Arlington County C-TH: Commercial Townhouse District Setback Guide
In the Arlington County C-TH: Commercial Townhouse district, front setbacks are primarily determined by the structure's use, requiring 40 feet from the street centerline for commercial buildings and a more restrictive 25 feet from the right-of-way line for residential uses. Side and rear setbacks are not required for standard commercial walls without openings; however, any wall that contains windows or abuts a residential (R or RA) district must provide a minimum 8-foot setback that increases proportionately with the building's height.
Street and Front Setback Requirements
For properties located within the C-TH district in Arlington County, the distance a building must be set back from the street depends on the specific classification of the structure. While general commercial and office uses follow a centerline-based measurement, residential structures—including townhouses—are subject to standards that consider both the street centerline and the right-of-way (ROW) line [Section 3.2.6.A.1].
| Use Category | Minimum Front Setback Requirement |
|---|---|
| Commercial, Office, and Mixed-Use | 40 feet from the centerline of any street [Section 3.2.6.A.1(a)] |
| One-Family and Two-Family Dwellings | 25 feet from the street right-of-way line [Section 3.2.6.A.1(e)] |
| All Other Residential Structures (e.g., Townhouses, Multi-family) | The larger of either 50 feet from the street centerline or 25 feet from the street right-of-way line [Section 3.2.6.A.1(d)] |
Side and Rear Setback Requirements
Under the Arlington County Zoning Ordinance, the C-TH district is designed to allow for dense, urban-style development, meaning side and rear yards are often not required. However, setbacks are triggered if the building has windows (openings) or if the lot sits directly next to a residential neighborhood [Section 3.2.6.A.2].
| Condition | Required Side or Rear Setback |
|---|---|
| Standard Wall (No openings, not abutting R or RA districts) | 0 feet (No side or rear yard required) [Section 3.2.6.A.2(a)] |
| Wall with Openings or Abutting R or RA Districts | 8 feet for the first 10 feet of building height, plus 2 additional feet for every 10 feet of additional building height (or fraction thereof) [Section 3.2.6.A.2(a)] |
Additional Placement and Encroachment Regulations
Arlington County provides specific rules for how structures and site features may interact with these required setbacks in the C-TH district:
Permitted Encroachments
Certain architectural features are permitted to extend into the required yards. Bay and oriel windows without floor space, as well as chimneys, may encroach up to 18 inches into a required yard. Unenclosed features such as balconies, eaves, decks, and patios (at least eight inches above grade) may encroach up to four feet into a required yard, provided they remain at least five feet from any property line [Section 3.2.6.A.3].
Setbacks for Special Residential Projects
For projects north of Wilson Boulevard and east of North Garfield Street that abut a residential district, Arlington County requires a mandatory setback of 25 feet from the abutting residential lot. These structures are further limited to a maximum of three floors and 40 feet in height unless specific step-backs are provided [Section 10.2.5.B.2].
Surface Parking
In the C-TH district, surface parking areas must be screened from public sidewalks and abutting residentially zoned properties by a four-foot-high brick wall. If the parking area abuts a "low" residential district (as designated on the General Land Use Plan), the wall must be at least six feet in height [Section 7.18.6.C].
Sections Cited
- §3.2.6. Placement
- §7.18. C-TH, Commercial Townhouse District
- §10.2.5. Unified commercial/mixed use development in Clarendon Revitalization District