Site Development | City of Harrisonburg, VA

Development in Harrisonburg: View information about current and recent-past development projects in the City of Harrisonburg.

Report Construction Site Issues

To report construction site issues concerning erosion and sediment control problems or storm water run-off, please call the Department of Community Development at 540-432-7700.

Does my development need an Engineered Comprehensive Site Plan (ECSP) Review?

Development or redevelopment of a property may require comprehensive site plan approval. Such plan shall address design of site related infrastructure and improvements to meet City zoning requirements and the requirements of the City’s Design and Construction Standards Manual. Such plan will be required for any project including one or more of the following:

Disturbed area (building, grading, utility work) greater than 10,000 square feet, or any disturbed area prompting a Stormwater Management Plan under Common Plan of Development guidelines.
Construction, reconstruction, grading or other work proposed in any floodplain zoning district, regardless of project scope.
Extension or widening of an existing street.
Installation of a new street.
Extension of, modification of, or construction of a new public storm drain system.
Installation of a storm water best management practice (i.e. detention pond, bioretention basin, special inlet, ditches, etc.).
Grading or encroachment upon a public water or sewer main or respective easement.
Extension or change of a public water or sewer main.
Installation or change of a public hydrant.
Installation or change of a public water or sewer pump facility.
Installation or change or a public water storage facility.
Installation or change of a public water or sewer treatment facility or installation or change of a private sewer pre-treatment facility.
Installation of water or sewer service connections, which in the opinion of the Director of Public Utilities, presents atypical concerns such that an availability/connection certification cannot be obtained.
Utility installation within city right-of-way (scope dependent – refer to City Public Access Permit requirements),
Any combination of site, building and/or utility improvements deemed by the City Engineer, Zoning Administrator, Public Works Director or Public Utilities Director to be significant enough to warrant comprehensive review.

Note that the bonding of certain work is required prior to issuance of any site-related permits. For more information, refer to the Site Development page or call Community Development, Division of Engineering at 540-432-7700.

Erosion and Sediment Control and Plans

Development or redevelopment of a property will require an approved Erosion and Sediment Control Plan and associated Land Disturbing Permit if the extent of land disturbance measures 10,000 square feet or more in area. Such plan shall address protection of adjacent properties and water ways from construction-period sediment impacts. The plan shall also address the impacts from, and proper management of, stormwater runoff generated by the development. Most individual single-family dwelling projects are allowed to proceed under an Agreement in Lieu of an Erosion Control Plan, which bypasses the production and review of a formal plan.

For more information refer to Chapter 1 of the Design and Construction Standards Manual [124KB].

Design and Construction Standards Manual (DCSM)

The City DCSM establishes site design and construction standards for projects within the City. The manual includes detailed specifications for:

General Site Development
Drainage
Erosion and Sediment Control
Stormwater Management and Maintenance
Parking Lots and Travelways
Pedestrian and Bicycle Accommodations
Public and Private Streets
Site Lighting
Emergency Access and Fire Protection
Water and Sewer System and Service Connections
Dedication of Easements for Certain Infrastructure
Site Plan Content Requirements

Find more DCSM information online or call Community Development, Division of Engineering at 540-432-7700.

Pre-Application Meeting

The City of Harrisonburg hosts pre-application meetings for rezonings, special use permits, major subdivisions (preliminary plats) street/alley closings, and engineered comprehensive site plans twice a month for property owners, developers, engineers, attorneys, etc. to meet with city departments including, but not limited to, Community Development (Planning & Zoning, Engineering, Building Inspections), Fire, Public Works, Public Utilities, and Public Transportation.

Please visit Pre-Applications Meetings for more information.

How do I submit a plan for Engineered Comprehensive Site Plan (ECSP) Review?

Prerequisites for Site Plan Review

Prior to submitting a site plan for review, the following prerequisites must be completed. Coordinate with the relevant department for each submission. If desired, appropriate review staff will meet with the plan designer/owner to discuss the plan. Such a meeting is not intended for technical review of the plans. It will, however, allow for a brief review of the plans or interpretation of City standards.

Determination of Need for a Traffic Impact Analysis

Public Works 540-434-5928 / traffic@harrisonburgva.gov

Any development requiring a Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) shall complete the TIA process before proceeding with the site plan submission process. Improvements called for in the approved TIA shall be shown on the final plans. Refer to the City Design and Construction Standards Manual (DCSM) and the separate TIA procedures, both available on the City’s website. Upon completion of this process Public Works staff will provide the applicant with a statement of TIA approval, or written confirmation that a TIA is not needed. This documentation is then to be provided with the formal plan submission.

Preliminary Fire Chief’s Review

Community Development 540-432-7700 / siteplanreview@harrisonburgva.gov

A pre-submission review of the plans by the Fire Chief is required. The Preliminary Fire Chief's Review may be accomplished by submitting preliminary plans to the Department of Community Development, in sufficient detail to show the general layout of proposed facilities, including buildings, parking areas, entrances, travel-ways and the water system. Fire flow information is also required. A copy of the Fire Chief’s pre-submission application/checklist is attached. Approval by the Fire Chief is prerequisite to final plan submission. The purpose of this review is to allow the general fire protection scheme to be reviewed before the review of the final plans. Preliminary Fire Chief’s Review submittals should be sent via email to siteplanreview@harrisonburgva.gov

Preliminary Engineering Report

Public Utilities 540-434-9959 / waterservice@harrisonburgva.gov

An approved Preliminary Engineering Report (PER) is required for each development that includes a building requiring fire protection, prior to proceeding with the site plan submission process. The PER shall address the capacity in both the water and sanitary sewer systems. Information on the PER requirements can be found in Section 4.3 of the City DCSM. Upon completion of this process Public Utilities staff will provide the applicant with a statement of PER approval. This documentation is then to be provided with the formal plan submission.

[3 MB] DCSM Chapter 4 Water and Sewer Utility Design Standards

[3.5 MB] DCSM Appendix E Public Utilities Project Management Approach

[671KB] Appendix C: Engineering Report for Water and Sewer Main Extensions

Final Plan Submittal

Final plans will be accepted for review upon receipt of the following items. Note that all items except payment are to be provided in electronic form (PDF):

Completed Application for Site Plan Review [125KB] and Completed Fee Form [18KB];
Applicable review fees (site plan, E&S, SWM);
Sealed and signed plans at appropriate scale (as needed for final printing);
Calculations and water/sewer report as applicable (see DCSM Appendix C [350KB]);
Water Service calculations (See DCSM 4-27A & 4-27B);
DCSM Appendix B Certified checklist [173KB] (note that checklist’s call for printed copies is N/A);
Completion of fire protection review from Fire Chief and evidence of compliance with review comments;
Acceptance of the Preliminary Engineering Report (PER) by Public Utilities (where applicable) and evidence of acceptance by letter from Public Utilities (see DCSM).
Accepted Determination of Need for TIA form (when TIA is needed) or TIA acceptance letter (when TIA is required and completed), as applicable.

Submittal Process

Notify Community Development of the intent to submit final plans for review via email to siteplanreview@harrisonburgva.gov.
Community Development staff will create a unique folder in MS Teams for the proposed submittal and respond with the link.
Upload all submittal documents to the assigned Teams folder.

Procedures

Within 8 days of the date the plans are accepted for review, the City will complete a cursory review of the plans in order to identify significant problems or plan deficiencies which will warrant an Acceptance Withheld (AW) designation. If such problems exist, the City will determine whether review of the plans must be terminated, or that review can continue. The plan designer will be notified at that time of the plan status. If staff has agreed that plan review can proceed, the choice to terminate or proceed with review becomes the decision of the plan designer. Continuance of review would allow the designer to obtain comments on other aspects of the plans. Also, it should be noted that acceptance of plans could still be withheld (AW) at the end of 18 days, even though the cursory review did not identify significant deficiencies.
City staff will strive to complete the comprehensive review within 21 calendar days of the date the plans are accepted for review. However, review time may be delayed when plan review load is heavy. Applicants are encouraged to check with the City Engineer’s office to inquire on recent review times before committing to a construction schedule. Review comments from the City staff will be detailed in a letter and referenced to the plan at the appropriate location. The letter will be addressed to the plan designer and copied to the owner or developer as appropriate.
Plans which are designated upon completion of review as “Acceptance Withheld (AW)” will be placed on the same schedule upon resubmission as are new plans and will be subjected to resubmission fees. Plan substitutions made after the original submission will also be processed as a new submission.
Plans which are designated upon completion of review as “Accepted Upon Minor Revision (AR)” will be reviewed and comments made available within five working days of resubmission. Review of such resubmitted plans will typically be accomplished by the City Engineer’s Office. Other staff members will be consulted, if necessary, and may be available for direct communication with applicant to resolve final comments. Again, such review may be delayed during times of heavy load.
Plans submitted solely for review of erosion control and stormwater management will be subject to the above policies.
Letters of transmittal will indicate specific requirements for resubmission and/or permitting, depending on plan status. Note that permit issuance may be subject to other requirements beyond plan approval, including but not necessarily limited to, bonding, easement dedications, BMP Maintenance Agreement, Stormwater General Permit registration statement, stormwater management permitting fee, pre-construction meeting.
Once the stormwater management plan has been accepted the registration statement for coverage under the Stormwater General Permit shall be submitted to Community Development along with the Stormwater Management Permit Fee. Community Development personnel will input the required information into the DEQ Stormwater Management Database. Once the registration statement is certified by the City, DEQ will issue a permit coverage letter by e-mail or by U.S. Mail (as requested by the operator).
The above policies will be exercised for all site plans required under Section 1.3.1 of the City Design and Construction Standards Manual.

Erosion Control and Stormwater Management

If you are starting a construction project, it is important to make sure the dirt/sediment on your property stays where it is supposed to be. Wind, rain, and even trucks can easily cause it to become displaced and potentially cause harm to roads, lungs, and aquatic habitats. Before starting any work, watch this video and take these steps to prevent damage:

Set up perimeter controls (silt fences, compost filtration socks, etc.). These go around the edges of your construction site to make sure sediment doesn’t get swept off the property.
Prepare the site entrance. Vehicles driving in and out of the site can pick up sediment and track it out onto the roads. Make sure that the entrance has a geotextile filter fabric topped with gravel, that run off is directed away from the entrance, and that, for especially muddy projects, a vehicle wash station is installed.

Questions regarding land disturbance and stormwater management permits can be answered by the Engineering Division at 540-432-7700.

Erosion and Stormwater Management Ordinance

Comprehensive Site Plan, Erosion & Sediment Control Plan, and Stormwater Management Plan fees

[137KB] Land Disturbing Permit Application

VPDES Registration Statement

Please note that the City of Harrisonburg is an administrator for the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) VESMP program. All DEQ forms must be submitted to the City of Harrisonburg.

Use of Nutrient Credit Purchases for VSMP Compliance

Procedures for Submitting BMP Maintenance Agreements

[67KB] SWPPP Table of Contents

[1.1MB] BMP Maintenance and Inspection Checklist App 9C SWM Handbook

For Single-Family Residential Development:

[545KB] Agreement in Lieu of an Erosion and Sediment Control Plan

[1.2MB] Agreement in Lieu of Stormwater Management Plan

[2.58MB] Erosion and Sediment Control: A Guide for Single Family Dwellings in the City of Harrisonburg

Virginia Erosion and Sediment Control and Stormwater Management Law, Regulations, and Certification Regulations - Please visit the Department of Environmental Quality website for complete and up-to-date state documents.

Public Access Permit Application

A Public Access Permit (PAP) shall be submitted to the Harrisonburg Department of Public Works and is required for construction, demolition, replacement, installation, excavation, or maintenance within the public street or alley right-of-way (ROW) related to the following: