County Code Section 24.1

ARTICLE II. GENERAL REGULATIONS

DIVISION 7. ACCESSORY USES

Sec. 24.1-273. Location, height, and size requirements.

Except where other provisions of this chapter rare more restrictive, the following requirements shall apply to the location, height, and size of all accessory uses or structures in all districts, including the planned development district unless the approving ordinance for such district (project) has established alternative or supplementary requirements:

(a) With the exception of statues, arbors, trellises, flagpoles, fences, walls or roadside stands, accessory buildings or structures shall not be located closer to the front lot line than the principal building facade provided, however, that where the setback of the principal building exceeds fifty feet (50'), accessory buildings and structures shall be subject only to a fifty-foot (50') minimum setback requirement.

(b) Accessory buildings or structures located closer to the front lot line than the rear of the principal building shall observe the side yard requirements applicable to the principal building. When the rear facade of the principal building has more than one plane, the accessory building side yard requirements shall be determined based on accessory building location in relation to those rear facades as depicted in Figure 11-7.1, Appendix A.

(c) An accessory building or structure attached to a principal building by any wall or roof construction, or located within ten feet (10') of any principal building, shall be considered a part of the principal building and shall observe all yard regulations applicable thereto. Setback and spacing requirements for accessory in-ground swimming pools shall be measured to the edge of the water. Setback and spacing requirements for above-ground pools shall be measured to the outer edge of the pool wall or any above-ground decking surrounding the pool.

(d) Accessory buildings and structures shall observe minimum side and rear yard setbacks of five feet (5') except where the provisions of this section require otherwise and provided, however:

(1) There shall be no side and rear yard requirements for fences or walls; and

(2) There shall be no rear yard requirement for docks, piers or boathouses; however, a setback of ten feet (10') from side lot lines, or extensions thereof into bodies of water, shall be observed. All such uses shall be subject to applicable permitting requirements of the Virginia Marine Resource Commission and United States Army Corps of Engineers.
(e) Roadside stands shall be set back at least twenty feet (20') from any road right-of-way.

(f) The above listed requirements shall not apply to the parking or storage of small cargo or utility trailers, recreational vehicles and similar equipment; however, no such trailer, vehicle, or equipment shall be stored within twenty feet (20') of any public road right-of-way, unless in a driveway.

(g) Except as authorized by section 24.1-231 of this chapter, no accessory building or structure shall exceed the maximum height limitation established for the district or the height of the structure to which it is accessory, whichever is less, provided, however, that buildings which are accessory to a single-story building may be constructed to a maximum height not exceeding 1.25 times the height of the principal building. In cases where this is permitted, the accessory building shall be separated from the principal building by a distance of at least twenty feet (20') and shall observe a minimum side and rear yard setback of ten (10) feet rather than the normally applicable five (5) feet.

(h) With the exception of barns and similar structures associated with a bona fide agricultural/farming operation, the building footprint (i.e., lot coverage) of a structure accessory to a residential use shall not exceed the area of the building footprint of the principal residential structure.

(i) Accessory structures shall be located on the same lot as the principal structure. Where adjoining lots are under single ownership and an accessory structure is proposed to be located so as to straddle an interior property line, or where the accessory and principal structures would be on different lots, the owner shall be responsible for preparing and recording, prior to issuance of a building permit, a survey plat to vacate the interior lot line(s) as necessary to ensure the principal and accessory structures are located on the same lot.

(Ord. No. 05-13(R), 5/17/05; Ord. No. 08-17(R), 03/17/09)