Setback Requirements for the DB: Downtown Business District in Arlington

In the City of Arlington, the DB: Downtown Business district generally features a zero-foot minimum setback requirement for front, side, and rear property lines to encourage a dense, walkable urban core. However, to protect residential neighborhoods, any property in the DB: Downtown Business district must maintain a minimum 20-foot setback on side or rear property lines when adjacent to a single-family residential district or use.

Technical Setback Standards for the DB District

The following table outlines the minimum building setbacks required within the DB: Downtown Business district of the City of Arlington.

Boundary Type	Minimum Setback Requirement (Feet)
Street Frontage (Minimum)	0 feet
Side and/or Rear	0 feet
Adjacent to Single-Family (Side and/or Rear)	20 feet

[Section 2.3.8.D]

Measurement and Placement Rules

In the City of Arlington, street frontage setbacks are measured from the property line. Specifically, for arterial and collector streets, the setback is measured from the right-of-way line as shown on the Thoroughfare Development Plan [Section 4.1.6.C].

Build-to-Line Requirements

The City of Arlington UDC emphasizes a "street wall" aesthetic in its mixed-use areas. For developments in the DB: Downtown Business district, a minimum of 60 percent of the total building street frontage along a major arterial must be located at the minimum front setback line. This creates a consistent building face along the sidewalk [Section 5.7.4.A].

Streetfront Setback Usage

The area between the building and the street in the DB: Downtown Business district is intended to be occupied by pedestrian-friendly amenities. The City of Arlington permits these spaces to be used for:

Sidewalks and landscaping
Outdoor dining areas
Street amenities, kiosks, and plazas
Seating areas [Section 5.7.4.C]

Setbacks for Parking and Accessory Features

Specific location standards apply to parking facilities within the DB: Downtown Business district to maintain the district's urban character:

Surface Parking: No surface parking lots are permitted between the building and the street. They must be located behind or to the sides of buildings [Section 5.4.4.H.2.d, Section 5.7.4.C].
Encroachments: Certain architectural features may encroach up to five feet into the required setback area if the Zoning Administrator determines they are compatible with the building's style. These include stairs, stoops, porches, chimneys, awnings, and balconies [Section 5.7.4.B].
Fencing: While building setbacks may be zero, screening and fencing must comply with specific standards. For example, in the DB: Downtown Business district, if a surface parking lot is not screened by a building, it must be screened from the public street by a three-foot-high masonry fence within a five-foot-wide landscaping bed [Section 5.2.2.E.3.c].

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