zoneoptics
Falls Church, Virginia · General provision

Sec. 48-365

MultifamilyAll Falls Church districts0

Dimensional standards

lot requirementsSTREETFront 25 ftRear 40 ftSide 18 ftMin width 100 ftMIN LOT AREA1 acMAX HEIGHT35 ft / 2.5 storiesMAX LOT COVERAGE25%MAX IMPERVIOUS50%
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.
43,560 sq ftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000. (1 acacre43,560 square feet — about the size of an American football field without the end zones.)
Minimum lot widthLot widthHow wide a lot must be, usually measured at the front setback line.
100 ft

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.
18 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.
2.5
Maximum lot coverageLot coverageThe share of a lot that buildings may cover, as a percentage.
25%
Maximum impervious coverageImpervious coverageThe share of a lot covered by anything water cannot soak through — roofs, drives, patios.
50%

Housing

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

Uses

Permitted by right5

Conditional / special use3

Accessory17

Extracted standards

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

Other

  • Landscape architect required

    Multifamily dwellings not exceeding three stories in height, provided that the lawn and planting areas shall be designed by a landscape architect registered in the state.

From the ordinance

Min lot area: multifamily 43,560 sq ft; boardinghouses 7,500; other 20,000. Min lot width: 100 ft. Yards: front 25, side 15-18, rear 40. Max height: 35 ft or 3 stories. Max coverage: 25% buildings, 50% with parking.
Sec. 48-365