zoneoptics
Portsmouth, Virginia · General provision

Sec. 40.2-206(e)

BusinessAll Portsmouth districts0

Dimensional standards

lot requirementsSTREETMIN LOT AREA4,500 sq ftMAX FAR2
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.
4,500 sq ftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.

Height & bulk

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.
2

Housing

Single-familySingle-family dwellingOne dwelling unit on its own lot, usually detached from its neighbours.
prohibitedProhibitedNot allowed in the district at all, short of rezoning or a variance.
Two-family
prohibitedProhibitedNot allowed in the district at all, short of rezoning or a variance.
Three-family
prohibitedProhibitedNot allowed in the district at all, short of rezoning or a variance.
Four-plus family
prohibitedProhibitedNot allowed in the district at all, short of rezoning or a variance.

Servicing

Applies near
HistoricHistoric districtAn area where exterior changes need design review to protect its character. districts
Geographic extent
HistoricHistoric districtAn area where exterior changes need design review to protect its character. districts: Truxtun, Cradock, Port Norfolk, Olde Towne, Park View

Uses

Permitted by right1

Extracted standards

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

Other

From the ordinance

New construction, additions, or other improvements shall not create more than two square feet of floor area per each square foot of lot size. Establishment of a new nonresidential building or conversion of a dwelling unit to an office shall require a minimum lot size of at least 4,500 square feet.
Sec. 40.2-206(e)