City of Fredericksburg, VA Use Classifications, Categories, and Use Types

General. This section identifies each of the four use classifications in Table 72-40.2, Use Table, and includes a section under each use classification identifying each use category. There are characteristics and examples subsections under each use category.

Principal use characteristics and accessory uses. The characteristics subsection describes common characteristics of each use category. Principal uses are assigned to the use category that most closely describes the nature of the principal use. Also listed are examples of common accessory uses that, unless otherwise stated in this chapter, are allowed in conjunction with a principal use.

Examples. The examples subsection lists common examples of use types included in the respective use category. The names of these sample uses are generic. They are based on common meanings and not on what a specific use may call itself. For example, a use that calls itself wholesale sales, but sells mostly to consumers, is included in the Retail Sales and Service Use Category rather than the Wholesale Sales Use Category. This is because the activity on the site matches the characteristics of the Retail Sales and Service Use Category.

Developments with multiple principal uses. When all principal uses of a development fall within one use category, the entire development is assigned to that use category. A development that contains a coffee shop, bookstore, and bakery, for example, would be classified in the Retail Sales and Service Use Category because all of the development's principal uses are in that use category. When the principal uses of a development fall within different use categories, each principal use is classified in the applicable use category and each use is subject to applicable regulations for that use category. Developments with multiple principal uses, such as mixed-use developments, shall incorporate only those use types allowed in the applicable zoning district.

72-83.2 Residential use classification.

Household Living.

Characteristics. The Household Living Use Category includes use types that provide for the residential occupancy of a dwelling unit by a household. Tenancy is arranged on a month-to-month or longer basis. Accessory uses commonly associated with household living are recreational activities, raising of pets, hobbies, and parking of the occupants' vehicles. Home occupations are accessory uses that are subject to additional regulations (see § 72-42.6D, Home occupations).

Examples. Example use types include detached residential dwellings like single-family detached dwellings, single-family attached structures, duplexes, multifamily uses, and residential uses in the same building as nonresidential uses like live/work units or upper-story dwellings.

Figure 72-83.2. Residential Building Forms
	1. Single Family House 2. Duplex 3. Apartment 4. Mansion Apartment 5. Townhouse 6. Live/Work

Group Living.

Characteristics. The Group Living Use Category includes use types that provide for the residential occupancy of a structure by a group of people who do not meet the definition of household. The size of the group may be larger than the average size of a household. Tenancy is arranged on a monthly or longer basis. Generally, group living structures have a common eating area for residents. The residents may receive care, training, or treatment. Common accessory uses include recreational facilities, dining facilities, and parking of vehicles for occupants and staff.

Examples. Example use types include dormitories, convents, fraternity, or sorority houses.

72-83.3 Institutional use classification.

Community Services.

Characteristics. The Community Services Use Category includes use types of a public, nonprofit, or charitable nature that provide a local service to people of the community. Generally, such uses provide ongoing continued service on-site or have employees at the site on a regular basis. Community centers or facilities that have membership provisions that are open to the general public (for instance, any senior citizen could join a senior center) are included in the Community Services Use Category. The use type may provide special counseling, education, or training of a public, nonprofit, or charitable nature. Accessory uses may include offices, meeting, food preparation, parking, health, and therapy areas; and athletic facilities.

Examples. Example use types include community centers, cultural facilities, libraries, and museums.

Exceptions. Parks are classified as Parks and Open Space.

Day Care.

Characteristics. The Day Care Use Category is characterized by use types that provide care, protection, and supervision for children or adults on a regular basis away from their primary residence, and typically for less than 24 hours per day. Care can be provided during daytime or nighttime hours. Accessory uses include offices, food preparation, recreation areas, and parking.

Examples. Example use types include adult day-care centers and child-care centers.

Exceptions. The Day Care Use Category does not include child care within a primary residence, drop-in or short-term day care provided in connection with employment or shopping center, recreational facility, religious institution, hotel, or other principal use, where children are temporarily cared for while parents or guardians are employed part-time or temporarily occupied on the premises or in the immediate vicinity.

Educational Facilities.

Characteristics. The Educational Facilities Use Category includes use types such as public and private schools at the elementary, middle, or high school level that provide state-mandated basic education or a comparable equivalent. This use category also includes colleges, universities, and other institutions of higher learning such as vocational or trade schools that offer courses of general or specialized study leading to a degree or certification. Accessory uses at schools include offices, play areas, cafeterias, recreational and sport facilities, auditoriums, and before- or after-school day care. Accessory uses at colleges or universities include offices, dormitories, food service, laboratories, health and sports facilities, theaters, meeting areas, athletic fields, parking, maintenance facilities, and supporting commercial.

Examples. Example use types include public and private kindergarten schools, elementary schools, middle or junior high schools, and senior high schools that provide state-mandated basic education, as well as colleges or universities, and vocational or trade schools.

Government Facilities.

Characteristics. The Government Facilities Use Category includes use types that provide for the general operations and functions of local, state, or federal governments. Accessory uses include maintenance, storage (indoor and outdoor), fueling facilities, satellite offices, and parking areas.

Examples. Example use types include post offices, government offices, courthouses, and government maintenance, storage, and distribution facilities.

Exceptions.

Fire, police, and EMS facilities are classified as Public Safety.

Passenger terminals for airports and surface transportation are classified as Transportation.

City, county, and state parks are classified as Parks and Open Space.

(d)

Water, wastewater, gas, electric, and other infrastructure services, whether public or private, are classified as Utilities.

Health Care Facilities.

Characteristics. The Health Care Facilities Use Category includes use types that provide medical or surgical care and treatment to patients as well as laboratory services. Hospitals and medical treatment facilities offer overnight care, as well as outpatient care. Accessory uses include offices, laboratories, teaching facilities, meeting areas, cafeterias, parking, maintenance facilities, housing for staff or trainees, and limited accommodations for family members.

Examples. Example use types include hospitals, medical treatment facilities, and medical laboratories.

Exceptions.

Uses that involve provision of residential care for the elderly or disabled are classified as Institutions.

Uses that provide exclusive care and planned treatment or training for psychiatric, alcohol, or drug problems, where patients are residents and participants in a program, are considered Institutions.

Institutions.

Characteristics. The Institutions Use Category includes use types that provide a variety of facilities, including buildings that provide meeting areas for religious activities, civic or fraternal club activities, housing and care for the elderly or disabled, and housing related to treatment programs. Accessory uses include school facilities, limited medical treatment facilities, kitchens/cafeterias, recreation areas, offices, meeting rooms, parking, and staff residences.

Examples. Example use types include religious institutions (with cemeteries, columbaria, and mausoleums as accessory uses), private clubs or lodges, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and institutional housing.

Parks and Open Areas.

Characteristics. The Parks and Open Areas Use Category includes use types that focus on open space areas largely devoted to vegetative landscaping or outdoor recreation and that tend to have few structures. Accessory uses may include club houses, recreational structures, statuary, fountains, maintenance facilities, concessions, parking, and columbaria and mausoleums (as accessory to cemeteries).

Examples. Example use types include arboretums or botanical gardens, parks, non-commercial community gardens, public golf courses, and cemeteries.

Exceptions. Private golf courses are classified as Recreation, Outdoor.

Public Safety.

Characteristics. The Public Safety Use Category is characterized by use types that provide public safety services to the general public.

Examples. Example use types include civil defense facilities, fire and EMS facilities, police stations, substations for fire and police, and fire training facilities, police firing ranges, and correctional facilities. Accessory uses include offices, teaching facilities, meeting areas, lunch rooms and cafeterias, sleeping quarters, storage, parking, and maintenance facilities.

Transportation.

Characteristics. The Transportation Use Category includes use types that provide for the landing and takeoff of airplanes and helicopters, including loading and unloading areas. This use category also includes passenger terminals for surface transportation. Accessory uses include freight handling areas, concessions, offices, parking, maintenance, and fueling facilities.

Examples. Example use types include airports, helicopter landing facilities, and passenger terminals for ground transportation (train, bus).

Exceptions. Transit route facilities such as bus stops, bus shelters, and park-and-ride facilities are classified as Utilities.

Utilities.

Characteristics. The Utilities Use Category includes both major utilities, which are infrastructure services that provide regional or community-wide service, and minor utilities, which are infrastructure services that need to be located in or near the neighborhood or use type where the service is provided. Wireless telecommunications towers also are a type of utility. Services may be publicly or privately provided. Accessory uses may include parking and control, offices, monitoring, storage areas, or data transmission equipment.

Examples.

Examples of major utilities include wastewater treatment plants, potable water treatment plants, electrical substations, wind energy facilities, and solar arrays.

Examples of minor utilities include water towers, water and sewage pump stations, stormwater retention and detention facilities, telephone exchanges, ground-based electrical/telephone/cable vaults, and transit route facilities such as bus stops, bus shelters, and park-and-ride facilities.

Examples of wireless telecommunications facilities include facilities for transmitting wireless phones and pager services, and television and radio broadcasting equipment.

Exceptions. Landfills, recycling and salvage centers, and waste composing uses are considered Waste-Related Services.

72-83.4 Commercial use classification.

Adult Establishment.

Characteristics. The Adult Establishment Use Category includes use types that sell, distribute, or present material or feature performances or other activities that emphasize the depiction or display of specified sexual activities or specified anatomical areas as defined herein.

Examples. Example adult establishment use types include adult bookstores, adult video stores, adult arcades, and adult motion-picture theaters (all distinguished by being largely devoted to selling, renting, or presenting media emphasizing sexually explicit content), as well as adult motels/hotels (motels/hotels largely devoted to providing room occupants films or other visual representations emphasizing sexually explicit content), and adult cabarets or night clubs (featuring live performances or services emphasizing the display of specified sexual activities or specified anatomical areas).

Animal Care.

Characteristics. The Animal Care Use Category is characterized by uses related to the provision of medical services and treatment to animals, including veterinary services, animal hospitals and the boarding of animals related to the provision of these services.

Examples. Examples of animal care use types include animal shelters, animal grooming, animal hospitals, and veterinary clinics.

Eating Establishments.

Characteristics. The Eating Establishments Use Category includes use types that prepare and sell food and beverages for immediate or direct on- or off-premises consumption. Accessory uses may include bars or cocktail lounges associated with the establishment, decks and patios for outdoor seating, drive-through facilities, facilities for live entertainment or dancing, customer and employee parking areas, and valet parking facilities.

Examples. Examples include restaurants with indoor and outdoor seating, fast food restaurants, microbreweries, specialty eating establishments (ice cream parlors, dessert shops, juice or coffee houses), and bakeries.

Local Brewery/Winery/Distillery.

[Added 1-10-2017 by Ord. No. 16-29]

Characteristics. The Commercial Alcoholic Beverage Use Category includes facilities for the production, packaging and distribution of beer, wine, and spirits. These uses are characterized as commercial uses, as opposed to the traditional manufacturing character, because the production volume is lower than that associated with a traditional manufacturing use. In addition, the production use is combined with one or more commercial uses such as eating establishment, entertainment venue, gift shop, special event facility, tap room, tasting room, tours, or similar accessory use. Finally, this use involves the offering of the product for sale or consumption on premises.

Microbrewery.

[Added 1-10-2017 by Ord. No. 16-29[1]]

Characteristics. The Commercial Alcoholic Beverage Use Category includes facilities for the production of beer. These uses are characterized as commercial uses, as opposed to the traditional manufacturing character, because the production volume is lower than that associated with a traditional manufacturing use. In addition, the production use is combined with one or more commercial uses such as eating establishment, entertainment venue, gift shop, special event facility, tap room, tasting room, tours, or similar accessory use. Finally, this use is characterized by the on-premises retail sales or consumption of most of the beer produced. On-premises distribution facilities may be an accessory use.

[1]

Editor's Note: This ordinance also provided for the redesignation of former Subsections D through G as Subsections F through I, respectively.

Offices.

Characteristics. The Office Use Category includes use types that provide for activities that are conducted in an office setting and generally focus on business, professional, or financial services. Accessory uses may include cafeterias, day care facilities, recreational or fitness facilities, parking, supporting commercial, or other amenities primarily for the use of employees in the business or building.

Examples. Example use types include business and sales offices (such as lenders, banks, brokerage houses, tax preparers, and real estate agents), and professional services (such as lawyers, accountants, engineers, or architects).

Exceptions.

Offices that are part of and located with a principal use in another use category are considered accessory to the establishment's primary activity. Headquarter offices that are located in conjunction with or adjacent to a principal use in another use category are considered part of the other use category.

Contractors and others who perform services off-site are included in the Offices Use Category if equipment and materials are not stored outside and no fabrication, services, or similar work is carried on at the site.

Government offices are classified as Government Facilities.

(d)

Medical and dental clinics, medical or dental labs, and blood collection facilities are classified as Health Care Facilities.

(e)

Financial institutions offering drive-through or walk-up service to patrons (branch banks or credit unions) are classified as Retail Sales and Services.

Parking, Commercial.

Characteristics. The Commercial Parking Use Category includes use types that provide free-standing parking lots and structures that are not accessory to a specific principal use. A fee may or may not be charged. A parking facility that provides both accessory parking for a specific principal use and regular fee parking for people not connected to the principal use is also classified as Commercial Parking. Accessory uses may include small shelters for parking attendants.

Examples. Example use types include surface parking lots and parking structures (parking decks or garages).

Exceptions.

Parking facilities that are accessory to a principal use, but charge the public to park for occasional events nearby, are not considered Commercial Parking.

Parking facilities that are accessory to a principal use, even if the principal use leases the facility or those parking in the facility are charged a fee, are not considered Commercial Parking.

Recreation, Indoor.

Characteristics. The Indoor Recreation/Entertainment Use Category includes use types that are privately owned and provide recreation or entertainment activities in an enclosed structure or structures. Accessory uses may include offices, concessions, snack bars, parking, and maintenance facilities.

Examples. Example use types include fitness centers, indoor commercial recreation uses (including bowling alleys, game rooms, shooting ranges, and skating rinks), and theaters (including cinemas, screening rooms, and stages).

Exceptions.

Banquet halls that are part of hotels (classified as Visitor Accommodation) or restaurants (classified as Eating Establishments) are accessory to those uses.

Private clubs or lodges are classified as Institutions.

Recreational facilities that are reserved for use by residents of particular residential developments and their guests are accessory to those residential use types.

Recreation, Outdoor.

Characteristics. The Outdoor Recreation/Entertainment Use Category includes use types that are large, generally commercial, and provide continuous recreation or entertainment-oriented activities that primarily take place outdoors. They may take place in a number of structures that are arranged together in an outdoor setting. Accessory uses may include concessions, parking, and maintenance facilities.

Examples. Example use types include privately owned arenas, amphitheaters, or stadiums, outdoor commercial recreation uses (including private golf driving ranges and privately owned miniature-golf facilities; go-cart racing, racetrack, or dirt-track facilities; privately owned outdoor commercial tourist attractions, water parks, and amusement parks; and privately owned active sports facilities such as ball fields, courts, and archery ranges), athletic facilities, and private golf courses.

Exceptions. Publicly owned golf courses, tennis courts, swimming pools, basketball courts, ball fields, and other similar outdoor recreational or entertainment-oriented facilities are classified as Parks and Open Space.

Regional Brewery/Winery/Distillery.

[Added 1-10-2017 by Ord. No. 16-29[2]]

Characteristics. The Commercial Alcoholic Beverage Use Category includes facilities for the production, packaging and distribution of beer, wine, and spirits. The production volume associated with the "regional" classification presents mixed commercial and manufacturing characteristics, but is still lower than a traditional manufacturing use. The production use is combined with one or more commercial uses such as eating establishment, entertainment venue, gift shop, special event facility, tap room, tasting room, tours, or similar accessory use. This use involves the offering of the product for sale or consumption on premises; but distribution facilities for off-premises sale of the product are a characteristic of this use.

[2]

Editor's Note: This ordinance also provided for the redesignation of former Subsections H through J as Subsections K through M, respectively.

Retail Sales and Services.

Characteristics. The Retail Sales and Services Use Category includes use types involved in the sale, lease, or rent of new or used products to the general public. They may also provide personal services or entertainment, or provide product repair or services for consumer and business goods. Accessory uses may include offices, storage of goods, manufacture or repackaging of goods for on-site sale, concessions, ATM machines, outdoor display/sales areas, gasoline sales, and parking. Use types within this use category have been categorized based on their intensity, scale, and function.

Examples. Example use types include uses from the following groups:

Personal services establishments: establishments meeting frequent or recurrent service needs of a personal nature, including laundromats, laundry and dry-cleaning drop-off establishments, hair salons and barber/beauty shops, tanning and nail salons, massage therapy and day spas.

Repair establishments: uses primarily engaged in providing repair services for TVs, computers, bicycles, clocks and watches, shoes, guns, canvas products, appliances, and office equipment, and including tailors, locksmiths, and upholsterers.

Retail sales establishments: stores selling, leasing, or renting consumer, home, and business goods, whether new or used, including art and art supply stores, audio/video stores, bicycle sales, bookstores, clothing stores, convenience stores, department stores, dry good sales, electronic equipment stores, fabric shops, furniture stores, florists, garden supply centers, gift shops, grocery stores, hardware stores, home improvement centers, household products, jewelry stores, office supply stores, pet and pet supply stores, pharmacies, plant stores, and stationery shops.

Exceptions.

Laundry and dry-cleaning plants are considered Industrial Services.

Building trade contractors with on-site storage that sell primarily to contractors and do not have a retail orientation are classified as Industrial Services.

Repair and service of automobiles, motorcycles, and light and medium trucks is classified as Vehicle Sales and Service, except that light repair and service is an allowable accessory to vehicle sales uses.

(d)

Bakeries, dinner theaters, or entertainment establishments primarily engaged in the sale of food for on-site consumption are considered Eating Establishments.

(e)

Cinemas, theaters, concert halls, and stages are considered Indoor Recreation.

(f)

Uses providing financial, professional, or business services by appointment or with only limited contact with the general public are classified as Offices.

(g)

Uses that involve the sales, distribution, or presentation of materials or activities emphasizing sexually explicit content are classified as Adult Entertainment.

Vehicle Sales and Services.

Characteristics. The Vehicle Sales and Services Use, Heavy Category, include, use types involving the direct sales and servicing of medium trucks, boats, and other consumer motor vehicles intended to transport persons or goods over land or water or through the air, whether for recreation, commerce, or personal transport. Accessory uses include offices, sales of parts, maintenance facilities, parking, outdoor display, and vehicle storage.

Examples. Example use types include vehicle sales or rentals; automotive repair and servicing; automotive painting/bodywork; automotive towing and impoundment; and carwashes.

Exceptions.

Refueling facilities for vehicles belonging to a specific principal use (fleet vehicles) are considered accessory uses if located on the site of the principal use.

Storage of inoperable vehicles or parts is considered a Waste-Related Service.

Storage of inoperable vehicles or parts is considered a Waste-Related Service.

Visitor Accommodations.

Characteristics. The Visitor Accommodations Use Category includes use types that provide lodging units or space for short-term stays of less than 30 days for rent, lease, or interval occupancy. Accessory uses may include pools and other recreational facilities, limited storage, restaurants, bars, supporting commercial, meeting facilities, offices, and parking.

Examples. Example use types include hotels or motels and bed-and-breakfast inns.

72-83.5 Industrial use classification.

Industrial Services.

Characteristics. The Industrial Services Use Category includes use types involving the repair or servicing of industrial, business, or consumer machinery equipment, products, or by-products. Firms that service consumer goods do so by mainly providing centralized services for separate retail outlets. Contractors and building maintenance services and similar uses perform services off site. Few customers, especially the general public, come to the site. Accessory activities may include limited retail or wholesale sales, offices, parking, warehousing, and outdoor storage.

Examples. Example use types include machine shops; tool repair; electric motor repair; repair of scientific or professional instruments; heavy equipment sales, rental, or storage; heavy equipment servicing and repair; building, heating, plumbing, or electrical contractors; fuel oil or bottled gas distributors; research and development facilities; laundry, dry-cleaning, and carpet cleaning plants; and general industrial service uses.

Exceptions. Contractors and others who perform services off-site are included in the Offices Use Category if equipment and materials are not stored outside and no fabrication, services, or similar work is carried on at the site.

Manufacturing and Production.

Characteristics. The Manufacturing and Production Use Category includes use types involved in the manufacturing, processing, fabrication, packaging, or assembly of goods. Products may be finished or semifinished and are generally made for the wholesale market, for transfer to other plants, or to order for firms or consumers. The use category also includes custom industries (establishments primarily engaged in the on-site production of goods by use of hand tools and small-scale equipment). Goods are generally not displayed or sold on site, but if so, such sales are a subordinate part of total sales. Relatively few customers come to the manufacturing site. Accessory uses may include retail or wholesale sales, offices, cafeterias, parking, employee recreational facilities, warehouses, storage yards, repair facilities, truck fleets, fueling facilities, security and caretaker's quarters.

Heavy manufacturing. Heavy manufacturing is the manufacture or compounding process of raw materials. These activities may involve outdoor operations as part of their manufacturing process.

Light manufacturing. Light manufacturing is the mechanical transformation of predominantly previously prepared materials into new products, including assembly of component parts and the creation of products for sale to wholesale or retail markets or directly to consumers. Such uses are wholly confined within an enclosed building, do not include processing of hazardous gases and chemicals, and do not emit noxious noise, smoke, vapors, fumes, dust, glare, odor, or vibration.

Examples.

Heavy manufacturing. Heavy manufacturing uses include, but are not limited to: manufacture or assembly of machinery, equipment, instruments, vehicles, appliances, communications equipment, computer or electronic equipment, precision items and other electrical items; asphalt/concrete plants; the processing of food and related products; lumber mills, pulp and paper mills, and the manufacture of other wood products; and electric power generation plants.

Light manufacturing. Example use types of light manufacturing include: production or repair of small machines or electronic parts and equipment; sewing or assembly of textiles into consumer products; woodworking and cabinet building; publishing and lithography; computer design and development; communications equipment, precision items and other electrical items; research, development, and testing facilities and laboratories; sign making, assembly of prefabricated parts, manufacture of electric, electronic, or optical instruments or devices; manufacture and assembly of artificial limbs, dentures, hearing aids, and surgical instruments; manufacture, processing, and packing of food products, cosmetics, and manufacturing of components, jewelry, clothing, trimming decorations, and any similar item.

Exceptions.

Manufacturing of goods to be sold primarily on-site and to the general public is classified as Retail Sales and Services if the manufacturing area does not exceed 35% of the development's gross floor area.

Manufacturing and production of goods from salvage material is classified as Waste-Related Services.

Manufacturing and production of goods from composting material is classified as Waste-Related Services.

Warehouse and Freight Movement.

Characteristics. The Warehouse and Freight Movement Use Category includes use types involving the storage or movement of goods for themselves or other firms or businesses. Goods are generally delivered to other firms or the final consumer, except for some will-call pickups. There is little on-site sales activity with the customer present. Accessory uses include offices, truck fleet parking, outdoor storage, and maintenance areas.

Examples. Example use types include separate storage warehouses (used for storage by retail stores such as furniture and appliance stores); distribution warehouses (used for distribution by trucking companies; cold storage plants; self-service storage; and outdoor storage (as a principal use).

Exceptions.

Contractor's offices that do not include storage yards are classified as Offices.

Use types that involve the transfer or storage of solid or liquid wastes are classified as Waste-Related Services.

Waste-Related Services.

Characteristics. The Waste-Related Services Use Category includes use types that receive solid or liquid wastes from others for disposal on the site or for transfer to another location, uses that collect sanitary wastes, or uses that manufacture or produce goods or energy from the composting of organic material or processing of scrap or waste material. This use category also includes use types that receive wastes from others. Accessory uses may include offices, outdoor storage, recycling of materials, and repackaging and trans-shipment of by-products.

Examples. Example use types include recycling and salvage centers, convenience centers, transfer stations, waste composting, incinerators, and recycling drop-off centers.

Exceptions. Wastewater treatment plants and potable water treatment plants are classified as Utilities.

Wholesale Sales.

Characteristics. The Wholesale Sales Use Category includes use types involving the sale, lease, or rent of products primarily intended for industrial, institutional, or commercial businesses. The uses emphasize on-site sales or taking of orders and often include display areas. Businesses may or may not be open to the general public, but sales to the general public are limited. Products may be picked up on-site or delivered to the customer. Accessory uses may include offices, product repair, warehouses, minor fabrication services, outdoor storage, and repackaging of goods.

Examples. Example use types include sale or rental of machinery, equipment, heavy trucks, building materials, special trade tools, welding supplies, machine parts, electrical supplies, janitorial supplies, restaurant equipment and store fixtures; mail order houses; and wholesalers of food, clothing, plants and landscaping materials, auto parts, and building hardware.

Exceptions.

Firms that engage primarily in sales to the general public or on a membership basis are classified as Retail Sales and Services.