Small Lot Residential Ordinance

The Town of Blacksburg is considering a Zoning Ordinance amendment to address the need for additional single-family residential development. This amendment aims to provide a framework for small lot residential development to fill a market need for smaller homes and the “missing middle” housing market. In the 2017 Comprehensive Plan survey, respondents identified more affordable housing as a top priority. In the 2020 Blacksburg Housing survey, small lot single-family development was also among the most highly ranked strategies for increasing affordability for permanent residents.

“Missing middle housing” refers to housing types that fall somewhere in between a single-family large lot home and mid-rise apartment buildings – such as townhomes, duplexes, triplexes, and courtyard clusters. Missing middle housing can help localities increase the availability of less expensive housing types and support vibrant, walkable neighborhoods, while gently increasing density. These housing types are an important component of a diverse housing stock, contributing to more inclusive neighborhoods.

As currently drafted, the Small Lot Residential (SLR) ordinance is a new set of regulations that will:

• Only apply to properties in the Town of Blacksburg that are zoned R-4 Low-Density Residential
  • with a minimum of 2 contiguous acres under common ownership, excluding Virginia Tech property, and
  • excluding cemeteries and dedicated open space which cannot be used for development.
• Allow primarily single-family detached homes as well as two-family dwellings (duplexes) and townhomes when served by alley access.

A map showing the properties within the R-4 zoning district that are currently eligible is available. Areas of eligibility for this district can change over time as properties are bought and sold. The map is a snapshot of the potential applicability today. Changes to the ordinance text to reflect the applicability of the regulations will be forthcoming.

A public meeting was held on March 27th at 5:30 pm in the Blacksburg Motor Company Conference Room at 400 South Main Street. Town staff presented an overview of the zoning ordinance amendment for small lot development. Following the presentation, questions and comments were received from the public. Notes from the meeting can be found under the documents tab on this page.

Lot Size

The small lot development option provides for two scales of residential development to meet these goals, including a 5,000-square-foot minimum lot area option, and a 3,000-square-foot minimum lot area option. These options are intended to ensure that new detached dwellings that are built at densities not otherwise permitted are high-quality in design and meet the Town’s vision for additional housing.

Example: portions of Village at Toms Creek, Blacksburg.
Lot size of at least 5,000 square feet for single-family units
Lot size of approximately 3,500 square feet per unit for duplexes

Example: Echols Village, Blacksburg.
Lot size of 3,000 square feet – 4,999 square feet for single-family units

Lot Development Regulations

Several standards apply to both options:

1. The overall height allowed in the district is 30 feet and 2-1/2 stories. This retains the character of a single-family neighborhood.
2. Duplexes and townhomes will only be allowed if an alley serves them. This is meant to minimize driveways at the street and ensure a pedestrian friendly streetscape.
3. Sidewalks are required on both sides of the street. This is intended to accommodate more users with the higher density.
4. A minimum of 10% of the development must be open space. This retains the current open space standard for R-4 subdivisions.
5. The occupancy for the district will be a family plus no more than one (1) unrelated person; or no more than two (2) unrelated persons per residential dwelling. The current standard for R-4 allows for no more than 3 unrelated persons. The Town desires to ensure new units do not default to investment student housing properties, but rather provide new options for residents or those who may want to live in Blacksburg.
   

Example of alley access: Honeysuckle Drive houses with access by Plum Alley in Village at Toms Creek

There are also additional regulations regarding the types of streets and curbs; public utility easements; parking and driveways; and appearance of homes, providing more flexibility from existing standards, which are not conducive to small lot development. Some of the regulations in the Small Lot Residential (SLR) District supersede existing regulations. Please see the draft ordinance for more details.

Combined, the new standards are designed to create small, walkable neighborhoods with a denser development pattern than the current R-4 zoning allows, while requiring high-quality design.