Alexandria, VA · Alexandria Zoning Ordinance
The OCH zone is Alexandria's highest-intensity office commercial district, concentrated near the Eisenhower Avenue Metro station. Heights exceed 200 feet, FAR up to 6.0. OCH properties anchor Alexandria's primary Class A office market and carry the highest non-residential development potential in the city. Office-to-residential conversion is an active city priority for older OCH buildings.
| Front setback | Dwellings (all types): Not computed here: the ordinance makes it depend on facts about the site | 4-1105(A)(2)(a) |
|---|---|---|
| Other principal uses: No requirement | 4-1105(A)(1) | |
| Continuum of care facility, continuum of care facility: No requirement | 4-1105(A)(4) | |
| Side setback | Single-family detached and two-family: At least 0 ft if the lot width is less than 25 ft; otherwise the greater of 8 ft and the building height divided by 3 if the lot width is at least 25 ft | 4-1105(A)(2)(b) |
| Single-family attached, interior end lot: At least the greater of 8 ft and the building height divided by 3 if the lot width is more than 25 ft; otherwise 0 ft if the lot width is at most 25 ft | 4-1105(A)(2)(b) | |
| Multifamily: At least 0 ft if the lot width is less than 25 ft; otherwise the greater of 16 ft and half of the building height if the lot width is at least 25 ft | 4-1105(A)(2)(b) | |
| Single-family attached, ['interior', 'corner'] lot: No requirement | 4-1105(A)(2)(b) | |
| Other principal uses: No requirement | 4-1105(A)(1) | |
| Continuum of care facility, continuum of care facility: No requirement | 4-1105(A)(4) | |
| Rear setback | Dwellings (all types): At least the greater of 8 ft and the building height minus half of the width of the alley the lot abuts (0 if none) | 4-1105(A)(2)(c) |
| Other principal uses: No requirement | 4-1105(A)(1) | |
| Continuum of care facility, continuum of care facility: No requirement | 4-1105(A)(4) | |
| Maximum height | At most 100 ft | 4-1105(D) |
| Maximum FAR | Other principal uses: At most 2 “The maximum permitted floor area ratio is 3.0 for a lot of record existing on June 24, 1992 that contains less than 15,000 square feet all or a portion of which is within 1,000 feet of the King Street Metro Station; provided however that this subparagraph shall not apply to lots abutting King Street, nor to lots west of Daingerfield Road.” | 4-1105(C)(1) |
| Multifamily: At most 1.25 “For residential uses located within 1,000 feet of a metrorail station the maximum permitted floor area ratio is 2.0, except that the maximum floor area ratio may be increased to an amount not to exceed 3.0 with a special use permit.” “For single-unit, two-unit, and townhouse dwellings within the Old and Historic Alexandria and Parker- Gray Districts only, the maximum permitted floor area ratio is 1.50 not to exceed a maximum of 30 dwelling units for each acre.” | 4-1105(C)(2) | |
| Single-family and two-family dwellings: At most 1.25 “For residential uses located within 1,000 feet of a metrorail station the maximum permitted floor area ratio is 2.0, except that the maximum floor area ratio may be increased to an amount not to exceed 3.0 with a special use permit.” “For single-unit, two-unit, and townhouse dwellings within the Old and Historic Alexandria and Parker- Gray Districts only, the maximum permitted floor area ratio is 1.50 not to exceed a maximum of 30 dwelling units for each acre.” | 4-1105(C)(2) | |
| Continuum of care facility, continuum of care facility: At most 1.25 “For continuum of care facilities located with 1,000 feet of a Metrorail station, the maximum permitted floor area ratio is 2.0 and a maximum of 50 percent of the floor space of the proposed development may be residential use. Except that,” | 4-1105(C)(4)(a) | |
| Dwellings (all types): Not computed here: the ordinance makes it depend on facts about the site | 4-1105(C)(2)(a) | |
| Not computed here: the ordinance makes it depend on facts about the site | 4-1105(C)(3) | |
| Max density | Single-family and two-family dwellings: At most 54.45 dwellings per acre “For single-unit, two-unit, and townhouse dwellings within the Old and Historic Alexandria and Parker- Gray Districts only, the maximum permitted floor area ratio is 1.50 not to exceed a maximum of 30 dwelling units for each acre.” | 4-1105(C)(2) |
| Minimum lot size | Single-family detached: At least 5,000 sq ft | 4-1105(E) |
| Two-family: At least 5,000 sq ft (2,500 times 2) | 4-1105(E) | |
| Minimum lot width | Single-family detached: At least 50 ft | 4-1105(F) |
| Two-family, duplex: At least 50 ft | 4-1105(F) | |
| Two-family, semi-detached: At least 25 times the number of dwelling units | 4-1105(F) | |
| Minimum open space | Dwellings (all types): At least 35% | 4-1105(B)(1) |
| Continuum of care facility, continuum of care facility: At least 25% | 4-1105(B)(2) | |
| Other principal uses: No requirement | 4-1105(A)(1) |
Zone rules are the starting point — the answer for a specific property also depends on lot size, overlays, existing improvements and site conditions. Run a free address lookup to see what applies to one property.
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