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City staff will hold a community meeting on Tuesday, April 28, to discuss a potential overhaul of zoning rules that govern the development of substandard lots and outlots, regulations that have been in place in some form for more than half a century.
The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at the Patrick Henry Recreation Center, 4653 Taney Ave. Staff from the Department of Planning and Zoning will provide background on the current regulations, explain what prompted the review and discuss potential policy changes with attendees.
Substandard lots are residential properties that do not meet the minimum size, width or street frontage requirements for their zoning district. Many were subdivided and recorded before the city's Zoning Ordinance established today's minimum standards, making them substandard by rule rather than by any change to the lots themselves. Outlots are properties that lack public street frontage and are instead accessed by a private or public alley, an access easement or a private street.
Under current regulations, building a new home on a vacant outlot typically requires Special Use Permit approval. The same requirement applies to building or demolishing and rebuilding a home on a substandard lot in the R-2-5, R-5, R-8, R-12 and R-20 zones. The SUP requirement has existed in some form since at least 1974.
Staff said several questions are driving the review. Many substandard lots differ only marginally from the minimum requirements of their zone, and in some cases, the difference is so slight that the additional scrutiny imposed by the SUP process may not be warranted. Staff is also examining whether existing zoning rules on height, bulk and setbacks already address the concerns the SUP process was designed to manage, whether the permit requirement adds costs that are passed on to homebuyers and whether smaller homes on narrower lots affect surrounding property values.
The review also revisits whether a broader range of home sizes could help the city meet its goals of offering housing at more price points.
Substandard lots are found throughout Alexandria and are most common in neighborhoods subdivided and developed before 1951. Most already contain homes and are unaffected by the regulations unless owners pursue significant changes. Lots in the city's oldest neighborhoods, including Old Town, are generally permitted to be developed or redeveloped without the additional restrictions.
The city's minimum lot size and frontage requirements were first established in 1931 and increased in 1951 following a comprehensive zoning rewrite. Outlot regulations were adopted in 1969, and rules governing development of vacant substandard lots followed in 1974. Eligibility rules were relaxed between 1987 and 1989, and regulations governing redevelopment of already-developed substandard lots were added in 2008.
Staff will brief the Planning Commission on community feedback at its May 5 public hearing as a discussion item, with no formal recommendations expected. A Planning Commission public hearing is currently targeted for June 23, followed by a City Council public hearing on July 1.
For more information, residents may contact Sam Shelby, principal planner, at 703-746-3865, or Catherine McDonald, urban planner, at 703-746-3844.
