Amherst

A family day home, as defined in Code of Virginia, § 22.1-289.02, serving one through four children, exclusive of the provider's own children and any children who reside in the home, shall be considered as residential occupancy by a single family.

Temporary family health care structures for use by a caregiver in providing care for a mentally or physically impaired person and on property owned or occupied by the caregiver as his residence shall be considered a permitted accessory use in any single-family residential zoning district on lots zoned for single-family detached dwellings. Such structures shall not require a special use permit or be subjected to any other local requirements beyond those imposed upon other authorized accessory structures, except as otherwise provided in this section. Such structures shall comply with all setback requirements that apply to the primary structure and with any maximum floor area ratio limitations that may apply to the primary structure. Only one family health care structure shall be allowed on a lot or parcel of land.

All lighting facilities shall be arranged so that light is directed downward, and not horizontally or at adjacent properties, with special care to not negatively impact residential areas.

All lighting facilities shall be arranged so that light is directed downward, and not horizontally or at adjacent properties, with special care to not negatively impact residential areas.

Short-term rentals are allowed as a special use permit in multiple districts. Where allowed by SUP, the process includes an additional application and management plan that addresses key components of short-term rentals.

Short-term rentals are allowed as a special use permit in multiple districts.

Every use or building instituted, constructed, erected, enlarged or structurally altered shall provide off-street parking and loading facilities in accordance with the provisions of this article.

Every use or building instituted, constructed, erected, enlarged or structurally altered shall provide off-street parking and loading facilities in accordance with the provisions of this article.

The off-street parking facilities required by this article shall be located on the same lot or parcel of land that they are intended to serve. Where practical difficulties prevent such location or where the public safety or the public convenience would be better served by an alternate location, the planning commission may authorize the alternate or cooperative location as a part of a site plan approval.

Parallel spaces shall have minimum dimensions of eight feet by 22 feet. All other parking spaces shall have minimum dimensions of nine feet by 18 feet, except as follows: (1) Spaces in a parking garage shall have minimum dimensions of 8½ feet by 18 feet. (2) The planning commission, as a part of the site plan review process, may approve spaces with minimum dimensions of 8½ feet by 18 feet for vehicle storage lots for automobile dealers, overflow parking areas and other low turnover parking facilities.

Off-street parking and loading requirements for all uses.

Every parking space shall afford satisfactory ingress and egress for a motor vehicle without requiring another motor vehicle to be moved, except for parking spaces for single-family detached, duplex and townhouse dwellings where the parking spaces are located on the same lot as the dwelling unit.

Parking spaces and driveways for single-family dwelling units shall be constructed of gravel, compacted stone, concrete, asphalt, brick or paving stones. Parking spaces and driveways for other than single-family dwelling units shall be constructed of concrete, asphalt, brick or paving stones.

When the units of measurements determining the number of required parking spaces results in the requirement of a fractional space, any fraction less than one-half shall be disregarded, and fractions of one-half or over one-half shall require one additional parking space. The parking space requirement for a use not specifically mentioned shall be the same as required for a use of similar nature, as determined by the zoning administrator. In the case of mixed uses, the parking spaces required shall equal the sum of the requirements of the various uses computed separately.

no off-street parking will be required in the case of a change in use of a building that is more than 30 years old and in the CBD Central Business District.

no off-street parking will be required in the case of a change in use of a building that is more than 30 years old and in the CBD Central Business District.

Each off-street loading space shall have minimum dimensions of 14 feet in height, 12 feet in width, and 50 feet in length.

There shall be provided for each hospital, hotel, commercial, or industrial building, or similar use requiring the receipt or distribution of materials or merchandise and having a floor area of more than 10,000 square feet, at least one off-street loading space for each 25,000 square feet of floor space or fraction thereof, but not less than two.

The following signs shall be permitted in all sign districts and shall not require a sign permit... (1) Temporary signs... a. When buildings are under construction... maximum sign area of each such sign shall be 32 square feet. b. When a property is offered for lease or for sale... 1. In the residential sign and mixed use districts, the maximum aggregate sign area shall be four square feet and the maximum height shall be 12 feet. 2. In the commercial and industrial sign district, the maximum aggregate sign area shall be 32 square feet and the maximum height shall be 12 feet. c. When a business in the mixed use or commercial and industrial sign district opens... maximum aggregate sign area shall be 32 square feet. d. When a dwelling in a residential sign district is holding a yard sale, signs may be displayed for only 48 hours... e. For special events... up to two signs of up to four square feet each for up to five days in any 60-day period. f. Signs on private property... aggregate sign area is not larger than 40 square feet in the mixed use and commercial and industrial sign districts or 16 square feet in the residential and agricultural sign district, and the total number of signs on a parcel cannot exceed two. Such signs shall be removed within 60 days of installation, and no property can display such signs for more than a total of 120 days per year. (2) Permanent signs. a. One sign at each parking lot entrance... not exceeding three square feet. b. Nonilluminated names of buildings... maximum size of such sign shall be 32 square feet.

For residential uses in the commercial and industrial sign district, signs shall be regulated as in the residential and agricultural sign district. For all other uses, the following regulations shall apply: (1) Freestanding signs. a. Number of freestanding signs permitted: One. b. Maximum sign area: 1. 40 square feet. 2. For shopping centers of 60,000 square feet or greater of retail space, or single users of 40,000 square feet or greater, 200 square feet total. c. Maximum height: 12 feet, or in the case of subsection (1)b.2 of this section, 25 feet. d. Setback: Seven feet. (2) Building-mounted signs... a. Number of building-mounted signs permitted: Up to four on a single building... b. Maximum sign area: 1. Mounted flat against the building: 60 square feet. 2. Projecting configuration: 12 square feet. 3. For shopping centers or large users... 120 square feet for the center. 4. Restaurants located in a B-2 district are also permitted to have up to 30 square feet of signage in menu boards... c. Maximum height: All areas of building mounted signs shall be located below the ridge line of a gable roof building or the top of the parapet of a flat-roofed building.