Overview
Code type
euclidean
Naming convention
mixed
Residential R1-R4 single-family, R5/R7/R8 multifamily, R6 manufactured home, R9 MIXED-USE (not residential density). O1-O3 office. C1-C5 commercial (C3=Regional Business, C4/C5=geographically-bounded Oyster Point). M1-M2 industrial (NO M3). P1 Park. Article XXXI overlays. v1 fabricated R1-R9 as a nine-tier residential ladder and invented M3 — both refuted. | sub_flags_raw=[military-base-adjacent-fort-eustis-jble, coastal-tidewater, dillons-rule-state, chesapeake-bay-preservation-via-ch37.1-not-ch45]
Worth knowing
- R9 is a MIXED-USE district (Art. XIV), not a residential density tier. v1 fabricated R9 as 'Downtown/Waterfront high-density residential' with 25 du/ac and 85-ft height. Actual R9 mixes residential with commercial/office uses. — [Ch. 45 Art. XIV]
- C4 and C5 are geographically-bounded to the Oyster Point planned employment center, not generic commercial districts. v1 misclassified them as 'Downtown Commercial' and 'Arterial Commercial'. — [Ch. 45 Art. XXIII (C4), Art. XXIV (C5)]
- No M3 Heavy Manufacturing district exists. v1 invented one. Actual industrial framework is M1 Light Industrial + M2 Heavy Industrial only. — [Ch. 45 Art. XXV (M1), Art. XXVI (M2)]
+ 7 more in Quirks & notes
Districts
spec 13res_sf 4res_mf 3
| Code | Name | Category | Min lot | Height | Coverage | FAR | Du/ac | Parking | Setbacks F/S/R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | R1 Single-Family Dwelling District | res_sf | —[4] | —[5] | —[6] | —[7] | —[8] | —[9] | —[1] / —[2] / —[3] |
| R2 | R2 Single-Family Dwelling District | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R3 | R3 Single-Family Dwelling District | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R4 | R4 Single-Family Dwelling District | res_sf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R5 | R5 Low Density Multiple-Family Dwelling District | res_mf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R6 | R6 Manufactured Home District | spec | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R7 | R7 Medium Density Multiple-Family Dwelling District | res_mf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R8 | R8 High Density Multiple-Family Dwelling District | res_mf | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| R9 | R9 Mixed Use District | spec | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| P1 | P1 Park District | spec | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| O1 | O1 Office District | spec | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| O2 | O2 Office Park District | spec | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| O3 | O3 Office/Research and Development District | spec | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| C1 | C1 Retail Commercial District | spec | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| C2 | C2 General Commercial District | spec | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| C3 | C3 Regional Business District (RBD) | spec | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| C4 | C4 Oyster Point Business District | spec | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| C5 | C5 Oyster Point Business/Manufacturing District | spec | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| M1 | M1 Light Industrial District | spec | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
| M2 | M2 Heavy Industrial District | spec | — | — | — | — | — | — | — / — / — |
Confidence: confirmed partial under review not found
Overlays
O-AICUZ
Air Installation Compatible Use Zone (Fort Eustis / JBLE)
APApplies to parcels under Fort Eustis (JBLE) Felker Army Airfield approach surfaces + AICUZ noise contours (northern Newport News); Langley AFB contours touch only the NE corner
| apz_structure | CZ / APZ-I / APZ-II per DoD AICUZ |
|---|---|
| noise_contours_db_dnl | 65-70 / 70-75 / >75 |
| use_density_restrictions | per Navy/AF AICUZ study — incompatible uses restricted in inner contours |
O-CBPA
Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area
ENVResource Protection Area (RPA — 100-ft tidal-shore and perennial-stream buffer) + Resource Management Area (RMA) — citywide applicability where criteria met
| rpa_buffer_ft | 100 |
|---|---|
| plan_of_development_required | True |
| statutory_floor | Va. Code §62.1-44.15:67 et seq. |
| implementation_chapter | Ch. 37.1 Art. V (NOT Ch. 45) |
| usable_land_rule_ch45_cross_ref | ≥80% of min lot area above flood level; ≥50% free of easements/servitudes |
O-FP
Floodplain Protection (FEMA SFHA)
FPFEMA Special Flood Hazard Area (Zone AE, VE) along James River and tidal tributaries
| base_flood_elevation_plus_freeboard | True |
|---|---|
| floodway_fill_prohibited | True |
| compensatory_storage_floodfringe | True |
| elevation_or_floodproofing_required | True |
O-HP
Historic Preservation (Hilton Village / downtown)
HPHilton Village Historic District (NRHP-listed 1969; 1920s planned-community garden suburb) + downtown historic core
| certificate_of_appropriateness_required | True |
|---|---|
| exterior_modification_review | True |
| demolition_review | True |
State preemptions
VA-Dillon-Ruleapplies
Qualifying condition
statute=Va. Code §§15.2-1427 + 15.2-2280 ; qualifying_condition=Newport News is an independent city; all zoning power derives from Title 15.2 Ch. 22
Effect
All Ch. 45 provisions must trace to express Title-15.2 delegation; ultra-vires actions void
VA-SB-531-ADUapplies
Qualifying condition
statute=2026 SB 531 (Ch. 895 Acts of Assembly) ; qualifying_condition=Applies to all VA localities; Newport News has R1-R4 single-family districts subject to the mandate
Effect
Mandates ADU as permitted accessory use in single-family districts. $500 fee cap; setback/height conditions capped at primary-dwelling standards. Non-compliant Ch. 45 provisions unenforceable on 2027-07-01
VA-SB-544-STR-OWNER-OCCUPIEDapplies
Qualifying condition
statute=Va. Code §15.2-983 (2024 SB 544 amendment) ; qualifying_condition=Applies statewide to all localities
Effect
Cannot require SUP/CUP for owner-occupied primary-residence STRs under ordinances enacted after 2023-12-31. Registration framework permitted
VA-15.2-2290-MHapplies
Qualifying condition
statute=Va. Code §15.2-2290 ; qualifying_condition=Newport News has explicit R6 Manufactured Home District (Ch. 45 Art. XI); equivalent-standards rule applies in any other residential district where MH is permitted
Effect
Cannot impose MH-specific standards stricter than those applied to site-built dwellings
VA-15.2-2288.7-SOLARapplies
Qualifying condition
statute=Va. Code §15.2-2288.7 ; qualifying_condition=Applies statewide
Effect
Roof-mounted residential solar by-right subject only to district height/setback + historic overlay; ground-mounted default-permissive unless Newport News ordinance opts out (opt-out status not verified this pass)
VA-15.2-2291-GROUP-HOMESapplies
Qualifying condition
statute=Va. Code §15.2-2291 ; qualifying_condition=Applies statewide
Effect
≤8-resident licensed group homes (MH/DD per subsec. A; aged/infirm/disabled per subsec. B) treated as single-family residential; no conditions stricter than family residences
VA-15.2-2316-WIRELESSapplies
Qualifying condition
statute=Va. Code §§15.2-2316.3 through 15.2-2316.5 ; qualifying_condition=Applies statewide
Effect
Small-cell approvals ministerial; moratoriums prohibited; fee + decision-timeline caps
VA-SB-974-HB-2660-SITE-PLANapplies
Qualifying condition
statute=2025 SB 974 / HB 2660 (effective 2025-07-01) ; qualifying_condition=Applies to all VA localities with subdivision/site-plan ordinances
Effect
Designated-agent administrative review; compressed timelines (40/30/20 day schedule); planning-commission review removed from administrative track. Newport News Ch. 45 + subdivision-ordinance compliance status pending verification
VA-Chesapeake-Bay-Preservationapplies
Qualifying condition
statute=Va. Code §62.1-44.15:67 et seq. ; qualifying_condition=Newport News is in Tidewater Virginia; CBPA is a MANDATED state overlay
Effect
RPA (100-ft buffer) + RMA framework; plan-of-development required per §62.1-44.15:74. Newport News implements via Ch. 37.1 Art. V (§37.1-48 et seq.), NOT Ch. 45 — structural quirk
Federal-AICUZ-Fort-Eustis-JBLEapplies
Qualifying condition
statute=DoD/Army AICUZ study — Joint Base Langley-Eustis (Fort Eustis sub-installation) ; qualifying_condition=Fort Eustis is in northern Newport News; Felker Army Airfield approach surfaces cover northern portions of the city
Adopted building codes
Statewide — VA Uniform SBC
Click a code label to open its state-by-state adoption atlas.
Quirks & notes
- R9 is a MIXED-USE district (Art. XIV), not a residential density tier. v1 fabricated R9 as 'Downtown/Waterfront high-density residential' with 25 du/ac and 85-ft height. Actual R9 mixes residential with commercial/office uses. — [Ch. 45 Art. XIV]
- C4 and C5 are geographically-bounded to the Oyster Point planned employment center, not generic commercial districts. v1 misclassified them as 'Downtown Commercial' and 'Arterial Commercial'. — [Ch. 45 Art. XXIII (C4), Art. XXIV (C5)]
- No M3 Heavy Manufacturing district exists. v1 invented one. Actual industrial framework is M1 Light Industrial + M2 Heavy Industrial only. — [Ch. 45 Art. XXV (M1), Art. XXVI (M2)]
- Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area overlay is implemented in Ch. 37.1 Art. V (§37.1-48 et seq.) — the Stormwater Management chapter — NOT in Ch. 45 Zoning. Functional equivalent to Hampton's O-CBP but structurally separate. Practitioners searching Ch. 45 alone will miss it. — [Ch. 37.1 Art. V §37.1-48 et seq.; Va. Code §62.1-44.15:67 et seq.]
- AICUZ driver for Newport News is Fort Eustis (Felker Army Airfield, JBLE sub-installation in northern Newport News), not Langley AFB. Langley contours touch only the NE corner along the Hampton border. JBLE is a joint base but the two sub-installations cover different footprints. — [DoD AICUZ study for Fort Eustis; Ch. 45 Art. XXXI]
- R6 is a Manufactured Home District — a permissive MH district. Va. Code §15.2-2290 equivalent-standards rule also applies wherever MH is permitted in other R- districts. — [Ch. 45 Art. XI; Va. Code §15.2-2290]
- R1-R4 are all Single-Family Dwelling Districts (four lot-size tiers, not four use-type tiers). v1 described them as distinct density classes with fabricated dimensional values. — [Ch. 45 Art. VI-IX]
- Dillon's Rule ceiling: all Ch. 45 authority traces to Va. Code Title 15.2 Ch. 22. SB 974/HB 2660 (2025-07-01) narrows discretionary site-plan review; SB 531 (2027-07-01) will mandate ADU-by-right in R1-R4. Compliance review pending. — [Va. Code §§15.2-1427, 15.2-2280, Title 15.2 Ch. 22]
- Regional Business District (C3) has confirmed section range §45-2201 through §45-2214 per the Ord. No. 8107-25 amendment reference. — [Ch. 45 Art. XXII §§45-2201-45-2214; Ord. 8107-25]
- Hilton Village is a 1920s NRHP-listed planned-community garden suburb (NRHP-listed 1969); Historic Preservation overlay applies. — [NRHP Hilton Village listing 1969; Ch. 45 Art. XXXI]
Formulas
Definitions
- height
- Grade to highest point of structure.
- lot_coverage
- Building footprint / lot area.
- far
- Gross floor area / lot area.
- du_ac
- Dwelling units per gross acre.
- setback_front
- Front property line to nearest building face.
- setback_side
- Side property line to nearest building face.
- setback_rear
- Rear property line to nearest building face.
- parking
- Spaces per dwelling unit unless noted.
Capacity calculations
- max_footprint_sf
lot_area_sf * lot_coverage- max_gfa_sf
lot_area_sf * far- buildable_width_ft
lot_width_ft - setback_side_ft * 2- buildable_depth_ft
lot_depth_ft - setback_front_ft - setback_rear_ft- max_stories_approx
max_height_ft / 10
Massing explorer
Interactive 3D comparison across every district. Drag to orbit, scroll to zoom, use the slider to walk districts, and toggle applicable overlays in the right-side panel.
Sort by
Max height
— ft
——
Floor area ratio
—
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Lot coverage
—%
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Setbacks (F / S / R)
— ft
——
Parking
— /unit
——
Max density
— du/ac
——
Min lot size
— sf
——
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| District | Category | Height | FAR | Coverage | Setbacks | Parking | Density | Min lot | Overlays |
|---|
Sources & references
Primary source
Citations
- [1] n
- [2] n
- [3] n
- [4] n
- [5] n
- [6] n
- [7] n
- [8] n
- [9] n
Research status
Publication gates
| primary url present | passed | source.primary_url = library.municode.com/va/newport_news/... + secondary_url = newportnews.elaws.us/code/coor_ch45 (both resolve); v1 had blank code_name and no primary_url |
|---|---|---|
| no aggregator cited | passed | No zoneomics/steadily/siteplanguide/propertyshark citations in profile, research markdown, or narrative |
| confidence tags full form | passed | All confirmed claims carry §-form citations (Ch. 45 Art. X, §45-NNNN series; Ch. 37.1 Art. V §37.1-48; Va. Code §§15.2-XXXX, §62.1-44.15:67 et seq.). Partial claims carry explicit status + reason (elaws.us article-subpath fetch deferred). No bare [confirmed] tags |
| overlays have parameters trigger confidence | passed | 4/4 overlays (O-AICUZ, O-CBPA, O-FP, O-HP) each have non-empty params object, trigger string, status field, citation field |
| preempt section city specific | passed | state_preemptions_applicable[] contains 10 Newport-News-specific entries. Not a link-stub. v1 incorrectly cited state-preemptions/no-preemption.md for a VA city — factually impossible under Dillon's Rule |
Data quality
55%completeness
Documented gaps
- Per-district dimensional standards — fetch each newportnews.elaws.us/code/coor_ch45_artVI through coor_ch45_artXXVI to extract §45-NNNN dimensional tables
- Article XXXI overlay enumeration — fetch newportnews.elaws.us/code/coor_ch45_artXXXI for specific overlay §-references
- ADU by-right compliance status vs 2026 SB 531 (effective 2027-07-01)
- SB 974/HB 2660 site-plan designated-agent review compliance status
- Hilton Village specific §-reference and design standards
- Oyster Point C4/C5 geographic boundaries
Known issues
freshness:volatiledata:gaps-present
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