c) A zoning ordinance shall cover a municipality's entire jurisdiction.

(d) A municipality may adopt, by reference, the zoning ordinance of the county in which it is located.