Lynchburg, VA Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Density Bonus Law (2026)
Key Facts
- Base R-4 density/height
- 21.78 units/acre, 40 ft (Exhibit IV-10)
- Bonus ceiling
- 29 units/acre, 60 ft (Sec. 35.2-44.4(b))
- Impervious coverage bonus
- +1 unit/acre per 1% below 30%
- Transit stop bonus
- +2 units/acre, GLTC-approved stop
- Accessible-unit bonus
- +1 unit/acre per 5% above 10%
Summary
Lynchburg lets R-4 multi-household developments build well beyond the district's base 21.78 units per acre, up to 29 units per acre and 60 feet in height, by earning bonuses under Exhibit IV-11 for site-design choices like reduced impervious coverage, wider buffers, transit access and mixed-use ground floors.
(b)Density and height bonuses. The net density and height may be increased to up to 29 dwelling units per acre and up to 60 feet in height subject to achievement of the design standards listed in Exhibit IV-11 and the provisions of paragraph (a). ... Impervious lot coverage Density may be increased by 1 dwelling unit per acre for every 1 percent in impervious lot coverage below 30 percent.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 10).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 78 units per acre and a 40-foot maximum height set in Exhibit IV-10. Reaching the higher numbers requires earning credits under Exhibit IV-11, and a development can stack several categories. Cutting impervious lot coverage below the district's 30 percent baseline earns one additional dwelling unit per acre for every 1 percent reduction, so a 10-acre site built at 28 percent impervious coverage picks up 20 extra units. Doubling the required 20-foot landscape buffer and its plantings along a property line abutting an R-C, R-1, R-2 or R-3 district adds 3 units per acre.
Providing a covered transit stop approved by the Greater Lynchburg Transit Company and the Technical Review Committee, backed by a transit-service commitment, adds 2 units per acre, as does extending a multi-purpose trail through the site to connect with existing trails, adopted City Plan pedestrian facilities, or retail, service or school uses within a half mile, though sidewalk connections or on-site recreational paths alone do not qualify. Dedicating ground-floor space to authorized retail or service uses under the R-4 use standards in Sec. 3 earns another 2 units per acre.
Making 10 percent of units accessible earns 1 unit per acre, with an additional unit per acre for each further 5 percent of accessible units. Two bonus categories, water quality and affordable or workforce housing, remain reserved and carry no bonus yet. Sec. 4(a) still requires multi-household buildings within 100 feet of an abutting R-1, R-2 or R-3 lot to stay at two stories, regardless of any density bonus earned elsewhere on the site.
Violations & Fines
Building beyond the R-4 district's base density or height without qualifying for the Exhibit IV-11 bonuses, or without an approved conditional use permit for the underlying multi-household development, is a Zoning Ordinance violation enforced by the Zoning Administrator under Sec. 35.2-102. It carries a misdemeanor fine of up to $1,000.00 under Sec. 35.2-102.2, or a civil penalty of $200.00 for a first violation, $350.00 for a second and $500.00 for each later violation under Sec. 35.2-102.4(a)(2), capped at $5,000.00 arising from the same set of facts.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much extra density can an R-4 project in Lynchburg earn?
What's the easiest way to earn a density bonus?
Can I combine several density bonus categories?
Does the density bonus override the two-story limit near single-family neighborhoods?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lynchburg
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