In the past several years there have been several efforts in the area of State Plane Coordinate System uses which have generated a large amount of interest in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Many individuals are interested in the possible benefits which could be derived from the monumentation of the Virginia State Plane Coordinate System (VSPCS). However, the system has lain virtually dormant since its adoption in 1946.

In the course of investigating the uses of a state plane coordinate system, a basis for its monumentation is chosen. There are at present four possibilities: The Universal Transverse Mercator Projection, the NGS 2° Transverse Mercator Projection, the Lambert Conformal Projection and Geodetic Coordinates. Their merits and possible inconsistencies are presented.

When a coordinate system is chosen, then an analysis of the cost of monumenting the system is presented. During this discussion three possible methods of monumentation are evaluated: Conventional traverse, photogrammetric triangulation and inertial surveying.

Several uses of the monument network are discussed as are some of the problems facing those who administer the system. In the discussion of the latter, the need for a Virginia Geodetic Survey is presented.