When used in connection with a particular use in the Table of Permissible Uses, the letter "P" means that the use is permissible in the indicated zone with a zoning permit issued by the Zoning Administrator. The letters "PC" means that the use is permissible in the indicated zone with a zoning permit issued by the Zoning Administrator provided the proposed use complies with the conditions established in Article XI. The letters "SE" mean a special exception permit must be obtained from the Board of Zoning Appeals. The letters "SC" means special exception with conditions must be obtained from the Board of Zoning Appeals.

a.

All uses that are not listed in the Table of Permissible Uses, are prohibited. Nor shall the Table of Permissible Uses be interpreted to allow a use in one zoning district when the use in question is more closely related to another specified use that is permissible in other zoning districts.

b.

If, in any district established under this chapter, a use is not specifically permitted and an application is made to the Administrator for such use, the Administrator shall refer the application to the Planning Commission which shall make its recommendation to the Town Council within 90 days. If the recommendation of the Planning Commission is approved by the Town Council, this chapter shall be amended to list the use as a permitted use in that district. Both the Planning Commission and Town Council shall hold a public hearing on connection with this after advertising according to Code of Virginia, § 15.2-2044, as amended.

c.

The following uses are specifically prohibited in all districts:

1.

Any use that involves the manufacture, handling, sale, distribution, or storage of any highly combustible or explosive materials.

2.

Slaughterhouses, rendering plants.

3.

Use of a travel trailer as a temporary or permanent residence.

4.

Use of a motor vehicle, tractor trailer unit or semi truck parked on a lot as a structure in which, out of which, or from which any goods are sold or stored, any services are performed, or other business is conducted.

5.

Use of mobile home or travel trailer in any Commercial or Industrial District, except mobile homes or travel trailers may be used as temporary construction trailers in conjunction with construction work only during the period of time when construction work is in progress and mobile homes (trailers) may be used by the public school system for educational space and facilities in any Commercial or Industrial District where schools are allowed as the principal permitted use, provided:

(a)

All Federal, State, and Local Laws are complied with.

(b)

Site plans and permits required by this Ordinance are presented as required.

(c)

All other permits required by the County of Essex or the Town of Tappahannock are obtained as required.

6.

Mobile homes (trailers) may be permitted and used by the public school system in any Residential District in which schools are allowed as the principal permitted use for educational space and facilities, provided:

(a)

All Federal, State, and Local laws are complied with.

(b)

Site plans and permits as required by this Ordinance are presented as required

(c)

All other permits required by the County of Essex or the Town of Tappahannock are obtained as required.

a.

The Table of Permissible Uses classifies different principal uses according to their different impacts. Whenever an activity (which may or may not be separately listed as a principal use in this table) is conducted in conjunction with another principal use and the former use (1) constitutes only an incidental or insubstantial part of the total activity that takes place on a lot, or (2) is commonly associated with the principal use and integrally related to it, then the former use may be regarded as accessory to the principal use and may be carried on underneath the umbrella of the permit issued for the principal use. For example, a swimming pool/tennis court complex is customarily associated with and integrally related to a residential subdivision or multi-family development and would be regarded as accessory to such principal uses, even though such facilities, if developed apart from a residential development, would require a special-exception permit (use classification 6.210).

b.

The following activities, so long as they satisfy the general criteria set forth above, are specifically regarded as accessory to residential principal uses:

1.

Offices or studios within an enclosed building and used by an occupant of a residence located on the same lot as such building to carry on administrative or artistic activities, so long as such activities do not fall within the definition of a home occupation.

2.

Hobbies or recreational activities of a noncommercial nature.

3.

The renting out of one or two rooms within a single-family residence (which one or two rooms do not themselves constitute a separate dwelling unit) to not more than two persons who are not part of the family that resides in the single-family dwelling.

4.

Yard sales or garage sales, so long as such sales are not conducted on the same lot for more than three days (whether consecutive or not) during any 90-day period.

c.

Storage outside of a substantially enclosed structure of any motor vehicle that is neither licensed nor operational shall not be regarded as accessory to a residential principal use and is prohibited in residential districts.

Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, no zoning or special exception permit is necessary for the following uses:

a.

Streets.

b.

Electric power, telephone, telegraph, cable television, gas, water, and sewer lines, wires or pipes, together with supporting poles or structures, located within a public right-of-way.

c.

Neighborhood utility facilities located within a public right-of-way with the permission of the owner (state or town) of the right-of-way.

a.

A substantial change in use of property occurs whenever the essential character or nature of the activity conducted on a lot changes. This occurs whenever:

1.

The change involves a change from one principal use category to another.

2.

If the original use is a combination use or planned unit development, the relative proportion of space devoted to the individual principal uses that comprise the combination use or planned unit development use, changes to such an extent that the parking requirements for the overall use are altered.

3.

If the original use is a combination use or planned unit development use, the mixture of types of individual principal uses that comprise the combination use or planned unit development use changes.

4.

If the original use is a planned residential development, the relative proportions of different types of dwelling units change.

5.

If there is only one business or enterprise conducted on the lot (regardless of whether that business or enterprise consists of one individual principal use or a combination use), that business or enterprise moves out and a different type of enterprise moves in (even though the new business or enterprise may be classified under the same principal use or combination use category as the previous type of business). For example, if there is only one building on a lot and a florist shop that is the sole tenant of that building moves out and is replaced by a clothing store, that constitutes a change in use even though both tenants fall within principal use classification 2.111. However, if the florist shop were replaced by another florist shop, that would not constitute a change in use since the type of business or enterprise would not have changed. Moreover, if the florist shop moved out of a rented space in a shopping center and was replaced by a clothing store, that would not constitute a change in use since there is more than one business on the lot and the essential character of the activity conducted on that lot (shopping center-combination use) has not changed.

b.

A mere change in the status of property from unoccupied to occupied or vice versa does not constitute a change in use. Whether a change in use occurs shall be determined by comparing the two active uses of the property without regard to any intervening period during which the property may have been unoccupied, unless the property has remained unoccupied for more than 180 consecutive days or has been abandoned.

c.

A mere change in ownership of a business or enterprise or a change in the name shall not be regarded as a change in use.

a.

When a combination use comprises two or more principal uses that require different types of permits (zoning or special exception), then the permit authorizing the combination use shall be:

1.

A special exception permit if any of the principal uses combined requires a special exception permit.

2.

A zoning permit in all other cases.

b.

When a combination use consists of a single-family detached and two-family or multi-family uses, then the total density permissible on the entire tract shall be determined by dividing the area of the tract by the minimum square footage per dwelling unit specified in Section 22-155.

a.

More specific use controls. Whenever a development could fall within a more than one use classification in the Table of Permissible Uses, the classification that most closely and most specifically describes the development controls. For example, a small doctor's office or clinic clearly falls within the 3.110 classification (office and service operations conducted entirely indoors and designed to attract customers or clients to the premises). However, classification 3.130, "office or clinics of physicians or dentists with not more than 10,000 square feet of gross floor area" more specifically covers this use and therefore is controlling.

b.

Table of Permissible Uses (see following).

Alphabetical List of Uses from Section 22-125 Table of Permissible Uses

¹  Town Council Adopted on 1-14-2009

²  Town Council Amended on 11-13-2012

³  Town Council Adopted on 4-8-2019

⁴  Town Council Adopted on 1-11-2021 Town Council Amended on 1-13-2025

⁵  Town Council Amended on 4-12-2021

⁶  Town Council Amended on 5-10-2021

⁷ Town Council Adopted on 11-12-2024

⁸  Town Council Adopted on 1-13-2025

⁹  Town Council Adopted on 5-12-2025

^*  Allowed in conjunction with a special event permit