CM: Limited Industrial District Regulations for Arlington County
The CM: Limited Industrial District in Arlington County is primarily established to provide for light manufacturing, wholesale businesses, and distribution centers while excluding general residential development. Key density and dimensional standards for the Arlington County CM: Limited Industrial District include a maximum building height of 45 feet and a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 1.5 for most uses.
Overview of the CM: Limited Industrial District
The Arlington County CM: Limited Industrial District is intended for industrial areas where light manufacturing and wholesale activities are appropriate but general residential or heavy service business uses are not [§8.2.1].
Density and Dimensional Standards
All development within the CM: Limited Industrial District must adhere to the following technical requirements unless otherwise modified by specific use standards or board approval:
| Type of Standard | Hotel (Per sleeping/guest unit) | All Other Uses |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum Lot Area | 600 sq. ft. | N/A |
| Maximum Building Height | 45 feet | 45 feet |
| Maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) | N/A | 1.5 |
| Required Landscaped Open Space | N/A | 10% of total site area |
Allowed Uses
The Arlington County Zoning Ordinance categorizes uses in the CM: Limited Industrial District as permitted by-right (P), requiring a use permit (U), or requiring site plan approval (S).
Permitted By-Right (P)
The following uses are allowed in the Arlington County CM: Limited Industrial District without a special exception permit:
- Public and Institutional: Fire or police stations and public utility service yards or electrical receiving/transforming stations [§8.1.2].
- Office and Commercial: Business or professional offices, federal/state/local government offices, medical or dental clinics, and research and development (flex) facilities [§8.1.2].
- Retail and Service: Artisan workshops, animal care facilities (veterinary clinics/hospitals), kennels, animal boarding, dry-cleaning/laundry facilities, grocery stores, drug stores, florists, and upholstery shops [§8.1.2].
- Industrial and Manufacturing: Printing/publishing (small and large scale), welding and machine shops, woodworking, sign making, and the manufacture/assembly of consumer equipment and appliances [§8.1.2].
- Wholesale and Storage: Warehouse and wholesale storage, mailing services, building material sales yards, and retail lumber yards [§8.1.2].
- Other: All agricultural uses and small cell or micro-wireless facilities [§8.1.2].
Use Permit Required (U)
The following uses require the approval of a use permit from the Arlington County Board:
- Residential and Group Living: Group homes, dormitories, and fraternity/sorority houses [§8.1.2].
- Public and Educational: All college uses, community centers, libraries, museums, and schools (elementary, middle, and high) [§8.1.2].
- Recreation: Recreation centers, community swimming pools, miniature golf courses, skating rinks, and tennis or racquetball courts [§8.1.2].
- Commercial and Automotive: Car washes, vehicle service establishments, and vehicle sales/rental facilities between 10,000 and 20,000 square feet in area [§8.1.2, §12.5.29].
- Industrial: Recycling centers [§8.1.2].
Prohibited Uses
Uses that are not listed with a P, U, or S in the Arlington County principal use table are prohibited within the CM: Limited Industrial District [§8.1.2]. These include, but are not limited to:
- General Residential: One-family detached dwellings, duplexes, semidetached dwellings, and townhouses (except as may be permitted under nonconformity rules in Article 16).
- Specialized Housing: Independent living facilities, assisted living facilities, recovery residences, and nursing homes.
- Specific Public Facilities: Detention or correctional facilities and cemeteries.
- Heavy Industrial: Asphalt processing, concrete batching, and wrecking or salvage yards.
- Natural Resources: Resource extraction and mining.
Site Development Standards
Arlington County enforces specific development standards for industrial properties to ensure compatibility and safety.
Parking Requirements
Required off-street parking in the CM: Limited Industrial District is calculated based on the specific use [§14.3.7]:
| Use Type | Minimum Parking Requirement |
|---|---|
| Office Buildings | 1 space per 250 sq. ft. of GFA (first floor) |
| Retail Sales and Service | 1 space per 250 sq. ft. of GFA (first floor) |
| Manufacturing and Industrial | 1 space per 1,000 sq. ft. of GFA, or 1 space per 2 employees (whichever is greater) |
| Warehouse and Storage | 1 space per 1,000 sq. ft. of GFA |
Use-Specific Limitations
- Building Material Sales Yards: In the CM: Limited Industrial District, all activities must be conducted within a completely enclosed building or area enclosed by a solid wall or painted board fence at least six feet high [§12.6.1].
- Foundries: These must be conducted wholly within a completely enclosed building, excluding on-site parking for delivery vehicles [§12.6.3].
- Enclosure Requirement: Most light industrial service uses and manufacturing activities in the CM: Limited Industrial District must be conducted wholly within a completely enclosed building [§12.6.4, §12.6.6].
Sections Cited
- §1.7.1 General districts
- §8.1.2 Industrial (M) districts principal use table
- §8.2 CM, Limited Industrial District
- §12.2.3 Residential use categories
- §12.2.4 Public, civic and institutional use categories
- §12.2.5 Retail, service and commercial use categories
- §12.2.6 Industrial use categories
- §12.5.29 Vehicle sales, rental and leasing facilities
- §12.6.1 Building material sales yards
- §12.6.3 Foundries
- §12.6.4 Indoor-only uses
- §12.6.6 Plumbing or sheet metal shops
- §14.3.7 Required parking and standing space
- §18.2 General Terms Defined