Roanoke, VA Building Safety: Anti-Mansionization (2026)

Section 36.2-313 of the Zoning Ordinance governs front yard depth for infill development in the R-7, R-5, R-3, RM-1, and RM-2 residential districts, the five districts where Section 36.2-312 flags that "Section 36.2-313 Front yard requirements for infill development apply." Rather than a single citywide number, the Zoning Administrator calculates an "established front yard" from the depths of principal structures on the same block face: only a lot with a principal structure on the same block face, and up to one lot on each side of the subject property closest to it, may be used.

The code screens out atypical lots before averaging: an outlier is any yard depth that deviates by more than 20 percent from the average depth on the block face, and outliers are excluded from the established front yard. Where the shallowest established front yard sits between the district's minimum and maximum, the new building's minimum yard equals that shallowest depth and its maximum equals that depth plus 5 feet. Where the shallowest established yard is deeper than the district maximum, the new minimum equals the shallowest established depth and the maximum is the average of the shallowest and deepest established yards. Where the shallowest established yard is shallower than the district minimum but still 10 feet or more, the maximum becomes that shallow depth plus 10 feet; where it is under 10 feet, the maximum is fixed at 20 feet. On a corner lot, the rule applies only to the front yard with the primary facade, and when no principal residential structures exist yet on the block face, the district's own minimum and maximum control instead.