10.1-1701 - Authority of public bodies to acquire or designate property for use as open-space land.

§ 10.1-1701. Authority of public bodies to acquire or designate property foruse as open-space land.

To carry out the purposes of this chapter, any public body may (i) acquire bypurchase, gift, devise, bequest, grant or otherwise title to or any interestsor rights of not less than five years' duration in real property that willprovide a means for the preservation or provision of open-space land and (ii)designate any real property in which it has an interest of not less than fiveyears' duration to be retained and used for the preservation and provision ofopen-space land. Any such interest may also be perpetual.

The use of the real property for open-space land shall conform to theofficial comprehensive plan for the area in which the property is located. Noproperty or interest therein shall be acquired by eminent domain by anypublic body for the purposes of this chapter; however, this provision shallnot limit the power of eminent domain as it was possessed by any public bodyprior to the passage of this chapter.

(1966, c. 461, § 10-152; 1974, c. 259; 1981, c. 64; 1988, c. 891.)