An ordinance regulating and restricting the use of buildings, structures, and land, and providing for the administration, enforcement and amendment thereof in the Town of Lawrenceville, and for said purpose of dividing the town into districts. This ordinance shall be known and cited as the "Zoning Ordinance of the Town of Lawrenceville, Virginia."

Whereas, by act of the General Assembly of Virginia, Code of Virginia, § 15.2-2280 et seq., and amendments thereto, any locality may, by ordinance, classify the territory under its jurisdiction or any substantial portion thereof into districts of such number, shape and size as it may deem best suited to carry out the purposes of this article, and in each district it may regulate, restrict, permit, prohibit, and determine the following:

1-2-1. The use of land, buildings, structures and other premises for agricultural, business, industrial, residential, floodplain and other specific uses;

1-2-2. The size, height, area, bulk, location, erection, construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, maintenance, razing, or removal of structures;

1-2-3. The areas and dimensions of land, water, and air space to be occupied by buildings, structures and uses, and of courts, yards, and other open spaces to be left unoccupied by uses and structures, including variations in the sizes of lots based on whether a public or community water supply or sewer system is available and used; or

1-2-4. The excavation or mining of soil or other natural resources.

Be it therefore ordained by the Lawrenceville Town Council upon recommendation of the Town of Lawrenceville Planning Commission and having given due notice of public hearings on the proposed zoning ordinance and having held such hearings, that the zoning regulations and districts herein set forth are for the purpose of promoting and improving public health, safety, convenience or welfare and to plan for the future development of the town and of further accomplishing the objectives of Code of Virginia, § 15.2-2200 et seq., as amended, and therefore, the following is hereby known as the Zoning Ordinance of the Town of Lawrenceville, Virginia, together with the accompanying Official Zoning Map. This zoning ordinance is inclusive by design. This ordinance allows uses specifically identified with the ordinance. Uses not specifically identified within the ordinance are not allowed. This ordinance has been designed to:

1-3-1. Provide for adequate light, air, convenience of access, from fire, flood, and other dangers;

1-3-2. Reduce or prevent congestion in the public streets;

1-3-3. Facilitate the creation of a convenient, attractive and secure community;

1-3-4. Facilitate the provision of adequate police and fire protection, disaster evacuation, civil defence, transportation, water, flood protection, parks, playgrounds, forests, recreational facilities, and other public requirements;

1-3-5. Protect against one or more of the following: overcrowding of land, undue density of population in relation to the community facilities existing or available, obstruction of light or air, danger and congestion in travel and transportation, or loss of life, health or property from fire, flood, panic, or other dangers; and

1-3-6. Encourage economic development activities that provide desirable employment and enlarge the tax base.

This zoning ordinance and map are developed with reasonable consideration for the existing use and character of property; and the existing land use plan, the suitability of property for various uses, the trends of growth or change, the current and future requirement of the town as to land for various purposes as determined by population and economic studies and other studies; the transportation requirements of the town; the housing, parks, playgrounds, recreation areas, and other public services; for the conservation of natural resources, and the preservation of floodplain, and the conservation of properties and their values and the encouragement of the most appropriate use of land throughout the town.