zoneoptics
Alexandria, Virginia · General provision

Section 3-1200

TownhouseAll Alexandria districts0

Dimensional standards

lot requirementsSTREETFront 20 ftRear 16 ftSide 8 ftMin width 18 ftMIN LOT AREA2,904 sq ftMIN FRONTAGE18 ftMAX HEIGHT35 ftMAX FAR0.75MAX DENSITY15 du/acMIN OPEN SPACE35%
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.
2,904 sq ftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
Minimum lot widthLot widthHow wide a lot must be, usually measured at the front setback line.
18 ft
Minimum frontageFrontageThe length of a lot line that touches a public street.
18 ft

Density

Maximum density
15 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.
16 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
Maximum floor area ratioFloor area ratio (FAR)Total floor area divided by lot area — an FAR of 2.0 permits 20,000 sq ft of floor on a 10,000 sq ft lot.
0.75
Minimum open spaceOpen spaceLand a development must leave unbuilt, sometimes required to be usable or planted.
35%

Uses

Permitted by right7

Conditional / special use6

Extracted standards

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

Other

  • Co-living dwellings up to two units are nonresidential

    Up to two co-living dwellings, shall be categorized as nonresidential for the purpose of applying the area and bulk regulations of this zone.

  • Public alley or walkway for trash removal

    A public alley or walkway is required to facilitate trash removal.

Parking

  • Co-living parking requirement

    Each such co-living dwelling shall provide the parking required under section 8-200(A)(22).

From the ordinance

The following uses are permitted in the RS zone: (A) Townhouse dwelling; (B) Accessory uses, as permitted by section 7-100; ...
Section 3-1200