Campbell County adopted abortion-facility zoning rules: what the published code establishes

A unanimous vote on the July code update

Campbell County's Board of Supervisors voted 7–0 on July 21, 2026, to adopt a broader code update that included abortion-facility zoning provisions, according to the meeting minutes. Brown, Carwile, Cline, Dowdy, Hardie, Lawton and Watts voted yes; no supervisor was absent.

The action occurred during the spring code-update public hearing. The minutes record no speakers for or against the update and identify Chairman Lawton as the maker of the adoption motion.

The direction preceded the adoption

At the March 17 work session, supervisors reached a consensus authorizing staff to advertise amendments for the July update. That direction included defining abortion-related uses, excluding abortion facilities from the hospital definition, a five-mile school separation and a special use permit.

The July minutes report that the Planning Commission unanimously approved the proposed Chapter 22 changes on June 22. They label the abortion-related changes discretionary and trace them to the Board's March direction. The final recorded Board action came on July 21.

What appears in the published chapter

The published Chapter 22 defines an abortion facility by a threshold of one or more abortions per month and requires five miles of separation from specified schools and child day care centers. It places abortion facilities among the uses requiring a special use permit in the Business–General Commercial district.

These provisions create questions about individual properties: which locality controls zoning, which district applies, how the distance is evaluated and what a permit application proposes. Our abortion-facility rules and records guide identifies the exact sections and the official sources for following those questions.

The county's zoning jurisdiction has boundaries

Under Virginia Code §15.2-2281, county zoning jurisdiction covers unincorporated territory. Altavista and Brookneal exercise municipal zoning authority within their incorporated boundaries.

The county adoption therefore cannot be treated as an adoption of town ordinances. Determining whether a site qualifies also requires more than drawing conclusions from the distance requirement alone: the property's jurisdiction, zoning and case records matter. This review does not establish the number of eligible sites or the outcome of a particular application.

Read the decision and the text

• July 21, 2026 Board of Supervisors minutes: hearing, amendment summary and roll-call vote.
• March 17, 2026 work-session minutes: the earlier staff direction.
• County code index and Chapter 22 PDF: the published zoning provisions.
• Virginia Code §15.2-2281: the division of zoning authority between counties and municipalities.

For application requirements and permit-record navigation, continue to the Campbell County abortion-facility rules guide.

Publication note

October 17, 2026 — First edition. This explainer reports a July decision using the published code and meeting records. The publication date is separate from the date of the Board's action.

Find related reporting in the Campbell County news desk and the county hub. Send documented corrections through Corrections; see our editorial standards.