Sec. 19.2-22
Dimensional standards
Height & bulk
Servicing
- Applies near
- Bon Air, Chester, Ettrick, Matoaca, Midlothian, Rockwood
- Geographic extent
- Applies to any area zoned NB, CC, and EC within the boundary of the Village OverlayOverlay districtA second set of rules laid over the base district, adding requirements without replacing it., including Bon Air, Chester, Ettrick, Matoaca, Midlothian, and Rockwood.
Extracted standards
19 individual requirements pulled out of this section’s prose, each with the sentence it came from.
Height
- HeightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first. bonus for corner architectural element10 ft
For buildings that abut two arterials or one arterial and one collector road, a significant architectural element such as a bell tower, clock tower or other vertical element on the corner of the building adjacent to the intersection of such roads shall be permitted an additional 10 feet in height above the maximum building height.
- Stepback for buildings over 30 feet10 ft
For buildings fronting on public roads exceeding 30 feet in height, stepbacks shall be provided at either the second or third floor. The stepback shall be a minimum of ten feet behind the facade wall at the ground floor fronting the arterial or public road.
Lighting
- Maximum freestanding light heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first.20 ft
Freestanding lights shall not exceed 20 feet above finished grade, and building-mounted lights shall be no higher than the roofline or parapet wall and directed downward with the exception of architectural lighting.
- Streetlight spacing60 ft
Pedestrian-scale streetlights shall be designed to enhance the pedestrian character of the district, spaced generally 60 feet on center and have fixture mounting heights between 12 and 15 feet above finished grade.
Other
- Buffer exemption within overlayOverlay districtA second set of rules laid over the base district, adding requirements without replacing it.
Buffers as found in 19.2-38 shall not apply within the Village Overlay except for developments along the outer perimeter when adjacent to a residential use or zoning district.
- Drive-through location
Drive-in or drive-through facilities, to include windows, bays or similar uses, shall be arranged so as to minimize the view of such facilities from public roads, and shall not be located between the building and a public road.
- Hardscaped pedestrian clear zone6 ft
Pedestrian movement shall not be hindered and a six foot clear zone shall be maintained for pedestrians.
- Maximum building length400 ft
The maximum building length shall be 400 feet. Buildings that exceed 250 feet in length shall provide breezeways or similar throughways mid-block to provide public pedestrian access to the rear of the building.
- Maximum gas pumps8 count
Up to eight gas pumps (two pumps at each vertical pump station) and four electric vehicle charging stations are allowed on any lot where fuel sales occur.
- Maximum individual nonresidential use size12,000 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
With the exception of hotels, grocery stores, or offices, and with the further exception of uses otherwise complying with the zoning ordinance which are located within a building constructed prior to January 1, 2026, individual nonresidential uses shall not exceed 12,000 square feet of gross floor area per story.
- Minimum masonry facade on first two storiesStoreysHabitable floor levels. Whether a basement or attic counts is defined by the local code.50 pct
Excluding the area for windows and doors, a minimum of 50% of the façade of the first two stories of a building fronting a road or containing a public entrance visible from a road shall be faced with stone, brick, or other masonry material similar in appearance to stone or brick.
- Pedestrian elements required4 count
At least four of the following pedestrian elements are required between buildings and roads, and buildings and parking areas.
- SetbackSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line. reduction for parking access0 ft
Setback may be reduced to 0' if the parking area includes at least one access to a parking area on an adjacent lot that includes at least one ingress and one egress lane.
- SetbackSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line. reduction between residential and commercial0 ft
Setbacks between residential and commercial districts may be reduced to zero feet with no landscaping requirement when part of the same project.
- Shared cross access required
Unless otherwise approved at the time of site plan review, direct and convenient onsite vehicular circulation and access between properties shall be provided.
- Maximum storefront window spacing10 ft
Windows or pedestrian entrances shall be spaced a maximum of 10 linear feet along the front façade.
- Vehicular drives not between building and road
Not including property entrances, vehicular drives shall not be located between a building and a road.
Parking
- Parking location relative to building facade
Parking shall not be located closer to the street than the building facade facing the same street.
- Alternative parking screening
In lieu of the evergreen shrub hedgerow required by Landscaping B, views of parking from roads may be minimized by providing a three to four foot high decorative wall or fence compatible with the building or a combination of walls, fences, and hedges.
From the ordinance
The Village Overlay (VO) District protects the County's historic villages and other unique mixed-use areas, including Bon Air, Chester, Ettrick, Matoaca, Midlothian, and Rockwood.