zoneoptics
Falls Church, Virginia · General provision

Sec. 48-331

TownhouseAll Falls Church districts0

Dimensional standards

lot requirementsSTREETFront 25 ftRear 40 ftSide 20 ftMin width 24 ftMIN LOT AREA2,640 sq ftMAX HEIGHT35 ft / 3 storiesMAX LOT COVERAGE40%MAX DENSITY10 du/acMIN OPEN SPACE20%MIN UNIT SIZE1,500 sq ft
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.
2,640 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.
24 ft
Minimum floor areaMinimum floor areaThe smallest dwelling the district permits, in square feet of living space.
1,500 sq ftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.

Density

Maximum density
10 du/acredu/acreDwelling units per acre — the number of homes allowed on each acre of land.
Lot area per dwelling unitLot area per dwelling unitLand required for each home — the same limit as du/acre, expressed per unit instead of per acre.
2,640 sq ftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.

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

FrontSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line.
25 ft
RearSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line.
40 ft
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 storiesStoreysHabitable floor levels. Whether a basement or attic counts is defined by the local code.
3
Maximum lot coverageLot coverageThe share of a lot that buildings may cover, as a percentage.
40%
Minimum open spaceOpen spaceLand a development must leave unbuilt, sometimes required to be usable or planted.
20%

Housing

Single-familySingle-family dwellingOne dwelling unit on its own lot, usually detached from its neighbours.
prohibitedProhibitedNot allowed in the district at all, short of rezoning or a variance.
Two-family
prohibitedProhibitedNot allowed in the district at all, short of rezoning or a variance.
Three-family
by_right
Four-plus family
prohibitedProhibitedNot allowed in the district at all, short of rezoning or a variance.

Servicing

Geographic extent
An R-TH districtZoning districtA mapped area with one set of rules, identified by a code like R-1 or B-2. shall be established only on property that has at least one side contiguous to land zoned other than R-1A, R-1B or O-D.

Uses

Permitted by right1

Accessory5

Extracted standards

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

Design

  • Facade materials

    Townhouse dwellings abutting each other shall have complementary but not identical facade or treatment of materials, predominantly of brick, natural stone or other approved masonry construction.

Other

From the ordinance

Min lot area 2,640 sq ft; min width 24 ft interior, 44 ft corner, 34 ft end; front setback 25 ft; side setback 20 ft corner, 10 ft end; rear 40 ft; max height 35 ft or 3 stories; max coverage 40%; min floor area 1,500 sq ft; max density 10 du/acre.
Sec. 48-331