CHAP. 66.—An ACT to provide for a temporary adequate administration
and government of the local affairs of the unincorporated community
known as Hopewell and cdjacent territory, now a portion of the Bland
magisterial district, in the county of Prince George, until such time
as it becomes a city. (H. B. 201.)

Approved February 26, 1916.

Whereas, it appears to the satisfaction of the general assem-
bly of Virginia that since the summer of nineteen hundred and
fifteen a portion of Bland magisterial district, in the county of
Prince George, known as Hopewell and adjacent territory with-
in the boundaries hereinafter set out, has become densely settled
by many thousands of persons, very few of whom are qualified
voters of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and of the county of
Prince George, and a large majority of whom cannot become
such qualified voters in time for the general election for city of:-
fices next to be held under the general laws of this Common-
wealth; and,

Whereas, as a result of the chaotic conditions of the said un-

incorporated community that have resulted from a widespread
conflagration therein on December ninth, nineteen hundred and
fifteen, the governor of the Commonwealth has found it neces-
sary and desirable to order portions of the State militia to the
‘said community and has maintained the same there until this
time for the better order, protection and general welfare of the
community; and,
Whereas, it is apparent to the general assembly that it is to
the best interests of the Commonwealth, and of the county of
Prince George, as well as to those of the densely populated por-
tion therein that an adequate method of temporarily governing
and administering the affairs of the said unusual and unantici-
pated community be provided by the general assembly; there-
fore, |

1. Be it enacted bv the general assembly of Virginia, That
the portion of Bland district, in the county of Prince George,
comprehended within the lines hereinafter set forth shall be
known as the unincorporated community of Hopewell, the saic
community being within the lines following, to-wit:

Beginning at the intersection of the proiection southwardly
of the east side of Bon Accord street as laid out on the plat of
West City Point sub-division, recorded in the county clerk’s of.
fice of Prince George county in book———_page———, wher
the projection of said street intersects the right of way of the
Norfolk and Western railway company; thence running south
westwardly along the northerly side of the right of way of the
Norfolk and Western railway company to a point where the

same is intersected by Cat Tail creek; thence westwardly follow-
ing Cat Tail creek and the western boundary of the tract of land
known as Battle Ground addition, to a point where said bound-
ary leaves said creek; thence still ‘northwestwardly and norther-
ly, following the western boundary of said Battle Ground addi-
tion to a point where same intersects the main county road be-
tween Petersburg and City Point; thence in a direct line across
to the northerly side of the said county road; thence eastwardly
along the north side of said county road to a point where same
Is intersected by the western boundary of the Dolin sub-division ;
thence running northwardly and thence eastwardly and thence
northerly, still following the boundaries of the said Dolin sub-di-
vision so as to include the said Dolin sub-division within the lim-
its herein defined and by the projection of the said western line
northwardly to the county line of Chesterfield county; thence
generally in an easterly direction following the southern bound-
ary line of Chesterfield county, to a point where same is inter-
sected by a projection northwardly of the east side of Bermuda
street as laid out on the plat aforesaid; thence southwardly along
the said projection and along the east side of the said Bermuda
street to the north side of Appomattox street; thence westward-
ly along the north side of Appomattox street to a point where
the same intersects the east side of Bon Accord street; thence
southwardlv along the east side of Bon Accord street and the
projection thereof to the north side of the right of way of the
Norfolk and Western Railway Company, being the point of begin-
ning; excepting, however, from the territory above described, so
much of the land lying within the boundaries aforesaid as is de-
scribed as lying within the following metes and bounds: Begin-
ning at a point where the eastern boundary line of the property
of the FE. I. du Pont de Nemours and company, lying within the
limits herein above described, intersects the northern line of the
said Norfolk and Western railway, thence by a line to a point at
the intersection of said right of way with the western bound-
ary line of the said property of the said BE. I. du Pont de Nemours
and company ; thence along the said western boundary line three
degrees, sixteen minutes west, thirteen hundred and nine feet to
the center line of the Petersburg road; thence due west, along
said road twenty-one feet; thence north four degrees, fifty-seven
minutes west, fourteen hundred and thirty-two feet to a corner;
thence south eighty-five degrees, thirty-eight minutes west, elev-
on hundred and sixty-two feet to a point at the head of a ravine
opposite the southeast corner of the National cemetery reserva-
‘ion; thence down said ravine seven hundred and forty feet, to
a creek: thence down the center line of said creek twenty-four
hundred and one feet; to low water mark of the Appomattox
river; thence along the low water mark of the said river, in a
outheasterly direction to a point where the easterly boundary
ine of the said property of the E. I. du Pont de Nemours and
company intersects the same; thence south four degrees, thirty-
nine and one-half minutes east, twenty-four hundred and sixty
feet to the point of beginning; but from the property so excepted
there is included a strip of land across the property of the said
K. I. du Pont de Nemours and company, the center line of which
said strip is coincident with the said Petersburg road, except
along that portion thereof adjacent to Comer’s crossing, where
the said road turns northward and where an appropriate curve
would give a width of fifty feet to the said strip of land, without
encroaching upon the right of way of the said Norfolk and West-
ern railway; but the inclusion of the said fifty-foot strip of land,
and of the street or road lying to the east of the eastern property
line of the said E. I. du Pont de Nemours and company, within
the limits herein defined, shall not give to the administrative
board of Hopewell the right to interfere in any manner with the
operation. maintenance and repair of pipe lines of the E. I. du
Pont de Nemours and company, under the same, or the right of
the said companv to lay additional pipe lines, or to operate, re-
pair and maintain the said additional pipe lines, when so laid;
but the said E. I. du Pont de Nemours and company shall have
the same right to operate, maintain, repair, protect and to police
or guard the said pipe lines, laid or to be laid, as it had before
the passage of this act. Provided, it shall not unreasonably in-
terfere with the public right of passage, nor unreasonably ob-
struct any part of the said fifty-foot strip; provided, however,
that the rights of the said E. I. du Pont de Nemours and com-
pany to maintain, operate, repair, protect and to police and
guard its water mains and other pipe lines heretofore or here-
after constructed under and along a strip of land sixteen and
one-half feet in width, the center of which begins at a point lo-
cated north four degrees, thirty-five and one-half minutes west,
ten hundred and fifty-five feet. more or less, along the eastern
property line of said company from the intersection of said prop:
erty line with the right of way of the Norfolk and Western rail.
way; thence running by a tangent north fifty-three degrees, fif
tv-five minutes west, one hundred and thirty-two and four-tenth:
feet to a point of curve; thence on a one degree curve to the left
five hundred and fifty feet to a point of tangent; thence alons
the tangent north fifty-nine degrees, twenty-five minutes west
two hundred and ninety-nine and five tenths feet to the right 0
way of the Norfolk and Western railway, are hereby reserve
to it, its successors and assigns as well as its right to maintain
and operate along said strip its power lines heretofore and here
after constructed. and to repair, protect and guard or police th
same, which shall be exempt from control by the administrativ
board of Hopewell; except that the said company shall not a
any time unreasonably obstruct any of the streets or highway
crossing the said strip but any and all work of construction an
repair shall be done speedily and with the least inconvenienc
in the course of any work of construction or repair.
Provided that all private rights that may have been preserv-
ed in, to and under the streets, avenues and alleys within said
lines of the said unincorporated community ave hereby preserv-
ed to the beneficiaries of such reserved rights. .

2. That for the purposes of a proper and adequate tempo-
rary management of the affairs of the said unincorporated
densely populated community, whose lines are described in sec-
tion one of this act, a body politic and corporate is hereby cre-
ated under the name of the administrative board of Hopewell,
which shall consist of five persons resident within Bland magis-
terial district, in said county, each of whom shall have been a
resident of said district for at least one month prior to his ap-
pointment, and who shall have property in said community de-
scribed in section one of this act of the value of two hundred and
fifty dollars ($250) or more; but who may or may not possess
at the time of his selection the qualification of a voter in Bland
magisterial district, Prince George county. The persons consti-
tuting the administrative board of Hopewell shall be appointed
by the governor as soon as practicable after the approval of this
act, and commissioned by him to hold office until July first, nine-
teen hundred and sixteen, and thereafter until the communitv
shall become a city, and the mayor and council of such city shall
have qualified. Thev shall serve without compensation. The
governor shall have the power to remove any one or more of the
persons constituting the administrative board and shall fill the
vacancy created thereby, or any other vacancy, for the unex-
pired term of the person or persons removed. The removal of a
member cf the administrative board from Bland magisterial dis-
trict. Prince George county, shall vacate his office.

Before entering upon the discharge of their duties each mem-
ber of the administrative board shall take and subscribe to the
oaths of office required by law, before the circuit court for the
county of Prince George, or the judge thereof in vacation: and
their oaths shall be filed and retained in the clerk’s office of said
court. The said administrative board, as so constituted shall
continue to administer the affairs of the said- unincorporated
community until such time as the same mav become a city, and
the mayor and council thereof shall be qualified.

The administrative board. after having duly qualified as
herein provided, shall forthwith organize by the election of on:
its members as chairman, who shall be the chief executive of
the said unincorporated community.

3. The meetings of the administrative board shall be held
at least twice each month and shall be open to the public. A ma
jority of its members shall constitute a quorum for the transac:
tion of business, but no regulation or resolution appropriating
money shall be adopted, except by the recorded affirmative vot
of a majority of all of the members of the board. The said ad
ministrative board shall have general power in and control ove!
the said unincorporated community, to the end that proper police
and fire protection may be afforded; (and to that end may estab-
lish fire limits within said community and require permits to be
granted before the erection of any buildings, so that no building
may be erected unless the character thereof be in conformity
with such regulations as may have been prescribed) and that
suitable and proper highways and a proper sewerage system be
established and maintained, and generally have power to adopt
and enforce any and all regulations promoting the health, good
order and general welfare of the said unincorporated commun-
ity, which regulations upon being approved by the governor, and
promulgated by him, shall have the force and effect of statute
Jaws. And the violation of any such regulations may be punish-
ed by adequate fines and costs to be prescribed therein, and in
the event of default in paying such fines and costs so imposed,
any person, or persons, so adjudged guilty of the violation or
non-observance of such regulation, shall be subject to imprison-
ment, as provided, for the punishment of misdemeanors; pro-
vided, however, that any person feeling himself aggrieved by the
enforcement of any regulation may appeal to the circuit court of
the county of Prince George, giving such security for costs as
the trial justice may prescribe. Provided, however, that noth-
ing herein shall be construed to circumscribe the jurisdiction
and power of the circuit court of Prince George county, or the
judge thereof, but the said administrative board shall pay the
salaries of the police appointed by said court or judge that may
be earned after this act takes effect. The said administrative
board may employ a clerk, civil engineer and such other neces-
sary employees as are required to faithfully discharge the duties
encumbent upon it by this act, and fix the compensation of such
employees.

4. That the expenses incident to the conduct of the affairs
of the said unincorporated community by the administrative
board, as in this act authorized and provided, shall be paid out
of the money heretofore or hereafter appropriated by the gen-
eral assembly at the present session, or warrants issued there-
for by the auditor of public accounts in the manner prescribed
by such appropriation law.

5. Any act, or parts of acts in conflict with this act are
hereby repealed in so far as such conflict may exist, but in other
respects they remain in full force and effect.

The conditions in that portion of Bland magisterial dis-
trict as hereinabove defined. known as Hopewell, being such as
to require an immediate application of the provisions of this act,
an emergency is hereby declared to exist, and this act shall be
in force from its passage.