Grassroots
Types of Zoning Districts in Bedford County
Do you know the zoning district in which your property is located? Bedford County has 18 established zoning districts plus 10 “Special Purpose Overlay” districts. An overlay adds special restrictions to parts of the existing 18 zones. Visualize a map printed on clear plastic that is laid over the existing zoning map. For example, an Historic Overlay District would be a designation added to the geographical area of Poplar Forest, even though the general area in which it is located is zoned PRD – Planned Residential Development district.
Learning about the county’s zoning may not be the most interesting thing to do, but it is an important thing to do because every piece of property in the county is in one of its 18 zones, each of which has a set of regulations and use rights that are unique to that zone. Because your property may be in a zone that permits higher density development than has yet taken place, you may think that you are in a lower density zone than you really are and be surprised when things change in ways you did not expect. In addition, examining the zoning ordinance can help us understand why certain things are happening in the county and what kinds of changes are possible in the near and distant future.
The county is divided into industrial districts (3 types which comprise less than 1% of the county), commercial districts (4 types which make up 1.75% of the county), residential districts (6 types which make up 16.92% of the county) and agricultural districts (3 types which make up 80.47% of the county). If you own a home in Bedford County it is located in one of the 6 types of residential districts or one of the 3 types of agricultural districts.
The six types of residential districts are:
R-1: Low Density Residential
R-2 Medium Density Residential
R-3 Medium Density Multi-Family Residential
R-4 High Density Multi-Family Residential
PRD Planned Residential Development
R-MH Manufactured Housing Overlay
These residential zones were designated in 1998 when the county adopted zoning in Bedford. They identify the places where the highest developmental density was already happening and where it was expected to continue -- mainly areas bordering Lynchburg, Bedford and Smith Mountain Lake. These are the county’s high growth areas and they are the primary focus for expanded community services, such as water and sewer lines, and the most expensive item on any community service laundry list – schools. Real estate taxes county-wide pay for services that are needed by these areas. Areas of less density, such as agricultural zones, cost the county far less in community services than higher density areas, which generally cost more than they contribute to the tax base.
According to the Bedford County Zoning Ordinance, the R-1 district (Low Density Residential) intends to preserve the look of a traditional suburban neighborhood with an average density of one to three dwelling units per acre. In addition to single-family residencies, “only uses of a community nature which are generally deemed compatible” are permitted by the ordinance. This would include parks and playgrounds, schools and other similar neighborhood activities. R-1 districts make up 10.26 percent of county property.
R-2 (Medium Density Residential) accounts for only 5.35% of the county and is intended to provide “reasonable protection to existing single family residential neighborhoods, while accommodating a diversity of alternative housing options.” Older neighborhoods with smaller lot sizes are included in R-2 zoning where there are opportunities to “fill-in” the neighborhood with additional development. R-2 allows a build-out density of 3 to 6 dwelling units per acre.
R-3 districts (Medium Density Multi-Family Residential) were designated based on residential developments with an existing density of four to twelve units per acre and which were already being served by urban services (water, sewer, etc.). R-3 areas are intended to serve “as a buffer between less intensive residential areas and more intensive office, commercial and industrial districts.”
Currently, there are no R-4 districts (High Density Multi-Family Residential) in Bedford County, although such districts are included in the 1998 Zoning Ordinance. The presence of this type of residential zoning in the ordinance is an indication that the higher density development of 12 to 18 units per acre is expected at some time in the future.
PRD (Planned Residential Development District) is a less conventional type of zoning that allows for the development of communities that “incorporate a variety of housing options, as well as certain limited commercial and office uses designed to serve the inhabitants of the district.” Examples of PRD districts in Bedford County are Ivy Hills, Mariner’s Landing, Lake Vista, Forest Lakes, and Kensington.
Residential development is also allowed in districts that are zoned agricultural. Agricultural districts include AP (Agricultural/Rural Preserve District), AR (Agricultural/Residential District), and AV (Agricultural Village Center District). Nearly 61 percent (60.95%) of our county is zoned AP – these districts are primarily farmland and woodlands with some residences serviced by agricultural villages. What type of development and land uses does current zoning permit in these areas? Read next week’s column for more information.
