Article II, Secs. 98-51 to 98-65
Dimensional standards
Uses
Prohibited11
- Smelting on an industrial scale
- Operating an adult business or use when located within 3,000 feet of any school, place of worship, public or community park, public building, or another adult business or use
- Manufacturing nuclear materials
- Processing, storing or disposing of nuclear waste
- Manufacture of biologically accumulative poisons or other poisons that are, or ever were, registered in accordance with the provisions of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act
- Operation of a municipal solid waste landfill or sanitary landfill or solid waste management facility
- Operation of a construction debris landfill
- Hazardous waste incinerators
- Medical waste incinerators
- Transportation, storage and disposal (TSD) facilities
- Combat/tactical training facility
Extracted standards
38 individual requirements pulled out of this section’s prose, each with the sentence it came from.
Environmental
- Comply with state air pollution regulations
Any activity, operation or device which causes or tends to cause the release of air contaminants into the atmosphere shall comply with the rules and regulations of the commonwealth.
- Electromagnetic radiation interference prohibitedProhibitedNot allowed in the district at all, short of rezoning or a variance.
Any activity, operation or use shall be deemed to cause electromagnetic radiation interference that adversely affects persons or the operation of any equipment across lot lines, and is not in conformance with the regulations of the Federal Communications Commission. All such uses are prohibited.
- Comply with radiation standards
All operations, activities and uses shall comply with the regulations of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission... No activity, operation or use shall cause radiation emissions which are in violation of the Radiation Health and Safety Act of 1968.
- Comply with waste disposal regulations
Any activity, operation or device which causes or tends to cause the discharge or other release of liquid or solid waste into public sanitary sewer, storm drains or public waters shall comply with applicable laws, rules and regulations governing such discharge or release.
Fencing & walls
- Barbed wire prohibitedProhibitedNot allowed in the district at all, short of rezoning or a variance. except farms and industrial
No fence shall be erected of barbed wire, topped with metal spikes or constructed of any material in a manner which may be dangerous to persons or animals except that these provisions shall not apply to farms and that fences for industrial uses may be topped by barbed wire protective barriers. All barbed wire fences shall be faced into the property.
- Farm fences may be placed on property lines
All fences constructed for farm operations may be placed on property lines.
- Finished side of fence faces adjacent properties
All permitted fences shall be situated on a lot in such a manner that the finished side of the fence shall face adjacent properties.
- Fences may be erected up to property line
Fences may be erected up to the property line unless specifically restricted elsewhere in this chapter.
- Maximum tennis court fence heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first.12 ft
A tennis court area may be surrounded by a fence a maximum of 12 feet in height. Its setback from any property line shall be the minimum distance required for accessory buildings in the zoning district in which the tennis court is proposed to be located.
Floodplain
- Lands subject to flooding not platted
Lands subject to flooding and land deemed topographically unsuitable shall not be platted for use which would increase danger to health, life or property or aggravate erosion or flood hazard.
Frontage
- Lot frontageFrontageThe length of a lot line that touches a public street. at street line not less than 2/3 of minimum lot widthLot widthHow wide a lot must be, usually measured at the front setback line.
In no case shall the lot frontage at the street line be less than two-thirds of the minimum lot width required by this chapter.
- Comply with front yardYardThe open space left between a building and its lot line — the space a setback creates. restrictions on all streets
Any building proposed to be constructed on a lot having a frontage on two or more streets shall be so located as to comply with the regulations governing the front yard restrictions and setbacks on all the streets on which such lot has frontage.
Height
- Exemptions from heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first. requirements
Church spires, belfries, cupolas, monuments, water towers, chimneys, flues, flagpoles, television antennas and radio aerials are exempt from any height requirements. Parapet walls may be up to four feet above the height of the building on which the walls rest. Agricultural structures are exempt from the height requirements.
- Maximum heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first. for public or semipublic buildings65 ft
Public or semipublic buildings such as a school, church, library or hospital may be erected to a height of 65 feet from grade, provided that required front, side and rear yards shall be increased one foot for each foot in height over 35 feet.
Landscaping & trees
- Preserve existing landscaping
All plans of development shall preserve existing landscaping whenever possible and supplement existing landscaping with landscaping which will offset the introduction of nuisance creating facilities.
Lighting
- Minimum light intensity in parking areas0.5 foot-candle
The light intensity provided at ground level shall be a minimum of one-half foot candle over the entire area and shall be provided by fixtures with a mounting height of more than 25 feet or the height of the building whichever is less, measured from the ground level to the centerline of the light source. Light standards shall be spaced a distance not to exceed five times the mounting height. No light shall shine into windows or onto streets and driveways in such a manner as to interfere or to obstruct driver vision.
Lot
- Exclusions from minimum lot areaMinimum lot areaThe smallest parcel on which the district allows anything to be built. computation
The following areas shall not be included as part of a lot for the purpose of computing the required minimum area: any existing or required right-of-way, any area within an easement for overhead high voltage utility lines, any area within the floodplain.
- Exemption for lots of record with 20,000 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000. and 100 ft width20,000 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
Lots of record on the date of adoption of this section, provided that they contain a minimum area of 20,000 square feet and have a minimum lot width of 100 feet, are exempt from minimum lot size requirements.
- Increase lot areaMinimum lot areaThe smallest parcel on which the district allows anything to be built. for rights-of-way less than 50 ft
Where a building lot has frontage upon a right-of-way which is less than 50 feet in width, the area of the lot shall be increased in such a manner as to permit the future widening of the right-of-way.
Other
- Driveway access management
Driveways or entrances to streets classified in the adopted comprehensive plan as minor collector, major collector, minor arterial, and major arterial shall be appropriately limited in number and width and effectively spaced.
- SetbackSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line. from primary for accessoryAccessory useA secondary activity customarily incidental to the main use of the lot — a garage, a home office. buildings >50% floor area30 ft
Accessory buildings and structures with greater than 50 percent of the total floor area of the primary building or structure shall be set back a distance of not less than 30 feet from the primary building or structure.
- SetbackSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line. from primary for accessoryAccessory useA secondary activity customarily incidental to the main use of the lot — a garage, a home office. buildings <50% floor area10 ft
Accessory structures with less than 50 percent of the total floor area of the primary building or structure shall be set back not less than ten feet from the primary building or structure.
- AccessoryAccessory useA secondary activity customarily incidental to the main use of the lot — a garage, a home office. buildings attached to principal considered part of principal
Accessory buildings or structures attached to a principal building by any wall or roof construction shall be considered a part of the principal building and shall observe all yard regulations applicable thereto.
- Construction traffic access management
The zoning administrator shall specifically review and approve all construction entrances and the access routes to such construction entrances.
- Comply with fire prevention codes
All operations, activities and uses shall be conducted so as to comply with all applicable fire prevention codes.
- Positive drainage required
Lots shall be graded to secure proper drainage away from buildings and prevent the ponding of stormwater unless within an approved retention or detention basin.
- Preserve natural features
Natural features such as trees, hilltops and views, natural terrain, open waters and natural drainage lines shall be preserved whenever possible in designing any development.
Certain uses have been determined to be entirely inconsistent with the comprehensive plan... (list of prohibited uses)
- Obstructions prohibitedProhibitedNot allowed in the district at all, short of rezoning or a variance. in sight triangles
Signs, plantings, structures, or other obstructions which obscure or impede sight lines between three feet and six feet in height above grade shall be prohibited within the sight triangle.
- Street dedication conforms to subdivision ordinance
The construction, extension and dedication of streets within the county shall conform to the provisions of the subdivision ordinance.
- Street identification signs required
Permanent street identification signs of a design approved by the zoning administrator shall be installed at all intersections by the developer.
- Traffic calming encouraged
Notwithstanding the design criteria established above, the use of appropriate traffic calming measures is encouraged.
- Traffic impact statement required at 100 peak hour trips100 vehicle trips
When the anticipated traffic generation equals or exceeds the lesser of 100 vehicle trips in any peak hour or the thresholds established in 24 VAC 30-155, a traffic impact statement is required.
- Maximum window sill projection6 in
Window sills may project into a required yard a distance not greater than six inches.
Setback
- Zoning administrator may require additional front yardYardThe open space left between a building and its lot line — the space a setback creates. setbacksSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line.
The zoning administrator may require additional front yard setbacks for any new construction or for any structures altered or remodeled adjacent to existing or future planned rights-of-way.
- Docks, piers and boathouses exempt from rear yardYardThe open space left between a building and its lot line — the space a setback creates. setbackSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line.
Docks, piers and boathouses are exempt from the rear yard setback requirements.
- Minimum setbackSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line. from any lot line5 ft
The minimum setback from any lot line for any permitted use, activity, sign, building or structure shall be five feet unless otherwise specifically provided.
- Roadside stand setbackSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line. from right-of-way20 ft
Roadside stands shall be set back at least 20 feet from any right-of-way.
From the ordinance
General area, frontage, yards, height, setback, performance requirements and standards applying to all zoning districts.