Highlighted below: 1 of 7 extracted standards. Sections and highlights carry their own anchors. The rest quote wording that differs from this rendering of the text.
Petersburg, VA Zoning Ordinance#
ARTICLE 1 - TITLE#
ARTICLE 2 - PURPOSE#
ARTICLE 3 - DEFINITIONS#
ARTICLE 4 - GENERAL PROVISIONS, DISTRICTS AND DISTRICT MAPS#
ARTICLE 4A - "A" AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT REGULATIONS#
Section 1. - Purpose.#
The regulations set forth in this article, or set forth elsewhere in this ordinance when referred to in this article, are the regulations in the "A" Agricultural District. The purpose of this district is to provide for the orderly growth and development of relatively large parcels of undeveloped land, and the protection of activities generally considered rural in nature, i.e., crop, dairy or tree farming, the raising of cattle and poultry, and other activities normally compatible with rural or agricultural surroundings.
Section 2. - Use regulations.#
Any building to be erected or land to be used shall be for one or more of the following uses:
(1) Single-family dwellings.
(2) Accessory buildings for residential purposes, as defined, the rear yards only; however, garages or other accessory structures attached to the main building shall be considered part of the main building. No accessory building may be closer than five (5) feet to any party lot line.§ Accessory buildings and uses customarily incident to any use permitted by this section, such as servants quarters, greenhouses, and workshop; provided, that none shall be conducted for gain; provided, further, accessory buildings shall not exceed thirty (30) percent of the area of the rear yard; provided, still further, that any accessory building to be erected containing an area in excess of one thousand (1,000) square feet shall be referred to the city planning commission, which commission shall make its recommendations to the council. Prior to the recommendation thereof, the planning commission shall give notice and hold a public hearing on such use, after notice is required by article 28 of this ordinance. The council shall likewise hold a public hearing after proper notice, before making its determination as to whether the property can or cannot be used for such purposes.
(3) Public and nonprofit organizations uses, such as game preserves, playgrounds and parks.
(4) Community clubs and community-operated playgrounds, parks and nonprofit little theater operations, and similar recreational facilities, including golf courses.
(5) Agriculture, including accessory buildings and uses incidental thereto.
(6) The raising of cattle and/or poultry.
(7) Commercial forestry operations in the nature of tree farms, not including sawmills.
(8) Public utilities, and poles, lines, distribution transformers, pipes, meters and other facilities necessary for the provision of maintenance of public utilities, as provided in article 23.
(9) The location and occupancy of a single mobile home; provided, that the following conditions are met:
(a) That the parcel which the mobile home is to occupy is located entirely within an area zoned as agricultural ("A");
(b) That a property owner residing on the premises in a permanent home wishes to place said mobile home on this property in order to maintain his or her immediate family or full-time agricultural employee. Immediate family shall be defined as lineal relatives of the applicant and his brothers or sisters;
(c) That the mobile home and its site satisfy all sanitary and structural requirements deemed applicable by the city building inspector and the state health department;
(d) That the mobile home has received a conditional use permit from the board of zoning appeals.
(10) Municipal animal pounds or shelters.
(Ord. No. 2025-057, Exh. B, 9-16-2025)
Section 3. - Sign regulations.#
In agricultural district, sign regulations shall conform to article 21 of this ordinance.
Section 4. - Area, frontage and width regulations.#
For permitted uses utilizing individual sewage disposal systems, the required area for any such use shall be approved by the state health department. The city council may require a greater area, if considered necessary by the state health department.
Section 5. - Setback regulations.#
Buildings shall be located thirty-five (35) feet or more from any street right-of-way which is fifty (50) feet or greater in width, or fifty-five (55) feet or more from the center line of any street right-of-way less than fifty (50) feet in width. This shall be known as the "setback line"; provided, no building shall be required to setback a distance greater than the setback line reserved by the one (of two (2) existing buildings on the immediately adjoining lots on either side) which is the further removed from the street. Also see article 25, Supplementary height, area and bulk regulations, section 3.3.
Section 6. - Yard regulations.#
In open spaces, the yard regulations shall be as follows:
(1) Side: The minimum side yard shall be ten (10) percent, and the total width of the two (2) required side yards shall be the total of the side yard widths is more than thirty (30) feet, one of such side yards need not be more than ten (10) feet in width.
(2) Rear: Each main building shall have a minimum rear yard of thirty (30) feet.
Section 7. - Height regulations.#
In open spaces, the height regulations shall be as follows: Buildings may be erected up to forty-five (45) feet in height from grade, except that church spires, belfries, cupolas, monuments, water towers, silos, chimneys and flues are exempt. Parapet walls may be erected up to four (4) feet above the height of the building on which the walls are constructed.
Section 8. - Parking regulations.#
Parking regulations shall conform to article 19 of this ordinance.
Section 9. - Special requirements.#
(1) No subdivision development that creates more than one new lot/parcel shall be permitted in areas zoned agricultural. Any area sought to be subdivided, that is presently zoned agricultural, and creates more than one new lot/parcel shall first be rezoned to a residential classification. All new lots/parcels shall meet the minimum dimensions for lots/parcels in the R-1A District.
(2) Any area* to be classified as agricultural shall contain a minimum contiguous acreage of eight (8) acres.
*"Area" is defined here as one or more contiguous parcels, or parts thereof: falling under the same zoning classification district.
(Ord. No. 23-14, Exh. A, 3-21-2023)