FAQs • Martinsville, VA • CivicEngage

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Animal Control

1. What do I do if I find a bat in my house?: Contact the Health Department or the Animal Control Office. If you have been exposed to the bat then a health exposure report will need to be filed and the bat will need to be captured for analysis. If you feel that you have bats in a noncommon area (examples: attic, roof, etc.) then you will need to contact an exterminator or wildlife removal service.

2. What do I do if I have nuisance wildlife in my yard or property?

Wildlife is a common issue when living in more rural areas. We strongly advise to not leave food out for wildlife. Also, if you have outdoor companion animals we suggest making adjustments so that wildlife does not have access to their food. There are wildlife removal services that can trap the animals and remove them from your property, however, Animal Control Division is not sanctioned to remove nuisance animals within the City of Martinsville.

If the animal poses an immediate threat to you or your companion animals you can contact Animal Control during business hours or the contact the Police Department after hours and an officer will come to assist in the immediate threat.

3. What if I see an injured animal?: Contact Animal Control through the non-emergency communications number so that an officer can be dispatched to assist.

4. What do I do if my animal has gone missing?

Contact the Animal Control Office. If no one answers leave a detailed message and an officer will return your call as soon as possible.

Inform your neighbors and utilize social media to help locate your missing animal.

The Shelter is open Monday through Friday and allows the public to come and see the animals to see if your companion is located at the shelter.

5. I want to surrender my companion animal, what do I do?: The Martinsville City Animal Control and Shelter strives to help citizens with their companion animals. We have many resources that can help you with your animals. The preferred option is for owners to find a home for their companion animals. The last resort is surrendering the animal to the shelter. If this is your option please contact the Animal Control office and the officer will walk you through the steps of how to turn the animal over.

6. How do I adopt an animal from the shelter?: At the Martinsville Animal Shelter, we partner with the Martinsville Henry County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). The SPCA handles our adoptions and all applications and fees are turned in to the SPCA. The Animal Control Office has copies of the applications and a digital form can be found on the Martinsville Henry County SPCA website.

7. Can I hunt in Martinsville City?

Hunting in Martinsville City is regulated by the Department of Wildlife Resources. Martinsville City only allows Urban Archery you may not discharge a firearm within the City limits.

Hunters must obtain written permission from the property owner. No firearms other than a bow and arrow may be in the hunter's possession. Discharge of an arrow is permitted only in order to take a deer. No discharge of an arrow shall be made toward any person, any animal other than a deer, any structure or any vehicle in such a manner as the arrow may strike such person, animal, structure, or vehicle, nor shall a discharge be made in such a manner that the arrow may strike in any roadway. Archery equipment can only be discharged from temporary platforms elevated at least seven feet above the ground. Any disabled hunter unable to hunt from such a platform must comply with all regulations established by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. No pursuit of an injured or wounded deer shall be permitted upon the land of neighboring landowners unless the hunter has first obtained permission from that landowner. No field dressing of deer shall be permitted without the permission of the landowner.

Any other questions regarding hunting can be directed to the Department of Wildlife Resources.

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Brownfields

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1. Where are brownfields located and what do they look like?

Brownfields are usually concentrated in urban areas, but they can really be anywhere. They are typically abandoned or underutilized commercial or industrial sites, such as manufacturing facilities, warehouses, gas stations, machine shops, and dry cleaning facilities, but they can even include residential properties where, at some point, hazardous substances might have been used.

View Representative Site Photos (PDF).

2. Do I own a brownfield?

It is possible that you own a brownfield. Ask yourself this: "Is my land or property idle, vacant, or less productive than it ought to be? Are there concerns about environmental contamination contributing to that problem?"

If you answered yes to both questions, then you might own a brownfield.

3. How does a community benefit from brownfields redevelopment?: Many brownfield sites are located in unattractive, economically depressed parts of a neighborhood. Cleanup and redevelopment of these sites encourage higher property values and create jobs, in addition to creating a safer, cleaner, healthier space to house businesses and/or residences.

4. Who is involved in brownfields redevelopment?: Private and public organizations play a role in assessing, cleaning up, and redeveloping brownfield sites. Key players include state and federal environmental agencies, economic development and planning agencies, citizen and community groups, commercial lenders, technical consultants, legal counsel, local government agencies, developers, investors, and real estate professionals.

5. Are there incentives for brownfields redevelopment?: Yes. In addition to direct financial assistance, federal, state, and local tax incentives are available to property owners and developers to help reduce the costs of brownfield projects. Federal tax incentives include the Taxpayers Relief Act, which allows eligible taxpayers to deduct qualified cleanup expenses at brownfields in the year expenses are incurred, and rehabilitation income tax credits for 10% of the expenses of rehabilitating structures built before 1936.

6. How much will the cleanup cost?: Many factors affect the cost of cleanup. For example, if groundwater under the site is contaminated in addition to soil, the cost of cleanup is likely to be much higher. If the contaminated materials need to be transported off-site for treatment, that will also raise the cost. The cost will also depend on standards that apply to the future use of the property. If a brownfield property is remediated to commercial use standards rather than residential use standards, the cleanup will typically be less expensive. The cost to the property owner of the cleanup will also be affected by whether there are other parties, such as previous owners, who may be potentially responsible for the contamination and, thus, must share in cleanup costs.

7. How long will the cleanup take?: Cleanup will vary according to the level, type, amount, and extent of contamination, as well as cleanup standards that apply to the site. A site with extensive soil or groundwater contamination cleaned up to residential standards will take longer than a site with minimal contamination that will be used for industrial purposes. Factors like time of year or unusually bad weather may also affect the duration of the cleanup.

8. Why did we apply for a grant?: Funding was needed to provide resources necessary to continue the City's ongoing commitment to transforming the community from its former heavy manufacturing and industrial economy to a vibrant commercial and service economy. Clean-up and revitalization are seen as a tremendous opportunity to increase nearby residential and commercial property values.

9. How are properties chosen to be included in the program?

The City’s Brownfields Redevelopment Advisory Group (Martinsville BRAG) assists City staff in evaluating and selecting properties based on the following criteria:

Impact on public health, the environment, and wildlife habitats
Proximity to municipal or private water sources, residential areas, and schools
Potential reuse of the site for open/green space and/or recreation
Degree to which the site furthers objectives for revitalizing the community

10. How can I get my property enrolled in the program for an assessment?: Contact the City of Martinsville Department of Community Development to see if your property is a good candidate for this program or other redevelopment incentives available in the City.

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Businesses

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1. Will your business be located or conducted within the city limits of Martinsville?

If no, then you do not need a City of Martinsville business license.

If you are unsure of the boundary lines, please contact the Commissioner of the Revenue Office Real Estate Division at 276-403-5129 or refer to the City of Martinsville GIS maps.

2. Have you contacted the Zoning Office to see if your business location is zoned for the type of business you intend to conduct?

Contact the Inspections Department to determine if the property passes building and fire code requirements.

If yes, bring your zoning inspection approval with you to the Commissioner of the Revenue office when you apply for your City of Martinsville business license, continue to the next question.
If no, contact the Zoning and Inspections Offices for necessary approvals before proceeding to the next step.

3. Are you looking for a building or site in the City of Martinsville to locate your business?

If yes, contact Economic Development for information on an available property, or the Martinsville-Henry County Chamber of Commerce.