Fairfax City Zoning Code
CHAPTER 17
084: RD 5.5-7 RESIDENTIAL ZONE, HIGH DENSITY
§ 17.084.010 GENERALLY.
No premises in the RD 5.5-7 residential zone may be used for any purpose or in any manner, except as set forth in this chapter.
(Prior Code, § 17.44.010) (Ord. 352, passed - -1973; Am. Ord. 885, passed 11-1-2023)
§ 17.084.020 PRINCIPAL PERMITTED USES AND STRUCTURES.
Uses within the RD 5.5-7 zone shall be conducted entirely within a building and are restricted to the following:
(A) A single-family dwelling on each building site;
(B) A duplex on each building site having a minimum lot area of 7,000 square feet; and
(C) Boardinghouse or lodging house, not to exceed five guests.
(D) Small family day care and large family day care, subject to the standards of Chapter 17.138;
(E) Limited residential care; and
(F) Supportive housing for not more than six persons and transitional housing for no more than six persons, subject to the standards of Chapter 17.138.
(Prior Code, § 17.44.020) (Ord. 352, passed - -1973; Am. Ord. 885, passed 11-1-2023)
§ 17.084.030 CONDITIONAL USES AND STRUCTURES.
The following are conditional uses in the RD 5.5-7 zone:
(A) Agricultural uses, including crop and tree farming and viticulture, but not including the raising of animals or fowl for commercial purposes or the sale of any products on the premises;
(B) Public or quasi-public buildings and uses of an educational, religious, cultural or public service type, not including corporation yards, storage or repair yards, warehouses or similar uses;
(C) Temporary tract offices;
(D) Public and private noncommercial recreation area and facilities, such as country clubs, golf courses and swimming pools;
(E) Private stables and corrals;
(F) Public utility buildings, structures or facilities, except transmission lines;
(G) Living quarters of persons regularly employed on the premises;
(H) Accessory uses other than those specifically listed in § 17.084.040; and
(I) General residential care, subject to the standards of Chapter 17.138.
(J) Other uses which are determined by the Planning Commission to be of the same general character as those enumerated in this section.
(Prior Code, § 17.44.030) (Ord. 352, passed - -1973; Am. Ord. 509, passed - -1983; Am. Ord. 538, passed - -1985; Am. Ord. 800, passed 2-3-2016; Am. Ord. 810, passed 11-1-2017; Am. Ord. 885, passed 11-1-2023)
§ 17.084.040 ACCESSORY USES AND STRUCTURES.
The following are accessory uses in the RD 5.5-7 zone:
(A) Home occupations;
(B) Cabanas, greenhouses, patios, bath houses, tool sheds, playhouses, barbecue pits, fences, walkways, hedges and similar improvements and appurtenances;
(C) Private garages, parking spaces and swimming pools for the exclusive use of the residents of the premises and their guests; and
(D) Up to two residential accessory dwelling units or one junior accessory dwelling unit, which must be approved in accordance with the procedures and standards in Chapter 17.048 of this title.
(Prior Code, § 17.44.040) (Ord. 352, passed - -1973; Am. Ord. 810, passed 11-1-2017; Am. Ord. 885, passed 11-1-2023)
§ 17.084.050 BUILDING SITE REQUIREMENTS.
In the RD 5.5-7 zone, a use permit or hill area residential development permit (HRD)shall be first secured for any use, occupancy or physical improvement of or on a building site failing to meet the following requirements:
(A) Minimum area of 5,500 square feet for a single family residence and a minimum area of 7,000 square feet for a duplex, and a minimum width of 60 feet with a slope of ten percent or less;
(B) The minimum building site area shall be increased by 300 square feet for each one percent increase in slope over ten percent to and including 15 percent; and the minimum width shall be increased by one foot for each 500 feet of additional area required;
(C) Building sites having a slope of more than 15 percent shall increase in area above 7,000 square feet for single-family or 8,500 square feet for duplex, and a minimum width above 65 feet, at the rate of 1,000 square feet of area and three feet of width for each one percent increase in slope;
(D) Fractions shall be disregarded and dropped in all computations made under this section; and
(E) A duplex may only be constructed on a lot of 7,000 square feet or more.
(F) Short-term rental uses contained within an existing structure permitted for residential use as long as the residential unit is an ADU/JADU constructed prior to January 1, 2020.
(Prior Code, § 17.44.050) (Ord. 352, passed - -1973; Am. Ord. 605, passed - -1991; Am. Ord. 885, passed 11-1-2023; Am. Ord. 891, passed 1-9-2025)
§ 17.084.060 HEIGHT REGULATIONS.
Height regulations in the RD 5.5-7 zone are as follows.
(A) (1) Except as otherwise permitted by variance, no building or structure occupied by a principal use on a lot having a slope of ten percent or less shall exceed a height of 28.5 feet nor contain more than two stories.
(2) On lots having a slope in excess of ten percent, no building or structure occupied by a principal use and situated on the downhill side of the street upon which it has its primary frontage shall exceed 35 feet in height, and if situated on the uphill side of the street shall not exceed 28.5 feet in height nor contain more than three stories.
(B) Except as otherwise permitted by variance or by the provisions of § 17.052.020 of this title, no accessory building or structure on any lot shall exceed 15 feet in height nor contain more than one story; provided that, handrails required by the Uniform Building Code shall not be included in measuring height.
The height of accessory dwelling units is governed by Chapter 17.048.
(Prior Code, § 17.44.060) (Ord. 352, passed - -1973; Am. Ord. 486, passed - -1981; Am. Ord. 605, passed - -1991; Am. Ord. 885, passed 11-1- 2023)
§ 17.084.070 YARDS.
(A) Except as otherwise permitted by variance, each building site in the RD 5.5-7 zone having a slope of not more than ten percent shall have yards as follows:
(1) A front and a rear yard having a combined depth of not less than 25 feet, but neither yard having a depth of less than six feet; and
(2) Two side yards having a combined width of not less than 15 feet, but neither yard having a width of less than five feet.
(B) Except as otherwise permitted by variance, each building site in the RD 5.5-7 zone having a slope of more than ten percent shall have yards as follows:
(1) A front and a rear yard having a combined width of not less than 35 feet, but the front yard having a width of not less than six feet and the rear yard of not less than ten feet; and
(2) Two side yards having a combined width of 20 feet, but neither yard having a width of less than five feet.
(C) On all corner lots, all street frontage of any corner lot shall be a yard setback of ten feet.
(D) Setback standards for accessory dwelling units are established in Chapter 17.048.
(Prior Code, § 17.44.070) (Ord. 352, passed - -1973; Am. Ord. 486, passed - -1981; Am. Ord. 605, passed - -1991; Am. Ord. 885, passed 11-1- 2023)
§ 17.084.075 DRIVEWAY STANDARDS.
The width and number of driveways for each property within the RD 5.5-7 Residential Zone, High Density are regulated by Town Code Chapter 12.12, Driveway Entrances.
(Ord. 875, passed 12-7-2022)
§ 17.084.080 SIGNS.
No signs shall be established or maintained in the RD 5.5-7 residential zone, except as authorized or allowed under the provisions of Chapter 17.064 of this title.
(Prior Code, § 17.44.080) (Ord. 352, passed - -1973)
§ 17.084.090 OFF-STREET PARKING.
Off-street parking spaces shall be provided in the RD 5.5-7 zone as required or allowed by the provisions of Chapter 17.052 of this title.
Setback standards for accessory dwelling units are established in Chapter 17.048
(Prior Code, § 17.44.090) (Ord. 352, passed - -1973; Am. Ord. 885, passed 11-1-2023)
§ 17.084.100 TRAFFIC IMPACT PERMIT.
The provisions of the traffic impact permit, Chapter 17.056, are applicable to properties in the RD 5.5-7 district.
(Prior Code, § 17.44.100) (Ord. 352, passed - -1973; Am. Ord. 553, passed - -1986)
§ 17.084.110 VARIANCES.
(A) The Planning Commission may require, as a condition of a variance approved and issued under the provision of this section, a reduction of building height, lot coverage, floor area ratio or buildable area, or any combination thereof, when the reduction is found necessary to protect adjoining property from adverse or detrimental effect, or to prevent the variance from constituting a grant of special privilege.
(B) The Planning Commission may require as a condition of a driveway variance approved and issued under the provision of this section an increase in the width or number of driveways entering a property, when the increase is found necessary to protect adjoining property from adverse or detrimental effect, or to prevent the variance from constituting a grant of special privilege.
(Prior Code, § 17.44.110) (Ord. 352, passed - -1973; Am. Ord. 486, passed - -1981; Am. Ord. 875, passed 12-7-2022)