(A) Establishment of official zoning district map. The boundaries of the zoning districts are shown on the official Zoning Map of Northampton County, Virginia, which together with all notations, amendments, and explanatory matter thereon are hereby made a part of this chapter. The official zoning map shall be attested by the signature of the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, whose signature shall be witnessed, and shall remain on file in the office of the Zoning Administrator where it shall be accessible to the general public. An exact copy of such map should be filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Northampton County, Virginia.
(B) Replacement of lost or damaged map.
(1) In the event of an approved change to the official zoning map, or if any part or all of the official zoning map becomes damaged, destroyed, lost or impractical to interpret because of the nature or number of changes and additions, the Board of Supervisors may, by resolution, adopt a new official zoning map.
(2) The new official zoning map may correct errors or omissions in the prior official zoning map, but no such correction shall have the effect of amending the zoning map.
(3) The new official zoning map shall be attested by the signature of the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors and shall be witnessed.
(4) Unless the prior official zoning map or maps have been lost or totally destroyed, the prior map or maps, or any significant parts thereof, remaining shall be preserved together with all available records pertaining to the adoption and amendment, if any, of the prior map or maps. However, notation should be made on the prior map(s) that they have been superseded.
(C) Interpretation of district boundaries. Where uncertainty exists as to the boundaries of zoning districts as shown on the official zoning map, the following rules shall apply.
(1) Unless otherwise indicated, district boundaries shown follow the center lines of existing or proposed roads, streets, highways, alleys or railroads; the mean low water or center lines, as indicated, of streams, ponds, drainage ditches, or other natural and man-made bodies of water; and property lines or civil boundaries. In the event of change in shorelines, the boundary shall be construed as moving with the actual shoreline.
(2) Boundaries indicated as parallel to or extensions of features indicated in division (C)(1) shall be so construed. Distances not specifically indicated on the official zoning map shall be determined by the scale of the map.
(3) If no distance, angle, curvature description, or other means is given to determine a boundary line accurately and the foregoing provisions do not apply, the same shall be determined by the size of the scale shown on the official zoning map.
(4) Where a district boundary line divides a lot which was in single ownership on October 21, 2009, and there is any dispute as to specific location on such lot, the Board of Zoning Appeals shall hear and decide the exact location of the district line in accordance with the provisions of §§ 154.2.225 et seq.
(5) Where the location of any other district boundary is not clear after application of the above rules, the Board of Zoning Appeals shall hear and decide such questions in accordance with the provisions of §§ 154.2.225 et seq.
(6) In case any territory has not been specifically included within a district, or where territory becomes a part of the unincorporated area of Northampton County by accretion or by detachment from any municipality or the dissolution thereof, such territory shall automatically be classified in the most restrictive, least intense/dense contiguous district until otherwise classified, except in those cases where the incorporated town is under the jurisdiction of this chapter, then the existing zone shall govern.
(Ord. passed 4-12-2016)