Richmond

Old and historic districts shall be in addition to the underlying zoning and shall be applied so as to overlay and be superimposed on such other zoning districts as permitted by this chapter and shown on the official zoning map.

No person shall construct, alter, reconstruct, repair, restore, or demolish all or a part of any building, structure, or site within a design overlay district without first obtaining design approval from the Urban Design Committee.

The following shall be prohibited in all districts... Animated signs, portable signs, commercial flag signs...

No building or structure or any exterior portion thereof, sign or driveway shall be constructed, altered, reconstructed, repaired, restored or demolished within any design overlay district unless ... approved by the designee of the Urban Design Committee ...

For dwelling uses, tourist homes, and shelters, windows or glass doors or both that allow views out of the interior building space shall comprise a minimum of 30 percent of the building façade between two and eight feet in height above the floor level of each story above the street level story.

The Zoning Administrator shall respond within 90 days of a request for a decision or determination on zoning matters within the scope of his authority unless the requester has agreed to a longer period.

Approval of a building permit or land-disturbing permit shall not be granted by the Commissioner of Buildings until satisfactory evidence has been presented to the Zoning Administrator that any delinquent real estate taxes applicable to the subject property have been paid

No certificate of use and occupancy shall be issued for any development within a Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area until all requirements of Chapter 14, Article IV and the approved Chesapeake Bay Site Plan have been met.

Temporary certificates of use and occupancy approved by the Zoning Administrator shall state the nature of the incomplete work and the time period within which the work must be completed, which in no case shall exceed 120 calendar days.

It shall be unlawful for any person to use or to permit the use of any building, structure or premises or portion thereof, other than an existing single-family dwelling, unless a certificate of zoning compliance for such building, structure or premises or portion thereof shall have been approved by the Zoning Administrator as required by this article. It shall also be unlawful for any person to construct or erect any building or structure which is exempt from application for a building permit under the provisions of the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code and which is three feet or greater in height, unless a certificate of zoning compliance for such building or structure has been approved by the Zoning Administrator. However, a certificate of zoning compliance shall not be required for fences, walls, poles, posts and other customary yard ornaments and accessories which are exempt from application for a building permit and which are permitted by the provisions of this chapter.

It shall be unlawful for any person to use or to permit the use of any building, structure or premises or portion thereof, other than an existing single-family dwelling, unless a certificate of zoning compliance for such building, structure or premises or portion thereof shall have been approved by the Zoning Administrator... It shall also be unlawful for any person to construct or erect any building or structure which is exempt from application for a building permit under the provisions of the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code and which is three feet or greater in height, unless a certificate of zoning compliance has been approved.

Site plan approval shall not fulfill any other approval requirement imposed on a proposed development by this Code or other applicable law, regulation, or policy, or serve as the basis for any such approval.

a development on a lot within fifty (50) feet of the James River floodwall, a development for which site plan review is required by this Chapter, or a development that involves one (1) or more of the following, shall require final site plan approval: (1) Clearing, grading, excavating, filling, or otherwise disturbing a land area of a. Four thousand (4,000) square feet or greater, or b. Two thousand, five hundred (2,500) square feet or greater if within a designated Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act Area; (2) Installation, relocation, extension, upgrading, upsizing, or increase in the capacity of any public right-of-way or public utility, including the addition or alteration of any vehicular access to a lot; (3) An increase of ten (10) percent or greater in the number of vehicular parking spaces, or where a proposed development includes new installation of any of the following: vehicular drive-ups, drive-throughs, fuel pumps, or charging stations intended for public use; or (4) Increase in the usable space of any building or structure by two thousand five hundred (2,500) or more square feet, as measured by applicable building codes.

Prior to zoning administrator review of an application for building permit or certificate of occupancy, a development on a lot within fifty (50) feet of the James River floodwall, a development for which site plan review is required by this Chapter, or a development that involves one (1) or more of the following, shall require final site plan approval: ...

For a site plan that does not solely involve lots of commercial or residential real estate, the Director shall act on any proposed site plan the Director has previously disapproved within forty-five (45) days after such site plan has been modified, corrected, and resubmitted for approval.

The Director shall render a decision to approve or disapprove an officially submitted site plan in the form of a written notice to the applicant within one of the following timeframes: a. sixty (60) days from the date an original site plan was first officially submitted; or b. forty-five (45) days from the date a modified and corrected site plan that was previously disapproved was officially resubmitted; or c. thirty-five (35) days from the date all applicable state agencies and public authorities authorized by state law have provided the Director their written responses for a site plan that requires such responses.

For purposes of this Section 30-1030.5, 'minor modification' means a modification to a site plan that satisfies the following criteria: a. Does not involve a change of more than ten (10) percent of any element of the development, including without limitation any of the following: height, density, open space, parking area, impervious area, the size of any yard, fenestration, signage; b. Does not involve a change in use of the development or portion thereof; c. Does not propose a new development feature; d. Does not adjust the location or nature of either vehicular, pedestrian, or other access ways; or the intersection of any such way with public right-of-way; e. Does not require additional review by any state agency or public authority authorized by state law; f. Will not increase demand for or require additional public facilities or services; and g. Otherwise allows the development to remain substantially the same as that shown on the originally approved site plan.

Does not involve a change of more than ten (10) percent of any element of the development, including without limitation any of the following: height, density, open space, parking area, impervious area, the size of any yard, fenestration, signage;

An approved final site plan shall be valid for a period of five (5) years, to expire on the fifth anniversary of the date of initial approval. The Director, upon the written request of an applicant, may, at the time of final site plan approval, grant an approved final site plan a period of validity longer than five (5) years, but not to exceed ten (10) years. In response to an extension request, the Director may approve a longer period of validity for a final site plan as the Director deems reasonable, which period shall not exceed five (5) years from the date the final site plan would have expired.

once a preliminary site plan is granted tentative approval, it shall be valid for a period of five (5) years, provided the applicant submits a final site plan for all or for a portion of the property within one (1) year of such approval and thereafter diligently pursues approval of the final site plan.