zoneoptics
Blacksburg, Virginia · General provision

Sec. 3060-3062

HistoricAll Blacksburg districts0

Dimensional standards

lot requirementsSTREETSTREETFront 20 ftRear 25 ftSide 7 ftStreet side 20 ftMin frontage 40 ftMIN LOT AREA7,500 sq ftMAX HEIGHT35 ftMAX LOT COVERAGE50%MAX FAR0.3MAX DENSITY15 du/ac
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.
7,500 sq ftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
Minimum frontageFrontageThe length of a lot line that touches a public street.
40 ft

Density

Maximum density
15 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.
20 ft
RearSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line.
25 ft
SideSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line.
7 ft
Street sideSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line.
20 ft

Height & bulk

Maximum heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first.
35 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.
0.3
Maximum lot coverageLot coverageThe share of a lot that buildings may cover, as a percentage.
50%

Housing

Single-familySingle-family dwellingOne dwelling unit on its own lot, usually detached from its neighbours.
by_right
Two-family
conditionalConditional useAllowed only after a discretionary approval — usually a public hearing and a board vote.
Three-family
conditionalConditional useAllowed only after a discretionary approval — usually a public hearing and a board vote.
Four-plus family
conditionalConditional useAllowed only after a discretionary approval — usually a public hearing and a board vote.

Servicing

Applies near
campus and Downtown
Geographic extent
Areas adjacent to campus and the Downtown

Uses

Permitted by right7

Conditional / special use29

Accessory1

Extracted standards

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

Density

Height

Other

  • Maximum unrelated occupants4 persons

    The maximum dwelling unit occupancy shall be a family plus two (2) persons unrelated to the family; or no more than four (4) unrelated persons.

  • Underground utilities required

    All utility lines, electric, telephone, cable television lines, etc., shall be placed underground.

From the ordinance

Lot area: Seven thousand five hundred (7,500) square feet. Lot frontage: Forty (40) feet. Maximum density: Fifteen (15) bedrooms per acre. Front yard: Twenty (20) feet. Side yard: Seven (7) feet. Rear yard: Twenty-five (25) feet. Maximum height: Thirty-five (35) feet. Lot coverage: Fifty (50) percent. Floor area ratio: 0.30.
Sec. 3060-3062