ZONING ORDINANCE
Town of Tappahannock, Virginia

Adopted Sept 13, 2004

Download the complete document - PDF format Warning - this is a very large document and may take a few minutes to download. 484 KB Historic Overlay Zoning Ordinance - PDF format 51 KB       ARTICLE I. PURPOSE AND AUTHORITY 1       Section 22-1. Authority 1 Section 22-2. Purpose 1 Section 22-3. Jurisdiction 1 Section 22-4. Zoning Districts – Established 1 Section 22-5. Interpretation 2 Section 22-6. Severability 3 Section 22-7. Location and Boundaries of Zones 3 Section 22-8. Permitted Uses 3 Section 22-9. Accessory Uses on Vacant Lots 4 Section 22-10. No Use or Sale of Land or Buildings Except in Conformity with Chapter Provisions 4 Section 22-11. Violations and Penalties 4 Section 22-12. Relationship to Existing Zoning, Subdivision, and Flood Control Ordinances 5 Section 22-13. Fees 5 Section 22-14. Computation of Time 5       ARTICLE II. BASIC DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATIONS 7       Section 22-15. Definitions of Basic Words and Terms 7 Section 22-15.1 General Usage 7 Section 22.15.2 Interpretations by Zoning Administrator or Zoning and Code Compliance Officer 7 Section 22.15.3 Specific Definitions 7 Section 22-16. Reserved 30             ARTICLE III ADMINISTRATIVE MECHANISMS 31       Section 22-17. Appointment and Terms of Planning Commission Members 31 Section 22-18. Meetings of the Planning Commission 31 Section 22-19. Quorum and Voting 31 Section 22-20. Planning Commission Chairman 32 Section 22-21. Powers and Duties of Planning Commission 32 Section 22-22. Advisory Committees 32 Section 22-23. Appointments and Terms of Board of Zoning Appeals 33 Section 22-24. Meetings of the Board of Zoning Appeals 33 Section 22-25. Quorum 34 Section 22-26. Voting 34 Section 22-27. Powers and Duties of Board of Zoning Appeals 34 Section 22-28. Zoning Administrator 35 Section 22-29. Powers and Duties of the Zoning Administrator 35 Section 22-30. Town Council 35             ARTICLE IV DEVELOPMENT APPROVAL 41       Part I Zoning Permits 37 Section 22-31. Permits Required 37 Section 22-32. Severability 37 Section 22-33. Time Limits for Zoning Permits 38 Section 22-34. Permit Application Requirements and Procedures 38 Section 22-35. Certificate of Occupancy 40 Section 22-36. Inspection And Supervision During Installation 41 Section 22-37. Who May Submit Permit Applications 41 Section 22-38. Applications To Be Complete 41 Section 22-39. Staff Consultation Before Formal Application 42 Section 22-40. Staff Consultation After Application Submitted 42 Section 22-41. Authorizing Use Or Occupancy Before Completion Of Development Under Zoning Permit 43 Section 22-42. Completing Developments In Phases 43 Section 22-43. Expiration Of Permits 44 Section 22-44. Effect Of Permit On Successors And Assigns 44 Section 22-45. Amendments To And Modifications Of Permits 45 Section 22-46. Reconsideration Of Board of Zoning Appeals Action 45 Section 22-47. Maintenance Of Common Areas, and Facilities 46 Section 22-48. Records of Zoning Administrators 46 Section 22-49. Structures And Uses To Be As Provided In Zoning Permits, Plans, and Certificates of Occupancy 46       Part II Special Exception Permits 46 Section 22-50. Intent 46 Section 22-51. Initiation of Special Exceptions 46 Section 22-52. Application for Special Exception 47 Section 22-53. Hearing on Application 47 Section 22-54. Authorization 47 Section 22-55. Standards – General 47 Section 22-56. Effect of Denial of a Special Exception 48 Section 22-57. Complaints 48 Section 22-58. Revocation 48 Section 22-59. Standards for Specific Special Exceptions 49             ARTICLE V APPEALS, VARIANCES, INTERPRETATIONS 51       Section 22-60. Appeals 51 Section 22-61. Variances 51 Section 22-62. Interpretations 52 Section 22-63. Requests To Be Heard Expeditiously 53 Section 22-64. Burden of Proof in Appeals and Variances 53 Section 22-65. Board of Zoning Appeals Action on Appeals and Variances 53             ARTICLE VI HEARING PROCEDURES FOR APPEALS AND APPLICATIONS 55       Section 22-66. Hearing Required on Appeals and Applications 55 Section 22-67. Notice of Hearing 55 Section 22-68. Evidence 55             ARTICLE VII ENFORCEMENT AND REVIEW 57       Section 22-72. Complaints Regarding Violations 57 Section 22-73. Persons Liable 57 Section 22-74. Procedures Upon Discovery of Violations 57 Section 22-75. Penalties and Remedies for Violations 57 Section 22-76. Permit Revocation 58 Section 22-77. Judicial Review 58             ARTICLE VIII NONCONFORMING USES 59       Section 22-78. Effective Date of Chapter 59 Section 22-79. Continuation 59 Section 22-80. Repairs and Maintenance 59 Section 22-81. Changes in District Boundaries 59 Section 22-82. Expansion or Enlargement 59 Section 22-83. Nonconforming Lots 60 Section 22-84. Restoration or Replacement 60             ARTICLE IX ZONING DISTRICTS AND ZONING MAP 61       Part I. Zoning Districts 61 Section 22-85. Districts Established 61 Section 22-86. Residential Districts 61 Section 22-87. Commercial/Business Districts 62 Section 22-88. Industrial District 63 Section 22-89. Planned Development Districts 63 Section 22-90. Floating Zones 63       Part II Special Overlay District - Chesapeake Bay Preservation (CBPA) Overlay District 64 Section 22-91. Title 64 Section 22-92. Findings of Fact 64 Section 22-93. Purpose and Intent 64 Section 22-94. Areas of Applicability 65 Section 22-95. Use Regulations 66 Section 22-96. Lot Size 66 Section 22-97. Required Conditions 66 Section 22-98. Conflict with other Regulations 67 Section 22-99. Determining Resource Protection Area Boundaries 67 Section 22-100. Performance Standards 68 Section 22-101. Water Quality Impact Assessment 72 Section 22-102. Plan of Development 77 Section 22-103. Administrative Waivers (Reserved) 82 Section 22-104. Nonconforming Uses and Waivers 82 Section 22-105. Exemptions 82 Section 22-106. Exceptions 85       Part III Special Overlay District - Airport Overlay District 86 Section 22-107. Title 86 Section 22-108. Purpose and Intent 87 Section 22-109. Airport Safety Zones 87 Section 22-110. Airport Safety Zone Height Limitations 87 Section 22-111. Nonconforming Uses 87 Section 22.112. Permits 88       Part IV. Zoning Map 89 Section 22-113. Identification of Official Zoning Map 89 Section 22-114. Amendment of Official Zoning Map 89 Section 22-115. Unauthorized Changes 89 Section 22-116. Replacement of Official Zoning Map 89 Section 22-117. Interpretation of District Boundaries 90 Section 22-118. Amendments to the Official Zoning Map 90       ARTICLE X PERMISSIBLE USES 91       Section 22-119. Use of the Designations P and SE in the Table of Permissible Uses 91 Section 22-120. Permissible Uses and Specific Exclusions 91 Section 22-121. Accessory Uses 92 Section 22-122. Permissible Uses Not Requiring Permits 92 Section 22-123. Change in Use 93 Section 22-124. Combination Uses 94 Section 22-125. Permissible Uses Tables 94             ARTICLE XI SUPPLEMENTARY USE REGULATIONS 105       Section 22-126. Animal Boarding Places - Kennels and Veterinary Hospitals (5.02.300) 105 Section 22-127. Antenna or Tower - greater than 50 feet in height and associated substation (4.06.300) 105 Section 22-128. Boardinghouses, Bed and Breakfasts, Country Inns (3.04.100) 105 Section 22-129. Child or Elderly Day Care Centers (3.03.220) 106 Section 22-130. Flea or Open Air Market (6.01.300) 106 Section 22-131. Golf Courses and Country Clubs (4.02.220) 106 Section 22-132. Golf Driving Ranges, Par 3 Golf and Miniature Golf Courses,     Skateboard Parks, Waterslides, Batting Cages, and Similar Uses (4.02.230) 107 Section 22-133. Group Residential Facility for Housing Exceptional People (3.03.100) 108 Section 22-134. Home Occupations (5.01.117) 109 Section 22-135. Hotels and Motels (3.04.200) 110 Section 22-136. Manufactured Home Park (MH-1) Standards (3.01.200 and 3.01.300) 110 Section 22-137. Mini-warehouses (7.02.230) 112 Section 22-138. Nursing/Elderly Care Homes (3.03.410) 113 Section 22-139. Pet shops (6.01.112) 114 Section 22-140. Primary Residence with Accessory Apartment (3.01.500) 114 Section 22-141. Public Utility Buildings and Public Utility Structures (4.06.200) 115 Section 22-142. Retail Establishments in an Office Building (6.01.114) 116 Section 22-143. Residential Structures - Multi-family Conversion (3.02.400) 116 Section 22-144. Residential Structures - Multi-family Structures (3.02.100) 117 Section 22-145. Residential Structures - Townhouses (3.02.200) 117 Section 22-146. Satellite Dish (4.07.000) 118 Section 22-147. Shop for furniture construction, finishing, refinishing, and assembly (7.01.210) 119             ARTICLE XII PLANNED DEVELOPMENTS 121       Section 22-148. Intent 121 Section 22-149. Conditions 121 Section 22-150. Contents of a General Development Plan 121 Section 22-151. Types of Planned Developments 121 Section 22-152. Administrative Procedures for Planned Developments 122 Section 22-153. Residential Mixed Use Development (RMX) 124 Section 22-154. Planned Business Park District (B-P) 125             ARTICLE XIII DENSITY AND DIMENSIONAL REGULATIONS 129       Section 22-155. Minimum Lot Size 129 Section 22-156. Residential Density 129 Section 22-157. Minimum Lot Widths 129 Section 22-158. Building Setback Requirements 129 Section 22-159. Accessory Building Requirements 131 Section 22-160. Building Height Limitations 131 Section 22-161. Cluster Subdivisions 132 Section 22-162. Schedule of Zone Regulations 134             ARTICLE XIV RECREATIONAL FACILITIES AND OPEN SPACE 137       Section 22-163. Recreational Facilities Required 137 Section 22-164. Recreational Facilities: Purpose and Standards 137 Section 22-165. Provision of Common Open Space 137 Section 22-166. Open Space Requirement – Ownership 138 Section 22-167. Management of Common Open Space Property 138 Section 22-168. Bond for Improvements 139 Section 22-169. Homeowners Associations 139 Section 22-170. Flexibility in Administration Authorized 139             ARTICLE XV UTILITIES 141       Section 22-171. Utility Ownership and Easement Rights 141 Section 22-172. Underground Utilities 141 Section 22-173. Utilities To Be Consistent With Internal and External Development 141 Section 22-174. Electric Service 141 Section 22-175. Lighting Requirements 141 Section 22-176. Lighting Standards Guidelines 142 Section 22-177. Sites For and Screening of Dumpsters 142             ARTICLE XVI SIGNS 143       Section 22-178. Effective Date 143 Section 22-179. Permit Required for Signs 143 Section 22-180. Signs Excluded From Regulation 143 Section 22-181. Certain Temporary Signs: Permit Exemptions and Additional Regulations 144 Section 22-182. Determining the Number of Signs 145 Section 22-183. Computation of Sign Area 146 Section 22-184. Total Building Sign Surface Area 146 Section 22-185. Freestanding Sign Surface Area 146 Section 22-186. Number of Freestanding Signs 147 Section 22-187. Subdivision and Multi-Family Entrance Signs 147 Section 22-188. Location and Height Requirements 147 Section 22-189. Sign Illumination and Signs Containing Lights 148 Section 22-190. Miscellaneous Restrictions and Prohibitions 148 Section 22-191. Maintenance of Signs 149 Section 22-192. Unlawful Cutting of Trees or Shrubs 150 Section 22-193. Nonconforming Signs 150 Section 22-194. Exception for Historic, Unique, or Visually Significant Signs 151 Section 22-195. Signs to Be Used on Parcels of Commercial or Business Park Property     with Multiple Uses. 151 Section 22-196. Maximum Total Sign Area by Zoning District 153 Section 22-197. Permitted Signs by Type and Zoning District 154 Section 22-198. Reserved 154             ARTICLE XVII PARKING 155       Part I Parking 155 Section 22-199. Number of Parking Spaces Required 155 Section 22-200. Flexibility in Administration Required 157 Section 22-201. Parking Space Dimensions 158 Section 22-202. Required Widths of Parking Area Aisles and Driveways 158 Section 22-203. General Design Requirements 158 Section 22-204. Vehicle Accommodation Area Surfaces 160 Section 22-205. Joint Use of Required Parking Spaces 160 Section 22-206. Satellite Parking 161 Section 22-207. Special Provisions For Lots With Existing Buildings 162 Section 22-208. Loading and Unloading Areas 162 Section 22-209. Parking facilities for the Physically Handicapped 163       Part II Landscaping of Parking Facilities 164 Section 22-210. Intent 164 Section 22-211. Sites Affected 164 Section 22-212. Perimeter Landscaping 164 Section 22-213. Interior Landscaping for Parking Lots 167             ARTICLE XVIII SCREENING AND SHADING 169       Part I Buffers 169 Section 22-213. Purpose 169 Section 22-214. Location of Bufferyards 169 Section 22-215. Determination of Required Bufferyard 169 Section 22-216. Responsibility for Bufferyards 170 Section 22-217. Tables of Required Bufferyards 170 Section 22-218. Bufferyard Requirements 171 Section 22-219. Bufferyard Use 171 Section 22-220. Ownership of Bufferyards 171