Department of Planning & Community Development

Long Range Planning Projects

ACCESSORY USE: A use or structure subordinate to the main use or structure on the same lot and serving a purpose naturally incidental to the main use or structure.  When an accessory structure is attached to the main structure in a substantial manner, as by a wall or roof, such accessory structure shall be considered a part of the main structure.

ADULT RETIREMENT COMMUNITY: A planned development providing residences for elderly persons that emphasizes social and recreational activities but may also provide personal services, limited health facilities, and transportation.

AGRICULTURAL ENTERPRISE:       Agricultural related use that provides an agricultural service or produces goods from agricultural resources.  These include processes that are a direct outgrowth, yet more intensive, of the products derived through agriculture, as defined.  Related uses include sawmill, winery and other similar facilities.

AGRICULTURE: The use of land for agricultural purposes, including farming, dairying, pasturage agriculture, aquaculture, horticulture, floriculture, viticulture, forestry, livestock, and poultry and the necessary accessory uses for packing, treating, or storing the produce.

AGRICULTURAL SALES, WHOLESALE:  The wholesale distribution of agricultural related products including, but not limited to, farm tools and implements, tack, animal care products, and other farm supplies.  This definition excludes the sale of large implements, such as tractors and combines, but shall include harnesses, saddles, and other related equine equipment.

ALLEY:  A service roadway providing a secondary means of access to abutting property and not intended for general traffic circulation.

ALTERATION: Any change in the total floor area, use or adaptability of an existing structure.

AMUSEMENT, COMMERCIAL: The provision of entertainment or games of skill to the general public for a fee, as permitted by general law.

AMUSEMENT, PUBLIC: Fund-raising activities including those activities sponsored by charitable organizations for which remuneration must be paid by sponsor.

ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY: A publicly or privately operated long-term care alternative for persons aged 55 and over, or persons with disabilities, as defined by the Federal Americans with Disabilities Act, that provides the availability of professionally managed personal and health care services to occupants on premises.  These premises are designed for this population; are residential in character and appearance; may include cooking facilities; and in all respects are intended to enable residents to age in place in a home-like environment.  The facility operation shall have the capacity to provide residents with an array of services supporting Activities of Daily Living (ADL’s) that may include, but are not necessarily limited to, meals, personal care housekeeping, transportation, and supervision of self-administered medication, while optimizing their physical and psychological independence.  Such facility shall be deemed a single unit for purpose of calculating density. 

AUCTION HOUSE: A place where objects of art, furniture, and other goods are offered for sale to persons who bid on the object in competition with each other, with all events and storage of inventory entirely enclosed in a building or structure.

AUTOMOBILE GRAVEYARD: Any lot or place which is exposed to the weather and upon which more than five (5) motor vehicles of any kind that are incapable of being operated, and which it would not be economically practical to make operative, are placed, located or found.  See Salvage and scrap yard use.

AUTOMOBILE REPAIR SERVICE ESTABLISHMENT: A facility for the general repair, rebuilding, or reconditioning of engines, motor vehicles, or trailers, or providing collision services, including body, frame, or fender repair, and overall painting.

AUTOMOBILE SALES: The use of any building, land area or other premises for the display of new and used automobiles, trucks, vans, or motorcycles for sale or rent, including any warranty repair work and other repair service conducted as an accessory use.

AVIATION FACILITY: Facilities for the take-off and landing of aircraft, including runways, aircraft storage buildings, helicopter pads, air traffic control facilities, informational facilities and devices, terminal buildings, aircraft maintenance facilities, aviation instruction facilities, and heliports.

BAKERY: A place for preparing, cooking, baking, and selling of products on the premises.

BASE FLOOD/ONE-HUNDRED YEAR FLOOD: A flood that, on the average, is likely to occur once every 100 years (i.e., that has a one (1) percent chance of occurring each year, although the flood may occur in any year).

BASEMENT:  Any area of the building having its floor sub-grade (below ground level) on all sides.

BED AND BREAKFAST: A transient lodging establishment, within an owner occupied property, primarily engaged in providing overnight or otherwise temporary lodging for the general public and may provide meals for compensation.

BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS:  The board appointed to review appeals made by individuals with regard to decisions of the Zoning Administrator in the interpretation of this ordinance.

BOARDING HOUSE: A building where, for compensation, lodging and meals are provided for at least five (5) and up to fourteen (14) persons.

BUILDING: Any structure having a roof supported by columns or walls, for the housing or enclosure of persons, animals or property.

BUILDING MASS: The height, width, and depth of a structure

BUILDING, HEIGHT OF: The vertical distance from the grade to the highest point of the coping of a flat roof or to the deck line of a mansard roof, or to the average height of the highest gable of a pitch or hip roof.

BUILDING, MAIN: The principal building or one of the principal buildings on a lot, or the building or one of the principal building housing the principal use on the lot.

BUTCHER SHOP:  A shop in which meat, poultry, and fish are processed and sold.

CABARET, ADULT:  A building or portion of a building regularly featuring dancing or other live entertainment if the dancing or entertainment that constitutes the primary live entertainment is distinguished or characterized by an emphasis on the exhibition of specified sexual activities or specified anatomical areas for observation by patrons therein.  See Entertainment establishment, adult use.

CAMP: A tract of land, complete with all necessary and accessory uses and structures, used for organized recreational activities under trained supervision.  Seasonal accommodations may be provided and such uses shall include boarding camps, day camps and summer camps.  

CAMPGROUND: An area to be used for transient occupancy by camping in tents, camp trailers, travel trailers, motor homes, or similar transportable or temporary sleeping quarters of any kind.  For purposes of this definition, transient shall be for no more than 120 days.

CAR WASH:  Facilities for the washing and cleaning of vehicles, including automatic and self-service car washes.  

CELLAR: The portion of the building partly underground, having half or more than half of its clear height below the average grade of the adjoining ground.

CEMETERY, COMMERCIAL: A place where human remains are interred, above or below ground, and where plots are sold for that purpose, and perpetual care of the graves is furnished.  Such uses shall also allow for cemeteries for the burial of domestic animal remains.  

CEMETERY, NON-COMMERCIAL: A place where human remains are interred above or below ground and where plots are not sold.  Such uses shall also allow for cemeteries for the burial of domestic animal remains.  

CENTRAL SEWERAGE SYSTEM: A sewerage system consisting of pipelines or conduits, pumping stations, force mains or sewage treatment plants, including, but not limited to, septic tanks and/or drain fields, or any of them designed to serve three or more connections, used for conducting or treating sewage which is required to be approved by the board of supervisors pursuant to Title 15.1, Chapter 9, Article 9 of the Code of Virginia.  See Utilities, major and minor uses.

CENTRAL WATER SUPPLY: A water supply consisting of a well, springs or other source and the necessary pipes, conduits, mains, pumping stations and other facilities in connection therewith, to serve or to be capable of serving three or more connections, which is required to be approved by the board of supervisors pursuant to Title 15.1, Chapter 9, Article 7 of the Code of Virginia.  See Utilities, major and minor uses.

CLUSTER DEVELOPMENT: A development design technique that concentrates buildings on a portion of the site to allow the remaining land to be used for recreation, open space, or the preservation of historically or environmentally sensitive features.

COMMISSION, THE: The Planning Commission of Fluvanna County, Virginia.

COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE:  Establishment primarily engaged in the provision of broadcasting and other information relay services accomplished through the use of electronic and telephonic mechanisms.  Excluded from this use type are facilities classified as major utilities or telecommunication facilities.  Typical uses include, but are not limited to, television studios, telecommunication service centers, radio stations, or film and sound recording facilities.

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN:  The Fluvanna County Comprehensive Plan.

CONDOMINIUM: A building or group of buildings in which dwelling units, offices, or floor area are owned individually, and the structure, common areas, and facilities are owned by all the owners on a proportionate undivided basis.

CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION: The community association that administers and maintains the common elements of a condominium.

CONNECTION, WATER OR SEWER: The provision of water and/or sewerage services to any dwelling unit or commercial or industrial establishment.

CONSERVATION AREA: Any parcel or area of substantially undeveloped land conserved in its natural state to preserve or protect endangered species, critical environment features, viewsheds, or other natural elements including, but not limited to, preserves, wildlife management areas and refuges, open spaces and habitat protection areas.

CONTRACTOR’S STORAGE YARD: Storage yards operated by, or on behalf of, a contractor for storage of large equipment, vehicles, or other materials commonly used in the individual contractor’s type of business; storage of scrap materials used for repair and maintenance of contractor’s own equipment; and buildings or structures for uses such as offices and repair facilities.

CORPORATE OFFICE:  An establishment primarily engaged in providing internal office administration services as opposed to customer service.  Such uses generally include the headquarters, regional offices or administrative offices for a corporation.

CORRECTIONAL FACILITY:  A public or privately operated use providing housing and care for individuals legally confined, designed to isolate those individuals from a surrounding community.

CUL-DE-SAC:  The turnaround at the end of a dead-end street.

CULTURAL SERVICES:  A library, museum, or similar public or quasi-public use displaying, preserving, and exhibiting objects of community and cultural interest in one or more of the arts or sciences.

CURVILINEAR STREET SYSTEM: A pattern of streets that is primarily curved.

DANCE HALL:  Establishments in which more than ten (10) percent of the total floor area is designed or used as a dance floor, or where an admission fee is directly collected, or some other form of compensation is obtained for dancing, except when sponsored by civic, charitable, or nonprofit groups.

DAYCARE CENTER: A facility operated for the purpose of providing care, protection and guidance to ten (10) or more individuals during only part of a 24-hour day.  This term includes nursery schools, preschools, daycare centers, and other similar uses but excludes public and private educational facilities or any facility offering care to individuals for a full 24-hour period.

DEVELOPMENT:  Any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate, including, but not limited to, buildings or other structures, mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavation or drilling operations or storage of equipment or materials.

DORMITORY:  A residence hall providing rooms for individuals or for groups usually without private baths.  Also, a large room containing numerous beds.

DRIVE-IN WINDOW: A facility designed to provide access to commercial products and/or services for customers remaining in their automobiles.

DWELLING: Any structure which is designed for use for residential purposes, except hotels, boarding houses, lodging houses, tourist cabins, mobile homes, and travel trailers.

DWELLING, ACCESSORY:  A separate, independent dwelling unit located on the same property as the primary dwelling unit subject to the following: (1) A dwelling unit contained within a single-family dwelling that may equal the existing finished square footage of the primary dwelling, such as a basement, attic, or additional level; or (2) A dwelling unit attached to the primary single-family dwelling, or as a dwelling unit contained within a detached accessory unit; that shall be no more than one-half the size of the finished square footage of the primary dwelling unit located on the subject property.  One accessory dwelling shall be permitted per property plus one additional accessory dwelling for each 50 acres of contiguous property.  Accessory dwelling units shall be subject to the setback requirements for primary structures.

DWELLING, MULTI-FAMILY: A building or portion thereof which contains two or more dwelling units for permanent occupancy, regardless of the method of ownership. Included in the use type would be garden apartments, low and high rise apartments, apartments for elderly housing and condominiums.

DWELLING, SINGLE-FAMILY ATTACHED: Two or more single family dwellings sharing two or more common walls, each on its own individual lot. Attached dwellings are not vertically stacked.

DWELLING, SINGLE-FAMILY DETACHED: A building designed for occupancy by one family which has no connection by a common party wall to another building or structure similarly designed.

DWELLING, TOWNHOUSE: A single-family attached dwelling in a row of at least three such units in which each unit has its own front and rear access to the outside, no unit is located over another unit, and each unit is separated from any other unit by one or more vertical common fire-resistant walls.

DWELLING, TWO-FAMILY: A building designed as a single structure, containing two separate living units, each of which is designed to be occupied as a separate permanent residence for one family.

DWELLING UNIT: Any building or portion of building intended to be used for residential purposes by a single family and designed or arranged in such a manner that none of the facilities or areas customarily provided for cooking, sleeping, eating sanitation, or other residential functions is shared by any other family or persons residing in the same structure.

EDUCATIONAL FACILITY: A public or private institution for the teaching of children or adults including primary and secondary schools, colleges, and similar facilities.

EGRESS: An exit.

ELEVATED BUILDING:  A non-basement building built to have the lowest floor elevated above the ground level by means of fill, solid foundation perimeter walls, pilings, or columns (posts and piers).

ENTERTAINMENT ESTABLISHMENT, ADULT:  Any adult cabaret, adult motion picture theater, or adult video-viewing or arcade booth.

EQUESTRIAN FACILITY:  Facilities designed and used primarily for equestrian related activities including, but not limited to: riding schools, horse exhibition facilities, polo fields, and pack stations.  This includes barns, stables, corrals, and paddocks accessory and incidental to the above uses.

EVERGREEN: A plant with foliage that remains year-round.

FAMILY:                (1) An individual; or

(2)     Two (2) or more persons related by blood, marriage, adoption, or guardianship, plus not more than (2) unrelated persons living together as a single housekeeping unit in a dwelling or dwelling unit; or

(1) A group of not more than four (4) persons not related by blood, marriage, adoption or guardianship living together as a single housekeeping unit in a dwelling or dwelling unit.

(2) A group home of eight (8) or fewer people residing in a single-family residence as described in Section 15.2-2291 of the Code of Virginia.

FAMILY DAYCARE HOME:  A single-family dwelling in which more than five (5) but less than thirteen (13) individuals are received for care, protection, and guidance during only part of a twenty-four (24) hour day.  Individuals related by blood, legal adoption, or marriage to the person who maintains the home shall not be counted towards this total.  The care of five (5) or fewer individuals for portions of a day shall be considered as a home occupation.

FARM: One or more parcels of land used for the primary purpose of agricultural production.

FARM TENANT HOUSING:  A dwelling located on a farm for the purpose of housing an employee of that farm operation and his/her family.  Also included in this use type would be multi-family dwelling(s) for seasonal employees in connection with an orchard or other agricultural use which relies on seasonal employees who must be housed.

FARM SALES: The sale of agricultural produce or merchandise produced primarily by the resident operator on his farm.

FINANCIAL INSTITUTION: An establishment where the principal business is the receipt, disbursement or exchange of funds and currencies, such as: trust companies, savings banks, industrial banks, savings and loan associations, building and loan associations, commercial banks, credit unions, federal associations, and investment companies.

FLEA MARKET:  A market held in an open area or building where goods are offered for sale to the public by individual sellers, generally on an occasional or periodic basis.

FLOOD:  A general or temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of normally dry land areas.

FLOOD, BASE:  The flood having a one percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year.

FLOOD ELEVATION, BASE:  The Federal Emergency Management Agency designated one hundred (100)-year water surface elevation.

FLOOD HAZARD AREA, SPECIAL:  The land in the floodplain subject to a one (1%) percent or greater chance of being flooded in any given year as determined in Article 3, Section 3.2 of this ordinance.

FLOODPLAIN:  Any land area susceptible to being inundated by water from any source.

FLOODPLAIN ENCROACHMENT:  The advance or infringement of uses, plant growth, fill, excavation, buildings, permanent structures or development into a floodplain, which may impede or alter the flow capacity of a floodplain.

FLOODWAY:  The channel of a river or other watercourse and the adjacent land areas that must be reserved in order to discharge the base flood without cumulatively increasing the water surface elevation more than a designated height.

FLOOR AREA RATIO: The gross floor area of all buildings or structures on a lot divided by the total lot area.

FOOTCANDLE: A quantitative unit of measure referring to the measurement of illumination incident at a single point.  One footcandle is equal to one lumen uniformly distributed over an area of one square foot.

FRONTAGE: The continuous uninterrupted distance along which a parcel abuts a single adjacent road or street.

FUNERAL HOME: A facility for the preparation of the deceased for burial and display of the deceased and rituals connected therewith before burial or cremation.  Typical uses include funeral homes or mortuaries.

GAS STATION:  Any place of business used primarily for the storage, dispersal, sale, or offering of fuels and oils for motor vehicles.  Such uses may also include the retail sale of convenience items as a secondary activity.  Any use associated with automobile fuel sales shall be considered a gas station.

GOVERNING BODY: The Board of Supervisors of Fluvanna County, Virginia.

GREENHOUSE, COMMERCIAL: A greenhouse operation in which plants and other related products are offered for sale to the public, either at wholesale or at retail.

GREENHOUSE, NON-COMMERCIAL: A greenhouse operation in which no product is offered for sale to the public.

GREENWAY: (1) A linear open space established along either a natural corridor, such as a riverfront, stream valley, or ridge line, or over land along a railroad right-of-way converted to recreational use. a canal, a scenic road, or other route;  (2)any natural or landscaped course for pedestrian or bicycle passage; (3) an open space connector lining parks, natural reserves,  cultural features, or historic sites with each other and with populated areas; and (4) locally, certain strip or linear parks designated  as a parkway or greenbelt.

GROCERY STORE:  A retail business primarily engaged in the sale of unprepared food for personal or household preparation and consumption.  Such a facility may also engage in incidental sales of prepared foods for personal consumption on- or off-site.

GROUP HOME: A licensed residential facility in which no more than eight mentally ill, mentally retarded, or developmentally disabled persons reside, with one or more resident counselors or other staff persons, shall be considered a residential occupancy by a single family. Mental illness and developmental disability shall not include current illegal use of or addiction to a controlled substance. Such facility shall be licensed by the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services, in order to qualify as a single-family use.

GUIDANCE SERVICES:  A use providing counseling, guidance, recuperative, or similar services for person requiring rehabilitation assistance as a result of mental illness, alcoholism, detention, drug addiction, or similar conditions for only part of a twenty-four hour day.

HALFWAY HOUSE:  An establishment providing accommodations, supervision, rehabilitation, counseling, and other guidance services to persons suffering from alcohol or drug addiction, to person re-entering society after being released from a correctional facility or other institution, or to persons suffering from similar disorders.

HEALTH OFFICIAL: The legally designated health authority of the State Board of Health for Fluvanna County or his authorized representative.

HISTORICAL AREA: As indicated on the zoning map to which the provisions of this chapter apply for protection of a historical heritage.

HISTORIC STRUCTURE:  Any structure that is (1) listed individually in the National Register of Historic Places (a listing maintained by the Department of the Interior) or preliminarily determined by the Secretary of the Interior as meeting the requirements for individual listing on the National Register; (2) certified or preliminarily determined by the Secretary of the Interior as contributing to the historical significance of a registered historic district or a district preliminarily determined by the Secretary to qualify as a registered historic district; (3) individually listed on a state inventory of historic places in states with historic preservation programs which have been approved by the Secretary of the Interior; or (4) individually listed on a local inventory of historic places in communities with historic preservation programs that have been certified either (a) by an approved state program as determined by the Secretary of the Interior; or (b) directly by the Secretary of the Interior in states without approved programs.

HOME OCCUPATION: An occupation carried on by the occupant of a dwelling as a secondary use in connection with which there is no display, no one is employed other than members of the family residing on the premises, there is no substantial increase in traffic, and provided that not more than 25% of the gross floor area of such dwelling shall be used for such occupation.

HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION: A community organization, other than a condominium association, that is organized in a development in which individual owners share common interests and responsibilities for costs and upkeep of common open space or facilities.

HOSPITAL: An institution providing primary health services and medical or surgical care to persons, primarily inpatients, suffering from illness, disease, injury, deformity, and other abnormal physical or mental conditions and including, as an integral part of the institution, related facilities, such as laboratories, outpatient facilities, training facilities, medial offices, and staff residences.

HOTEL: A building or group of attached or detached buildings containing lodging units intended primarily for rental or lease to transients by the day, week or month. Such uses generally provide additional services such as daily maid service, restaurants, meeting rooms and/or recreation facilities.  Such uses include hotels, motels, motor lodges, and motor courts.

HUNT CLUB: Areas reserved to members of the club for private hunting of wildlife, fishing, and accessory uses in support of those activities.

HUNTING PRESERVE: An area licensed by the commonwealth for public or private hunting of wildlife, fishing, and accessory uses in support of those activities.

IMPERVIOUS SURFACE: Any material that prevents absorption of stormwater into the ground.

INDOOR ENTERTAINMENT:  Predominantly spectator uses conducted within an enclosed building, but not including public facilities.  Typical uses include, but are not limited to, motion picture theaters, and concert or music halls.

INDOOR RECREATION FACILITY:  Predominantly participant uses conducted within an enclosed building, but not including public facilities.  Typical uses include bowling alleys, ice and roller skating rinks, indoor racquetball, swimming, and/or tennis facilities.

INOPERABLE MOTOR VEHICLE:  (i) any motor vehicle which is not in operating condition; (ii) any motor vehicle which for a period of 60 days or longer has been partially or totally disassembled by the removal of tires and wheels, the engine, or other essential parts required for operation of the vehicle; or (iii) any motor vehicle on which there are displayed neither valid license plates nor a valid inspection decal.

JUNK:  Old or scrap copper, brass, rope, rags, batteries, paper, trash, rubber, debris, waste, or junked, dismantled, or wrecked automobiles, or parts thereof, iron, steel, and other old or scrap ferrous or nonferrous material.

JUNKYARD: An establishment or place of business which is maintained, operated, or used for storing, keeping, buying, or selling junk, or for the maintenance or operation of an automobile graveyard, and the term shall include garbage dumps and sanitary fills. See Salvage and scrap yard use.

KENNEL, COMMERCIAL: A place designed and used to house, board, breed, handle or otherwise keep or care for dogs, cats, or other household pets for the specific intent of sale or in return for compensation.

KENNEL, PRIVATE:  The keeping, breeding, raising, showing, or training of four (4) or more dogs, cats, or other household pets over six months of age for personal enjoyment of the owner or occupants of the property, and for which commercial gain is not the primary objective.  

LAUNDROMAT: A building where clothes or other household articles are washed in self service machines and where such washed clothes and articles may also be dried or ironed.

LAUNDRY:  Establishments primarily engaged in the provision of laundering, cleaning, or dyeing services other than those classified as Personal Service Establishments.  Typical uses include, but are not limited to, bulk laundry and cleaning plants, diaper services, or linen supply services.

LEVEL OF SERVICE: A description of traffic conditions along a given roadway or at a particular intersection.

LIVESTOCK FEED LOT, COMMERCIAL: A commercial establishment where livestock is fattened for sale and where feed is transported from other places.

LIVESTOCK SALE YARD, COMMERCIAL: A commercial establishment wherein livestock is collected for sale or auctioning.

LODGE: A facility, owned or operated by a corporation, association, person or persons, for social, educational or recreational purposes, to which membership is required for participation and not primarily operated for profit nor to render a service that is customarily carried on as a business.  A lodge does not include facilities for members to reside.

LOT:  A parcel of land, including a residue, described by metes and bounds or otherwise or shown on a plat, and intended as a unit of real estate for the purpose of ownership, conveyance or development.

LOT, CORNER: A lot abutting upon two (2) or more street rights-of-way at their intersection. Of the two sides of a corner lot, in the absence of evidence to the contrary based on actual development, the front shall be presumed to be the shorter of the two sides fronting on streets.

LOT, DEPTH OF: The average horizontal distance between the front and rear lot lines.

LOT, DOUBLE FRONTAGE: An interior lot having frontage on two (2) streets.

LOT, INTERIOR: Any lot other than a corner lot.

LOT, PIPESTEM: A large lot not meeting minimum frontage requirements and where access to the public road is by a narrow private right of way or driveway.

LOT, REVERSE FRONTAGE: A through lot that is not accessible from one of the parallel or nonintersecting streets upon which it fronts.

LOT, THROUGH: A lot that fronts upon two parallel streets or that fronts upon two streets that do not intersect at the boundaries of the lot.

LOT, WIDTH OF: The average horizontal distance between side lot lines.

LOT OF RECORD: A lot, a plat or description of which has been recorded in the clerk's office of the Circuit Court.

LOWEST FLOOR:  The lowest floor of the lowest enclosed area (including basement).  An unfinished or flood-resistant enclosure, usable solely for parking of vehicles, building access or storage in an area other than a basement area is not considered a building’s lowest floor; provided, that such enclosure is not built so as to render the structure in violation of the applicable non-elevation design requirements of Federal Code 44CFR §60.3.

LUMBERYARD: An area used for the storage, distribution, and sale of finished or rough-cut lumber and lumber products, plywood, drywall, paneling, concrete masonry unit (CMU) blocks and other concrete products, but not including the manufacture of such products.

MACHINE SHOP: Shops where lathes, presses, grinders, shapers, and other wood and metal working machines are used such as blacksmith, tinsmith, welding, and sheet metal shops; plumbing, heating, and electrical repair shops; and overhaul shops.