Zoning Overlays & Bonuses in Albemarle County, VA (2026)

2 rules for unincorporated Albemarle County, Virginia.

Verified from official government sources

Note: These county rules apply to unincorporated areas of Albemarle County. If you live within an incorporated city, that city's own rules apply: see the city list below.

Density Bonus Law

Albemarle County's zoning ordinance lets developers earn extra density above the standard level in the VR through R-15 districts by meeting bonus factors for preserved woodland, road dedications, or affordable housing, but the resulting density can never exceed the comprehensive plan's recommended level, and stacking every bonus factor cannot add more than 50 percent to the base density.

Albemarle County Zoning Density Bonus Factors

Some Restrictions

Albemarle County Code §§ 18-2.4, 18-2.4.1

The provision of bonus factors is intended to encourage development which reflects the goals and objectives of the comprehensive plan. To this end, bonus factors are based on development standards as recommended by the comprehensive plan. ... Bonus factors will be applied to the gross density-standard level in accordance with the regulations of the applicable district, provided that: (a)the res...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

Downtown Design Guide

Albemarle County's zoning ordinance sets a dedicated design district, the Downtown Crozet District (DCD), for the traditional downtown core of Crozet. It swaps the county's conventional suburban commercial and industrial rules for a form-based mix of retail, service, civic, light industrial and secondary residential uses meant to read as a walkable downtown.

Albemarle's Downtown Crozet Design District

Some Restrictions

Albemarle County Code § 18-20B.1

Sec. 20B.1 - Purpose and intent. The purpose of the Downtown Crozet District (hereinafter referred to as the "DCD") is to establish a district in which traditional downtown development, as described in the Crozet master plan, will occur. To these ends, the DCD provides for flexibility and variety of development for retail, service, and civic uses with light industrial and residential uses as se...

Full ordinance details →Official source ↗

All Albemarle County ordinances

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