Charlottesville, VA Zoning Overlays & Bonuses: Downtown Design Guide (2026)
Key Facts
- ADC districts
- 8, incl. Downtown Mall
- Approval required
- Certificate of Appropriateness
- Reviewing board
- Board of Architectural Review
- Downtown Mall height cap
- within 2 stories of block
- Max upper stepback
- 25 feet
Summary
In the City of Charlottesville, Virginia, the Downtown Mall sits inside the Downtown Architectural Design Control (ADC) District, one of eight ADC districts City Council has designated. New construction, additions and demolition of contributing structures there need a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Board of Architectural Review before a building permit issues.
The following areas have been determined by City Council to be of unique architectural or historic value, and are hereby designated as Architectural Design Control (ADC) Districts, the limits of which are shown on the City’s zoning map. City Council has designated only certain buildings within these districts as “contributing structures.” ... ... 1. Downtown Architectural Design Control District ... A Certificate of Appropriateness is required for certain projects in ADC Districts in accordance with 5.2.6. Minor Historic Review and 5.2.7. Major Historic Review. ... Along the Downtown Mall, the BAR may limit story height to within 2 stories of the prevailing story height of the block; ... In all other areas subject to review, the BAR may reduce the allowed height by no more than 2 stories; and ... The BAR may require upper story stepbacks of up to 25’.
Full Breakdown
B lists the eight Architectural Design Control Districts by name, including Downtown, North Downtown, Ridge Street, West Main Street, Wertland Street, Corner, Oakhurst-Gildersleeve, and Rugby Road/University Circle/Venable; each district's map identifies which buildings are 'contributing structures' subject to the tightest review. 7, and reviewed by the Board of Architectural Review (BAR), with appeal to City Council. The design guide's height controls are district-specific and strictest on the Downtown Mall: the BAR may limit a new building's story height there to within two stories of the prevailing story height of the block, while in every other ADC district the BAR can cut the otherwise-allowed height by no more than two stories.
The BAR can also require upper-story stepbacks of up to 25 feet to keep new construction in scale with its historic neighbors. Before attaching any height or massing condition, the BAR must weigh the cost of compliance against the goals of the Comprehensive Plan. City Council adds or removes ADC-district properties by ordinance only after the Planning Commission and BAR weigh in on historic, architectural and cultural significance, and each contributing/non-contributing determination is reconfirmed at least once every 15 years.
Violations & Fines
Constructing, altering or demolishing a building in an ADC District without a required Certificate of Appropriateness is a Development Code violation enforced under Div. 6.8; the Zoning Administrator can withhold or revoke a building permit, and BAR decisions on conditions of approval, including height and stepback limits, are appealable to City Council.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need special approval to renovate a Downtown Mall building in Charlottesville?
How much can a new building's height be limited on the Downtown Mall?
Who decides which buildings count as historic in Charlottesville's design districts?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Charlottesville
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