Mathews County Unincorporated
City Zoning Code
City Zoning Code
ARTICLE 6
Residential-1 District R-1
§ 175-6.1 Intent.
The intent of the Residential-1 District (R-1) is to preserve existing residential areas along or adjacent to the waterfront; to provide for low-density residential developments of high quality along or near the waterfront of Mathews County; to provide for uniformity in permitted uses and activities within subdivisions bordering in part or in whole on the waterfront; and to provide marine-related activities related to residential development. As a general rule, uses which do not require waterfront location or which do not compliment uses requiring residential waterfront location are not permitted in the Residential-1 District (R-1).
§ 175-6.2 Uses permitted by right.
[Amended 7-22-2014; 9-22-2015; 10-25-2016]
The following uses shall be permitted subject to all other requirements of this chapter as a matter or right in the Residential-1 District (R-1):
B.
Agriculture, including the growing of fruit, forest, field, and vegetable crops and for personal and home occupation uses only, fowl and animal handling and containment, excluding hogs; grain dryers, feeder lots, dairy barns, agricultural lagoons, poultry and hog houses and other structures or areas involving the concentrated handling or containment of animals and fowl are excluded.
D.
Cemeteries.
E.
Churches and other places of worship.
F.
Cluster development of single-family dwellings.
H.
Drainage, erosion and flood control facilities.
I.
Dwelling, single-family.
K.
Forestry.
L.
Horticulture.
N.
Hunting blinds and daytime outdoor recreation.
O.
Manufactured homes, individual, where:
(1)
The minimum lot size and width as well as the front, side and rear yards setback shall be doubled for the respective zoning districts and the maximum height allowed will be 25 feet measured from the bottom to the top of the manufactured home.
(2)
The electricity meter base shall not be attached to the manufactured home.
(3)
All manufactured homes shall be skirted with some type of uniform durable weatherproof material, and installed with a set of permanent steps at each exit.
P.
Museums.
Q.
Natural wildlife preserves and similar conservation uses.
R.
Private docks, piers, boat houses and boat ramps and landings pursuant to the mandates of § 175-6.3A of this chapter.
S.
Recycling location (dropoff) with a total capacity of 10 cubic yards or less.
T.
Shellfish aquaculture, commercial, up to and including 100,000 bivalve molluscan organisms, individually or in combination, harvested annually as determined by the Department of Health Shellfish Sanitation mandatory sales records as a home occupation as defined in § 175-2.2 and subject to the provisions of § 175-15.5.
U.
Shellfish aquaculture, noncommercial.
W.
Signs, subject to Article 13.
X.
Subdivisions, major.
Y.
Subdivisions, minor.
Z.
Utility use, minor.
[Amended 2-23-2021]
§ 175-6.3 Conditional use permits.
A.
In order to ensure that special uses will not harm the natural environment, no zoning permit shall be issued therefor unless and until all other required permits are first obtained from environmental protection agencies, including the Mathews County Wetlands Zoning Board, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, the State Water Control Board, the Virginia Department of Health, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, and any other applicable agency.
B.
The following uses shall be permitted in the Residential-1 District (R-1) subject to all the other requirements of this chapter, only upon the obtaining of a conditional use permit from the Board of Supervisors.
[Amended 7-22-2014; 9-22-2015; 10-25-2016]
(1)
Bed-and-breakfast establishments.
(2)
Community-operated playgrounds, parks and similar community recreational facilities.
(3)
Conditional sewage disposal permits granted by the Virginia Department of Health for less than year-round occupancy.
(4)
Country clubs.
(5)
Day-care centers.
(6)
Golf courses.
(7)
Craft industries as defined.
(9)
Manufactured homes, individual, which are not permitted by § 175-6.2, where:
(a)
The minimum lot size and width as well as the front, side and rear yards setback shall be doubled for the respective zoning districts and the maximum height allowed will be 25 feet measured from the bottom to the top of the manufactured home.
(b)
The electricity meter base shall not be attached to the manufactured home.
(c)
All manufactured homes shall be skirted with some type of uniform durable weatherproof material, and installed with a set of permanent steps at each exit.
(10)
Marinas, private noncommercial; provided the application for construction of same is in compliance with § 175-6.3A of this chapter.
(11)
Motor less watercraft sales and rentals, including related accessories.
(12)
Professional offices within occupant's dwelling.
(13)
Public service facilities such as firehouses, rescue squad, and police stations; post offices, government offices, schools and parks.
(14)
Rehabilitation and group homes or centers.
(15)
Sewage treatment systems (private) where the subject lot or parcel shall be located outside the area identified by the Floodplain Management Ordinance of Mathews County[2] as being subject to inundation by waters of the one-hundred-year flood event.
(16)
Shellfish aquaculture, commercial, for more than 100,000 bivalve molluscan organisms, individually or in combination, harvested annually.
(17)
Swimming and tennis clubs.
(20)
Travel trailers (licensed), located outside of travel trailer parks, which are to be occupied for habitation on a temporary basis, other than allowed by § 175-15.3B, if the Board of Supervisors grants a temporary conditional use permit and if the applicant agrees in writing to remove the travel trailer on or before the period specified in the permit.
[Amended 4-11-2023]
(21)
Utility use, major.
[Amended 2-23-2021]
§ 175-6.4 Area regulations for all permitted uses, except as otherwise required in Article 15.
A.
Lot size. For lots containing or intended to contain a single permitted principal use, the minimum lot area shall be one acre or 43,560 square feet.
B.
Setback regulations. Buildings and piers on all public or private rights-of-way shall be set back 50 feet or more from the edge of the right-of-way.
C.
Frontage and lot width regulations. The minimum frontage for permitted uses shall be 24 feet on any street or right-of-way and the lot shall be 100 feet at the setback line.
D.
Yard regulations.
(1)
Side: The minimum side yard for each main building shall be 20 feet, and the total width of the two required side yards shall be 40 feet or more. The minimum side yard for accessory buildings and piers shall be five feet.
(2)
Rear: Each main building shall have a rear yard of 50 feet or more. Each accessory building shall have a rear yard of five feet or more on lots not on the water. There is no minimum rear yard requirement for accessory buildings on lots on the water.
§ 175-6.5 Height regulations.
A.
Buildings and accessory buildings and structures may be erected up to 50 feet in height.
B.
Public utility buildings, church spires, belfries, cupolas, monuments, water towers, chimneys, flues, flag poles, television antennae and radio aerials are exempt. Parapet walls may be up to four feet above the height of the building on which the walls rest.
§ 175-6.6 Special provisions for corner lots.
§ 175-6.7 Sign regulations.
Sign regulations shall conform to Article 13 of this chapter.
§ 175-6.8 Off-street parking regulations.
Off-street parking shall be provided in conformance with Article 12 of this chapter.