zoneoptics
Alexandria, Virginia · General provision

Section 3-800

Multi FamilyAll Alexandria districts0

Dimensional standards

lot requirementsSTREETFront 0 ftRear 8 ftSide 16 ftMin width 50 ftMIN LOT AREA1,600 sq ftMIN FRONTAGE50 ftMAX HEIGHT50 ftMAX FAR1.25MAX DENSITY35 du/acMIN OPEN SPACE35%
Plan view of the district’s stated lot requirements. Solid line: the property line. Dashed: the setback lines the ordinance imposes; a building must stay inside the tinted envelope. Drawn from the figures extracted below — illustrative, not a survey.

Lot

Minimum lot areaMinimum lot areaThe smallest parcel on which the district allows anything to be built.
1,600 sq ftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
Minimum lot widthLot widthHow wide a lot must be, usually measured at the front setback line.
50 ft
Minimum frontageFrontageThe length of a lot line that touches a public street.
50 ft

Density

Maximum density
35 du/acredu/acreDwelling units per acre — the number of homes allowed on each acre of land.

SetbacksSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line.

FrontSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line.
0 ft
RearSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line.
8 ft
SideSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line.
16 ft

Height & bulk

Maximum heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first.
50 ft
Maximum floor area ratioFloor area ratio (FAR)Total floor area divided by lot area — an FAR of 2.0 permits 20,000 sq ft of floor on a 10,000 sq ft lot.
1.25
Minimum open spaceOpen spaceLand a development must leave unbuilt, sometimes required to be usable or planted.
35%

Uses

Permitted by right9

Conditional / special use23

Extracted standards

4 individual requirements pulled out of this section’s prose, each with the sentence it came from.

Other

  • Co-living dwellings up to two units are nonresidential

    Up to two co-living dwellings, shall be categorized as nonresidential for the purpose of applying the area and bulk regulations of this zone.

  • Commercial uses limited to first floor or below

    The following commercial uses in a multi-unit building of four or more stories in height if limited to an area the size of the first floor or a floor below it, whichever is less, and located on the first floor or any floor below the first floor of the building.

  • Continuum of care open spaceOpen spaceLand a development must leave unbuilt, sometimes required to be usable or planted.25 pct

    The development shall provide a minimum of 25 percent of land area as open and usable space.

Parking

  • Co-living parking requirement

    Each such co-living dwelling shall provide the parking required under section 8-200(A)(22).

From the ordinance

The following uses are permitted in the RCX zone: (A) Townhouse dwelling; (B) Multi-unit dwelling; (C) Accessory uses, as permitted by section 7-100; ...
Section 3-800