Realty Insider Blog

If you are planning to buy or renovate a home, RPA may be something that will impact you and the value of your home more than you expect.  A Resource Protection Area (RPA) is created to limit development around water bodies with perennial flows. The goal is to improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries through limited development.

The Chesapeake Bay Act has been around for a while and most purchasers do know that development potential is limited around streams, lakes and rivers in Fairfax County. However, in 2003, the regulations were amended and further restrictions were put in place. The definition of what was covered under the act was changed from “tributary streams” to ”water bodies with perennial flow”. The result was that a large number of new areas and homes were affected.

Read the rest of the story at Soldsense.com