zoneoptics
Virginia Beach, Virginia · District

B-1

Neighborhood Business District
CommercialNeighborhoodAll Virginia Beach districts0

Dimensional standards

B-1 lot requirementsSTREETbuildable areaFront 20 ftRear 10 ftSide 8 ftMin width 200 ftMIN LOT AREA40,000 sq ftMAX HEIGHT35 ftMAX DENSITY36 du/ac
Plan view of the district’s stated lot requirements. Solid line: the property line. Dashed: the setback lines the ordinance imposes; a building must stay inside the tinted envelope. Drawn from the figures extracted below — illustrative, not a survey.

Lot

Minimum lot areaMinimum lot areaThe smallest parcel on which the district allows anything to be built.
40,000 sq ftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000. (0.92 acacre43,560 square feet — about the size of an American football field without the end zones.)
Minimum lot widthLot widthHow wide a lot must be, usually measured at the front setback line.
200 ft

Density

Maximum density
36 du/acredu/acreDwelling units per acre — the number of homes allowed on each acre of land.

SetbacksSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line.

FrontSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line.
20 ft
RearSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line.
10 ft
SideSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line.
8 ft

Height & bulk

Maximum heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first.
35 ft

Uses

Permitted by right13

Conditional / special use6

Prohibited41

Extracted standards

7 individual requirements pulled out of this section’s prose, each with the sentence it came from.

Signage

From the ordinance

The maximum height for all uses and structures within the B-1 Neighborhood Business District and B-1A Limited Community Business District shall be thirty-five (35) feet.
Sec. 904(a)

Use details

{
  "dropped_conditions": {
    "permitted_uses": [
      "Animal hospitals, veterinary establishments, pounds, shelters, commercial kennels, provided all animals shall be kept in soundproofed, air-conditioned buildings",
      "Bakeries, confectioneries and delicatessens, provided that products prepared or processed on the premises shall be sold only at retail and only on the premises",
      "Public utilities installations and substations provided storage and maintenance facilities shall not be permitted; and provided further that utilities substations, other than individual transformers, shall be surrounded by Category IV screening solid except for entrances and exits; and provided also, transformer vaults for underground utilities and the like shall require only Category I screening, solid except for access openings"
    ],
    "prohibited_uses": [
      "Automobile repair garages and small engine repair establishments, provided that all repair work shall be performed within a building",
      "Motor vehicle sales and rental, provided such use is wholly enclosed within a building, and further provided that no outdoor use accessory to or in conjunction with the principal use shall be allowed",
      "Recreational and amusement facilities of an outdoor nature, which may be partially or temporarily enclosed on a seasonal basis with approval of city council; provided that, in the development of such properties, safeguards are provided to preserve and protect the existing character of adjacent properties, except that riding academies and recreational campgrounds shall not be allowed as a conditional use or otherwise"
    ]
  }
}