Essex County Unincorporated
Zoning districts
20 districts, grouped by category.
Agricultural
2Commercial
6Local Business District
- Max height
- 35 ft
- Permitted uses
- 2
General Business District
- Max height
- 35 ft
- Permitted uses
- 4
Industrial
4Residential
8Mobile Home Park District
- Max height
- 45 ft
- Front setback
- 20 ft
- Permitted uses
- 1
Very Low Density Residential District
- Front setback
- 50 ft
- Permitted uses
- 10
R-2 Low Density Residential District
- Front setback
- 35 ft
- Permitted uses
- 10
Medium Density Residential District
- Min lot
- 2,000 sq ft
- Max height
- 35 ft
- Front setback
- 20 ft
- Max density
- 8 du/ac
- Permitted uses
- 3
General provisions
335 rules that bind every district rather than one — sign regulations, parking, floodplain and the rest of the code’s citywide chapters.
Such structures shall comply with all setback requirements that apply to the principal building.
No exterior signage shall be permitted, except for a single sign not exceeding two square feet in area.
The area devoted to the home occupation shall not exceed more than the equivalent of one-half of one floor of the dwelling unit.
The principal person conducting the home occupation accessory use shall be a full-time resident of the dwelling.
The minimum required area for the use shall be one acre.
Any pens or kennels shall be setback 100 feet from the property lines of adjoining agricultural zoned property
Any pens or kennels shall be setback 100 feet from the property lines of adjoining agricultural zoned property;
No outdoor storage shall be located within 100 feet of any residential district.
Storage areas shall be screened by a solid wall or fence, including solid entrance and exit gates, not less than six feet nor more than ten feet in height.
Storage areas shall be screened by a solid wall or fence, including solid entrance and exit gates, not less than six feet nor more than ten feet in height.
The short-term rental shall provide one parking space for each guest room, in addition to the parking required for the dwelling unit.
Short-term rental means a residential dwelling unit that is used or advertised for rent for transient occupancy in increments of fewer than 30 consecutive days.
No host shall operate a short-term rental business without having registered with the Zoning Administrator as required by Code of Virginia, § 15.2-983, as amended.
Temporary construction trailers and buildings shall be located a minimum of 10 feet from any property line.
Temporary construction trailers and temporary buildings, used in conjunction with construction work only and not for residential occupancy, may be permitted in any district during the period construction work is in progress.
Temporary construction trailers and temporary buildings, used in conjunction with construction work only and not for residential occupancy, may be permitted in any district during the period construction work is in progress.
No sign shall be located closer than five feet to any right-of-way line.
No sign shall be located closer than five feet to any right-of-way line. ... Signs projecting over public walkways shall be a minimum height of 8 feet from grade level to the bottom of the sign. Projecting signs shall not extend more than 6 feet beyond the face of the building. ... Minor signs, not exceeding three square feet each in area. ... Temporary nonilluminated signs not exceeding four square feet in sign area and erected for not more than 90 consecutive days.
Flags not exceeding 50 square feet in area; Minor signs, not exceeding three square feet each in area. Freestanding minor signs shall be located a minimum distance of twenty-five feet apart.
The following signs are prohibited: ... Off-premises signs; ... Animated signs; ... Flashing signs
Source documents
The chapters of the adopted code that were retrieved, read and extracted from. Everything above traces back to one of these.