Richmond, Va., City Code § 30-436.1 Permitted principal and accessory uses.
Sec. 30-436.1. - Permitted principal and accessory uses.
The following uses of buildings and premises shall be permitted in the B-2 district, provided that no use which includes a drive-up facility shall be located on a transitional site:
(1) Adult day care facilities;
(2) Art galleries;
(3) Auto service centers, provided that no such use shall be located on a transitional site, and provided further that the following conditions are met for any such use that includes facilities for dispensing motor fuels:
a. The area of the lot devoted to such use shall be not less than 10,000 square feet, and no property line coincidental with a street line shall be less than 100 feet in length;
b. Notwithstanding other provisions of this chapter regarding yards, pump islands for dispensing motor fuels may be located within required yards adjacent to streets, but not within 20 feet of any street or property line. Marquees, cantilevers and similar roofs over pump islands may extend to within ten feet of street lines;
(4) Banks, savings and loan offices and similar financial services, including accessory automated teller machines accessible from the interior or exterior of buildings devoted to such uses;
(5) Catering businesses, provided that not more than five persons are employed on the premises in the conduct of any such business;
(6) Churches and other places of worship, which may include the serving of food for charitable or fellowship purposes, and as an accessory use, emergency housing, subject to the provisions of Section 30-698;
(7) Communications centers and telephone repeater stations operated by public service corporations;
(8) Contractors' shops, offices and display rooms, provided that the following conditions are met:
a. Not more than 2,000 square feet of floor area shall be used for warehouse purposes;
b. There shall be no outside storage of equipment, materials or supplies;
c. No service or delivery vehicle exceeding an empty weight of 6,500 pounds shall be used in connection with such use.
(9) Custom printing and engraving shops not involving the printing of periodicals, books, catalogs or similar items requiring frequent shipment or delivery of large quantities of materials, provided that not more than five persons shall be employed in the conduct of such business;
(10) Day nurseries licensed by and subject to the requirements of the State of Virginia Department of Social Services;
(11) Dry cleaning and laundering establishments, provided that the total capacity of all dry cleaning machines shall not exceed 100 pounds dry weight and the total capacity of all laundry machines shall not exceed 150 pounds dry weight, and provided further that no such use shall be located on a transitional site;
(12) Dwelling units contained within the same building as other permitted principal uses, provided that such dwelling units shall be located above the ground floor of the building or to the rear of other permitted principal uses so as not to interrupt commercial frontage in the district, and provided further that the ground floor area devoted to other permitted principal uses shall be a minimum of one-third or 1,000 square feet, whichever is greater, of the floor area of the ground floor of the building and shall be not less than 20 feet in depth along the entire length of a principal street frontage, except for ingress and egress (see Section 30-800.1 for provisions for nonconforming dwelling uses);
(13) Funeral homes;
(14) Furniture repair and upholstery shops, provided that the total floor area of work rooms shall not exceed 2,000 square feet;
(15) Grocery stores, convenience stores and specialty food and beverage stores, including bakeries where products are sold principally at retail on the premises;
(16) Hospitals, but not psychiatric hospitals for the care of patients committed by a court;
(17) Hotels and motels, provided that:
a. No such use shall be located on a transitional site;
b. The area of the lot devoted to such use shall be not less than 25,000 square feet, and no property line coincidental with a street line shall be less than 100 feet in length;
(18) Janitorial and custodial service and supply establishments occupying not more than 2,000 square feet of floor area and not involving the use of delivery or service vehicles having an empty weight exceeding 6,500 pounds;
(19) Laundromats and laundry and dry cleaning pick-up stations;
(20) Libraries, museums, schools, parks and noncommercial recreational facilities, when such uses are owned or operated by a governmental agency or a nonprofit organization; and other uses required for the performance of a governmental function and primarily intended to serve residents of adjoining neighborhoods;
(21) Motor fuels dispensing in conjunction with other uses permitted in this district, provided that:
a. No such use shall be located on a transitional site;
b. The area of the lot devoted to such use shall be not less than 10,000 square feet, and no property line coincidental with a street line shall be less than 100 feet in length;
c. Notwithstanding other provisions of this chapter regarding yards, pump islands for dispensing motor fuels may be located within required yards adjacent to streets, but not within 20 feet of any street or property line. Marquees, cantilevers and similar roofs over pump islands may extend to within ten feet of street lines;
(21.1) Nightclubs lawfully existing on the effective date of this provision, provided that no nightclub use shall be enlarged to occupy a greater floor area than was occupied by the use on the effective date of the ordinance from which this provision is derived, and provided further that if such use is discontinued for a period of two years or longer, it shall no longer be considered a permitted use;
(22) Office supply, business and office service, photocopy and custom printing establishments, provided that not more than five persons are employed on the premises in the conduct of any printing establishment;
(23) Offices, including business, professional and administrative offices, medical and dental offices and clinics, and studios of writers, designers and artists engaged in the graphic arts;
(24) Parking areas and parking lots, provided that any card reader or other access control device at an entrance to a parking area or parking lot shall be provided with not less than one stacking space situated off the public right-of-way;
(25) Parking decks, provided that:
a. No portion of such structure located along a principal street frontage shall be used for parking or related circulation of vehicles, but shall be devoted to other permitted principal uses, which shall have a depth of not less than 20 feet along the principal street frontage, or to means of pedestrian or vehicle access, provided that vehicle access along such street frontage shall be permitted only when no other street or alley is available for adequate access. In the case of a portion of a story located along a principal street frontage and having less than five feet of its height above the grade level at the building facade along the street frontage, the provisions of this subdivision prohibiting parking or related circulation of vehicles shall not apply, provided that parking spaces shall be completely screened from view from the street by structural material similar to the material of the building facade;
b. Not less than one exit lane and one entrance lane shall be provided for each 300 parking spaces or major fraction thereof contained within the structure, and any reader or other access control device at an entrance to a parking deck shall be provided with not less than one stacking space situated off the public right-of-way;
c. Except as provided in Subsection (25)a of this section, parking spaces contained therein shall be screened from view from abutting streets by structural material of not less than 45 percent opacity;
(26) Personal service businesses that provide services directly to persons or services for personal items, including barber shops, beauty salons, health spas, fitness centers, dance studios, photography studios, travel agencies, shoe repair shops, tailor and garment alteration and repair shops, clothing rental stores, watch and jewelry repair shops and similar establishments, provided that not more than five persons are employed on the premises in the conduct of any repair or fabrication activity;
(27) Pet shops, veterinary clinics and animal hospitals, including boarding kennels operated in conjunction therewith, provided that all facilities shall be located within completely enclosed and air conditioned buildings which are soundproof to the extent that sounds produced by animals kept or treated therein are not audible outside the building;
(28) Postal and package mailing services, but not including package distribution centers;
(29) Private elementary and secondary schools having curricula substantially the same as that offered in public schools;
(30) Professional, business and vocational schools when located above the ground floor of buildings, and provided that no heavy machinery, welding equipment or internal combustion engine shall be used in conjunction therewith;
(31) Radio and television broadcasting studios and offices, including accessory antennas, provided that the supporting hardware for any such antenna does not exceed 15 feet above ground level, or in the case of a building mounted antenna, 15 feet above the surface of the building on which it is mounted;
(32) Recreation and entertainment uses, including theaters, museums, amusement centers, lodges and clubs, meeting facilities, auditoriums and assembly halls; when such uses are located within completely enclosed buildings, and provided that no such use shall be located on a transitional site;
(33) Restaurants, tearooms, cafes, delicatessens, ice cream parlors and similar food and beverage service establishments, including entertainment in conjunction therewith. Such establishments may include areas outside completely enclosed buildings and intended for service to or consumption of food and beverages by patrons, provided that the following conditions shall be met:
a. No deck, patio, terrace or other area outside a completely enclosed building and used for the service or accommodation of patrons shall be situated within 100 feet of any property in any R district;
b. Covered trash containers shall be provided in service areas, and fences, walls or vegetative screening shall be provided around service areas, except at entrances and exits, to prevent refuse from blowing onto adjacent properties or streets. Fences or walls to be credited toward this requirement shall comply with fence and wall design guidelines adopted by resolution of the Planning Commission, or their equivalent as determined by the zoning administrator. In no case shall chain link, chain link with slats or similar fencing be considered as meeting the requirements of the fence and wall design guidelines;
c. No music or public address system shall be operated in such a manner that sound produced therefrom is audible beyond the boundaries of the premises.
(34) Retail stores and shops, provided that not more than 50 percent of the floor area may be devoted to storage of merchandise to be sold at retail on the premises;
(35) Rights-of-way, easements and appurtenances necessary for the provision and maintenance of public utilities and public transportation, including streets, rail lines, power lines, cables, poles, pipes, meters, transformers and similar devices, but not including railroad yards, freight or passenger depots, loading platforms, generating plants, transformer stations, electric substations, wastewater treatment plants, water treatment plants, utility storage yards and similar uses;
(36) Sales lots for Christmas trees, vegetable stands and other seasonal uses, but not including flea markets, and provided no such use shall be located on a transitional site;
(36.1) Short-term rental, subject to the requirements of Article VI, Division 14 of this chapter;
(37) Self-service auto washing facilities, either automatic with a single vehicle capacity or hand operated with not more than four washing stalls, provided that:
a. No such use shall be located on a transitional site;
b. The area of the lot devoted to such use shall be not less than 10,000 square feet, and no property line coincidental with a street line shall be less than 100 feet in length;
c. Doors, curtains or screens shall be installed as necessary to prevent water spray from blowing onto adjacent properties;
d. Such use shall not be operated between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.;
(38) Service businesses that service, repair or rent audio or video equipment, home appliances, furniture, personal recreational equipment, home yard and garden equipment, tools, bicycles, locks, computers, office machines and similar household or business items, provided that no products shall be serviced, repaired, stored or displayed outside a completely enclosed building, no internal combustion engine shall be repaired or serviced except within a completely enclosed soundproof building, and not more than five persons shall be employed on the premises in the conduct of any service or repair activity;
(39) Service stations, provided that:
a. No such use shall be located on a transitional site;
b. The area of the lot devoted to such use shall be not less than 10,000 square feet, and no property line coincidental with a street line shall be less than 100 feet in length;
c. Notwithstanding other provisions of this chapter regarding yards, pump islands for dispensing motor fuels may be located within required yards adjacent to streets, but not within 20 feet of any street or property line. Marquees, cantilevers and similar roofs over pump islands may extend to within ten feet of street lines;
(40) Shopping centers containing uses permitted in this district;
(41) Tourist homes;
(42) Wholesale and distribution establishments with not more than 5,000 square feet of floor area devoted to storage of goods, provided that distribution of products shall not involve the use of delivery vehicles having an empty weight exceeding 6,500 pounds;
(43) Wireless communications facilities, microwave relay facilities, and radio broadcast antennas, on alternative support structures, in accordance with the additional requirements of Sections 30-692.1 through 30-692.6;
(44) Accessory uses and structures customarily incidental and clearly subordinate to uses permitted in this district, including automated teller machines accessible only from the interior of buildings devoted to permitted principal uses other than individual dwelling units or lodging units. Outdoor accessory uses such as temporary sales and display areas, play equipment, pay phones, vending machines and similar uses shall not be located within 15 feet of any street line or within any required side yard adjacent to an R or RO district or within parking spaces, except that temporary sales and display areas not involving any structures may be located within required front yards. Not more than two vending machines shall be located outside of a completely enclosed building. Newspaper boxes shall not be subject to the limitations of this subsection.
(Code 1993, § 32-436.1; Code 2004, § 114-436.1; Code 2015, § 30-436.1; Code 2020, § 30-436.; Ord. No. 2004-180-167, §§ 2, 4, 6-28-2004; Ord. No. 2006-43-63, § 1, 3-13-2006; Ord. No. 2012-234-2013-2, § 1, 1-14-2013; Ord. No. 2013-237-225, § 1, 12-9-2013; Ord. No. 2019-343, § 1(30-436.1), 6-22-2020; Ord. No. 2020-261, § 1, 3-8-2021; Ord. No. 2023-101, § 5, 4-24-2023; Ord. No. 2024-314, § 2(30-436.1), 12-9-2024)