Arlington County M-2 Service Industrial District: Allowed and Prohibited Uses
The M-2 Service Industrial District in Arlington County primarily permits intensive industrial, manufacturing, and service-oriented commercial activities by-right, including vehicle repair, wholesale trade, and large-scale distribution. Most forms of permanent residential household living are strictly prohibited in the M-2 District, and high-impact operations like wrecking yards or recycling centers require a special exception use permit. Technical standards for the M-2 District limit building heights to 75 feet and a maximum floor area ratio (F.A.R.) of 1.5 [§8.4.3].
Overview of the M-2 Service Industrial District
The M-2 Service Industrial District is established to provide locations for service industrial uses within Arlington County. The Arlington County Zoning Ordinance organizes uses into categories based on their operational characteristics, such as the type of activity, the goods or services provided, and the likely impact on surrounding properties [§12.2.1].
Allowed Principal Uses in the M-2 District
Principal uses in the M-2 District are classified as either permitted by-right (P), requiring a special exception use permit (U), or requiring site plan approval (S). A blank cell in the ordinance's use table indicates that a specific use is not allowed within the M-2 District [§8.1.2].
Industrial and Wholesale Uses
Industrial activities are the primary focus of the M-2 District in Arlington County.
| Use Category | Specific Use Type | Permission | Use Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light Industrial Service | Contractors (off-site services), Carpet cleaning, Feed/fuel yard, Artwork/toy production, Research/testing labs, Sign making, Vehicle storage/towing, Welding/machine shops, Woodworking | P | §12.6.4, §12.6.5, §12.6.9, §12.6.11, §12.6.12 |
| Manufacturing and Production | Distribution plants, Parcel delivery, Ice/cold storage, Foundry, Plumbing/sheet metal shops, Printing/lithography, Stone monument works | P | §12.6.3, §12.6.6, §12.6.10, §12.6.4 |
| Heavy Industrial | Concrete batching | P | [§8.1.2] |
| Heavy Industrial | Asphalt processing, Wrecking and salvage yards | U | §12.6.14 |
| Warehouse/Freight | Mailing services, Wholesale storage, Warehouses | P | §12.6.4 |
| Waste-Related | Separation/disposal facilities, Incinerators, Solid/liquid waste transfer | P | [§8.1.2] |
| Waste-Related | Recycling centers | U | [§8.1.2] |
| Wholesale Trade | Machinery/equipment rental, Building material sales, Retail lumber yards | P | §12.6.1, §12.6.5, §12.6.8, §12.6.13 |
Retail, Service, and Commercial Uses
The M-2 District allows various commercial uses, often those that are more intensive or require larger floor plates.
| Use Category | Specific Use Type | Permission | Use Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food Establishments | Artisan beverage, Restaurants, Small-scale catering, Shared commercial kitchens | P | §12.5.31, §12.5.34 |
| Food Establishments | Shared commercial kitchen (open-air) | U | §12.5.34 |
| Entertainment | Membership clubs and lodges | U | §12.5.13 |
| Entertainment | All other entertainment uses | P | §12.5.7 |
| Office | Audio-visual production, Financial services, Professional/Medical offices, Urban agriculture, Urban colleges | P | §12.5.33, §12.5.16 |
| Parking, Commercial | All commercial parking | P/U | §12.5.4 |
| Recreation, Indoor | Swimming pool (commercial), All other indoor recreation | P | [§8.1.2] |
| Recreation, Outdoor | Miniature golf, Swimming pool (commercial), Skating rink, Tennis/racquet courts | U | [§8.1.2] |
| Retail Sales | Drug stores, Florists, Grocery stores, Micro-fulfillment centers, Nursery/plant stores | P | §12.5.5, §12.5.8, §12.5.10, §12.5.15, §12.5.30 |
| Retail Sales | Kiosks, Large-format retail, Open-air markets, Urban agriculture | U | §12.5.12, §12.5.17, §12.5.33 |
| Retail, Personal | Animal care/boarding, Artisan workshops, Dry-cleaning/laundromat, Private postal, Repair-oriented retail | P | §12.5.2, §12.5.32, §12.5.6, §12.5.18, §12.5.20, §12.5.26 |
| Retail, Personal | Mortuaries and funeral homes | U | §12.5.14 |
| Self-service Storage | All self-storage uses | P | §12.5.25 |
| Vehicle Sales/Service | Vehicle body shop, Vehicle sales/rental/leasing | P | §12.5.27, §12.5.29 |
| Vehicle Sales/Service | Car wash, Vehicle service establishment | U | §12.5.27 |
Public, Civic, and Institutional Uses
| Use Category | Specific Use Type | Permission | Use Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Service | Community centers, Swimming pools, Libraries, Museums | U | §12.4.6, §12.4.8 |
| Day Care | Child care centers, All other day care | U | §12.4.1 |
| Governmental | Fire or police station | P | [§8.1.2] |
| Hospital | Hospitals | U | §12.4.2 |
| Religious | Churches, mosques, synagogues, temples | P | [§8.1.2] |
| Schools | Elementary, middle, or high schools | U | §12.4.1 |
| Utilities | All major utilities, Major Wastewater plants | P | [§8.1.2] |
| Utilities | Bus shelters, bike share stations | U | [§8.1.2] |
Allowed Accessory and Transitional Uses
Accessory uses in the M-2 District must be clearly incidental and subordinate to the permitted principal use on the same lot [§12.9.1].
| Use Type | Permission | Use Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Caretaker residence | P | §12.3.2 |
| Crematoriums | U | §12.9.6 |
| Drive-through facilities | U | [§11.1.6] |
| Outdoor cafes | P/U | §12.9.15 |
| Poultry or rabbit-killing | P | §12.6.4 |
| Swimming pools, private | P | §12.9.17 |
| Recreational vehicle/trailer parking | P | §12.9.16 |
| Vehicle maintenance (routine) | P | §12.9.18 |
Prohibited Uses in the M-2 District
Based on the principal use tables, any use that does not have a "P," "U," or "S" designation is prohibited in the M-2 District [§8.1.2]. Key prohibited uses include:
- Household Living: One-family detached, duplexes, semidetached, townhouses, and multiple-family dwellings are not allowed in the M-2 District.
- Overnight Accommodations: Hotels and motels are not listed as allowed uses in the M-2 District [§8.1.2].
- Group Living: Assisted living facilities, nursing homes, dormitories, and fraternity/sorority houses are prohibited, with the exception of temporary caretaker residences.
Density and Dimensional Standards
All development in the M-2 Service Industrial District must comply with the following bulk and placement requirements.
| Type of Standard | Limit/Requirement |
|---|---|
| Height, maximum | 75 feet [§8.4.3] |
| Floor area ratio (F.A.R.), maximum | 1.5 [§8.4.3] |
| Setbacks from any street | 40 feet from the centerline of any street [§3.2.6.A.1(a)] |
| Side and Rear Yards | No requirement, unless abutting an R or RA district [§3.2.6.A.2(a)] |
Sections Cited
- Article 3. Density and Dimensional Standards
- Section 3.2.6. Placement
- Article 8. Industrial (M) Districts
- Section 8.1. Industrial (M) Districts Use Tables
- Section 8.4. M-2, Service Industrial District
- Article 12. Use Standards
- Section 12.2. Use Categories
- Section 12.3. Residential Use Standards
- Section 12.4. Public and Civic Use Standards
- Section 12.5. Commercial/Mixed Use Standards
- Section 12.6. Industrial Use Standards
- Section 12.7. Other Use Standards
- Section 12.9. Accessory Use Standards