1202 1/2 W Clay St, Richmond, VA 23220

Urban Residential District

The intent of the R-8 Urban Residential District is to preserve and enhance the established character of older urban residential neighborhoods in the inner areas of the City by ensuring that infill development, as well as redevelopment, will be consistent with the predominant existing development pattern of such neighborhoods. The district regulations incorporate form-based provisions that are designed to preserve the urban nature and sustainability of such neighborhoods as characterized by a mixture of detached and attached dwellings of two and three stories in height with a distinct orientation to the street, and situated on small lots with narrow yards, minimal setbacks from the streets and minimal interruption of the street frontages by open spaces, driveways, parking areas or accessory buildings visible from the streets. The district regulations are also intended to encourage traditional neighborhood development, as well as improvement and efficient use of older commercial-style buildings by enabling, through the conditional use permit process, commercial uses that are limited in location, type and scale and are intended to provide for the convenience of neighborhood residents within walking distance, to respect the primary residential character of the neighborhood and to avoid traffic, parking congestion, noise and other impacts that typically result from uses that draw patrons from outside a neighborhood.