Alterations to buildings or structures devoted to nonconforming uses.

Richmond, Va., City Code § 30-800.1

in effect

Sec. 30-800.1. - Alterations to buildings or structures devoted to nonconforming uses. No building or structure devoted to a nonconforming use shall be enlarged, extended, reconstructed, moved or structurally altered unless such building or structure is thereafter devoted to a conforming use, provided that nothing in this division shall be construed to prohibit normal repair, maintenance and nonstructural alterations to such building or structure nor the alteration, strengthening or restoration to a safe condition as may be required by law and provided, further, that the following shall be permitted: (1) Hospitals and institutional uses. A building or structure devoted to a nonconforming hospital or a nonconforming institution of a religious, educational, eleemosynary or philanthropic nature located in any district may be structurally altered so long as the amount of floor area devoted to the use is not increased. (2) Dwellings in business districts. Any building containing a nonconforming single-family detached, single-family attached, two-family or multifamily dwelling in a UB, UB-2, B or OS district may be maintained, improved, enlarged, extended or structurally altered or may be reconstructed if damaged by fire, explosion, act of God or the public enemy, provided that in no case shall the amount of floor area devoted to such dwelling at the time it became nonconforming be increased more than ten percent nor shall the lot area, lot width or yard depths be reduced to less than required for the use in the R-48 district. (3) Uses in UB-2, B-5 or B-6 districts. Any building devoted to a use which becomes nonconforming by reason of its inclusion in a UB-2, B-5 or B-6 district may, for purposes of accommodating such use, be maintained, improved, enlarged, extended or structurally altered or may be reconstructed if damaged by fire, explosion, act of God or the public enemy, provided that in no case shall the amount of floor area devoted to such use at the time of its inclusion in the B-5 or B-6 district be increased more than ten percent. (4) Alterations to accommodate a wireless communications facility, microwave relay facility, or radio and television broadcast antenna and support structure. Any building or structure occupied by or accessory to a nonconforming use may be modified as necessary to accommodate such facilities and antennas, as set forth in Section 30-692.3, provided the applicable requirements of that section are met. The equipment related to the facility or antenna may be accommodated within the interior of the building by either the reduction of the space devoted to the nonconforming use, the conversion of previously unoccupied space within the building, or a combination thereof. (Code 1993, § 32-800.1; Code 2004, § 114-800.1; Code 2015, § 30-800.1; Code 2020, § 30-800.1; Ord. No. 2008-2-55, § 2, 3-24-2008)

Source: City of Richmond, Virginia, Code (2026 recodification) and Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/va/richmond/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=CH30ZO_ARTVIIINOUSFE_DIV1NOUS_S30-800.1ALBUSTDENOUSFetched: 11/8/2026