2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 8. Municipal Corporations › Article 6. Annexation › §8-6-4a. Annexation Without Election for Municipalities in Counties That Have an 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.
(b) For purposes of this section only:
(1) "Contiguous" means property that is next to, abutting, and having a boundary that is coterminous with the municipalitys 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-specific 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 which there is a sufficient supply of developable land within the boundary for at least 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 municipalitys 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 zoning 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 municipalitys 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 municipalitys 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 municipalitys 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 the 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.
(1) If the proposed property to be annexed by a municipality is outside the municipalitys 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, if:
(A) The proposed property to be annexed is contiguous to the municipality, as defined in this section; and
(B) The municipality has the county commissions 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 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.
(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 municipalitys 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 commissions 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 annexation 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 an order. After the order is entered, the corporate limits of the municipality include the annexed property.