Dimensional standards
Height & bulk
Housing
- Two-family
- by_right
Uses
Permitted by right9
Conditional / special use21
- accessory residential dwelling unit
- assisted living facilities
- bed and breakfast inn
- cemetery or mausoleum
- commercial pool, tennis, or recreation facility
- community recreation uses for subdivision residents
- day care, for children
- day care, for adults
- golf course
- group home (9 or more residents)
- library
- multifamily residential
- museums or historic site
- nursing home
- private club, lodge, or fraternal organization
- public buildings, infrastructure, and other facilities
- residential cluster development
- residential uses in accord with Table 9.1
- schools, colleges and academic institutions
- temporary marketing offices for new residential development
- waiver of minimum district size for cluster subdivisions
Accessory1
Extracted standards
26 individual requirements pulled out of this section’s prose, each with the sentence it came from.
Other
- Percentage of required open spaceOpen spaceLand a development must leave unbuilt, sometimes required to be usable or planted. to be active recreation25 pct
Twenty-five (25) percent of the required open space area shall be developed as active recreational space
- Condominium compliance with Virginia Condominium Act
Any proposed condominium development shall be established to ensure full conformity with the Virginia Condominium Act
- Exterior maintenance equipment screening required
All exterior maintenance equipment, including HVAC equipment, electrical equipment, storage tanks, satellite dishes, and garbage dumpsters, shall be screened from off-site and on-site common area view
- Homeowners' association required for common open spaceOpen spaceLand a development must leave unbuilt, sometimes required to be usable or planted.
Common open space, recreational areas and other common properties in a cluster subdivision shall be owned, administered, and maintained by a not-for-profit, property owners' association
- Landscaped perimeter buffer may be required
A landscaped perimeter buffer may be required of any cluster development in accordance with section XXII of this ordinance.
- Maximum ground floor area of freestanding ADUAccessory dwelling unit (ADU)A second, smaller home on a lot that already has one — a garage flat, basement flat or backyard cottage.1,000 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
The ground floor area of a freestanding accessory residential unit shall not exceed one thousand (1,000) square feet of lot coverage or thirty-three (33) percent of the lot coverage of the primary residential unit, whichever is less.
- Maximum ADUAccessory dwelling unit (ADU)A second, smaller home on a lot that already has one — a garage flat, basement flat or backyard cottage. lot coverageLot coverageThe share of a lot that buildings may cover, as a percentage. as percentage of primary unit33 pct
or thirty-three (33) percent of the lot coverage of the primary residential unit, whichever is less.
- Maximum number of side-by-side dwelling unitsDwelling unitOne independent home: its own kitchen, bathroom and entrance. in attached building8 units
Single-family attached buildings shall contain at least two (2) but no more than eight (8) side-by-side dwelling units.
- Maximum share of attached dwellings in cluster33.33 pct
The number of single family attached dwellings shall not exceed one-third of the total number of approved residential units in the R-E cluster subdivision.
- Maximum percentage of lot areaMinimum lot areaThe smallest parcel on which the district allows anything to be built. comprised of slopes, wetlands, etc.20 pct
not greater than twenty (20) percent of the required minimum lot area for each lot is comprised of one or more of the following physical land units: slopes 30% or greater, stormwater management facilities, wetlands, floodplains, transmission lines
- Maximum percentage of required open spaceOpen spaceLand a development must leave unbuilt, sometimes required to be usable or planted. that can be floodplainFloodplainLand expected to flood at a stated frequency, where building carries extra conditions. etc.33.33 pct
No more than one-third of the required common open space in a cluster subdivision shall consist of land classified as one hundred-year floodplain, stream valleys, wetlands, water features, stormwater management and BMP facilities, adverse soils, geologic or terrain characteristics, slopes greater than thirty (30) percent, and/or drainage easements.
- Maximum single family dwellings per lot by rightBy rightPermitted outright: if the plans meet the written rules, permission cannot be withheld.1 dwelling
No more than one single family dwelling shall be permitted by-right per lot.
- Minimum number of side-by-side dwelling unitsDwelling unitOne independent home: its own kitchen, bathroom and entrance. in attached building2 units
Single-family attached buildings shall contain at least two (2) but no more than eight (8) side-by-side dwelling units.
- Minimum separation between driveway entrances80 ft
A residential dwelling lot may be served by more than one driveway entrance from the same street only where driveway entrances are separated by a horizontal distance equal to or greater than eighty (80) feet at the front property line
- Minimum driveway side setbackSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line.5 ft
The outside edge of a driveway may be no closer than five (5) feet to any side yard property boundary.
- Minimum common open spaceOpen spaceLand a development must leave unbuilt, sometimes required to be usable or planted. in cluster subdivision20 pct
Twenty (20) percent of the gross site area of a cluster subdivision shall be common open space dedicated to common usage and ownership.
- Open spaceOpen spaceLand a development must leave unbuilt, sometimes required to be usable or planted. accessible via pedestrian access easements
Open space shall be accessible to all residential lots and residents within the cluster subdivision via dedicated pedestrian access easements.
- Open spaceOpen spaceLand a development must leave unbuilt, sometimes required to be usable or planted. contiguity requirement
Required open space shall be contiguous and shall occupy a single parcel or lot within the subdivision unless a mix of parcels or lots are otherwise approved by the planning commission.
- Private well and septic prohibitedProhibitedNot allowed in the district at all, short of rezoning or a variance.
No private domestic well and septic systems shall be permitted on any lot approved after the date of adoption of this ordinance.
- Public water and sewer required
All R-E District uses shall require public water and sewer service.
- Sidewalk design for interior circulation and access
Sidewalks shall be designed to provide for interior circulation as well as access to existing external public rights-of-way.
- YardYardThe open space left between a building and its lot line — the space a setback creates. and setbackSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line. modification based on 50% of lots within 500 ft500 ft
the zoning administrator may modify the yard and setback requirements of the ordinance to better match the prevailing yard and setback dimensions of nearby homes... when fifty (50) percent or more of residential lots within five hundred (500) feet of the subject property contain existing single family detached dwellings
Parking
- Maximum additional parking vehicles for ADUAccessory dwelling unit (ADU)A second, smaller home on a lot that already has one — a garage flat, basement flat or backyard cottage.2 vehicles
parking shall be restricted to two (2) additional vehicles on a lot.
- Recreational vehicle parking prohibitedProhibitedNot allowed in the district at all, short of rezoning or a variance. in front and side yards
Recreational vehicle parking shall not be permitted within front yard and side yard setbacks.
Setback
- Minimum setbackSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line. of attached buildings from private streets, alleys, travel aisles15 ft
Single-family attached buildings shall maintain a minimum setback of fifteen (15) feet of separation from private streets, alleys, travel aisles.
- Minimum setbackSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line. of attached dwellings from parking areas, sidewalks, pedestrian trails10 ft
Single family attached dwellings shall maintain a minimum setback of ten (10) feet from on- or off-street parking areas, sidewalks, and pedestrian trails.
From the ordinance
The R-E, Estate Residential District (formerly and replacing the R-16) is intended to preserve existing, stable low-density residential areas