Community Business (CB) Zoning08/2022
COMMUNITY BUSINESS (CB)
CB district: Intended to create locations in the county for the provision of non-intensive and small-scale commercial services to the rural
communities, residential transition, village, village expansion or urban expansion areas designated in the comprehensive plan. Such
locations shall be designated principally along the secondary road system where they are in the best interest of promoting community
life and reducing travel costs. The scale and character of uses shall be compatible with cross-road settlements and village locations.
Lighting, hours of operation, and other characteristics shall respect neighboring uses and community character.
Qualifying lands
In order to qualify for inclusion in the CB district, the land shall either be within the current CB district (as of December 13, 1999) or
other lands within areas mapped as rural communities, residential transition, village, village expansion or urban expansion areas in the
comprehensive plan, which are served or planned for connections to public water and sewer. Locations not meeting county criteria may
be permitted if all water and sewer disposal facilities are approved by Health Department officials prior to approval of rezoning or the
Special Use Permit. The minimum area required to create a Community Business district shall be one (1) acre of total contiguous land.
What can I do "by right"?
There are uses that are designated as "by right," which means you do not have to apply for a special use permit. The uses do; however,
have to comply with all approved plans and permits, development standards and performance standards included in the Montgomery
County Zoning Ordinance and with all other applicable regulations. The "by right" uses include:
• Amateur radio tower
• Apartment as accessory use,
maximum of 2 per business
structure
• Assembly of electrical, electronic
devices, less than 1200 sq. ft.
floor space
• Automotive, light truck, sales,
service, rental, and repair, without
motor fuel sales, less than 2,000
sq. ft.
• Bed and Breakfast Inn
• Business or trade school
• Cabinet shop, furniture,
upholstery, craft industry of less
than 1200 sq. ft.
• Cemetery
• Church
• Civic club
• Community Center
• Conference or training center
• Crematorium
• Custom meat cutting, processing
and sales (excluding slaughtering)
• Data pole
• Day care facility
• Farm machinery sales/service
• Financial services
• Fire, police, and rescue facility
• Funeral home
• Garden center
• General convenience store-less
than 3000 sq. ft., without motor
fuel sales
• Homeless shelter
• Library
• Medical care facility
• Mitigation Bank
• Office, administrative, business, or
professional-less than 3000 sq. ft.
• Park, unlighted
• Park and ride lot, of 50 or fewer
spaces
• Pet, household
• Post office
• Printing service
• Public Use/Public Facility
• Public utility lines, water, sewer or
other
• Restaurant
• Retail sales and services, less than
3000 sq. ft.
• Roadside stand
• School
• School of special instruction
• Telecommunications tower,
attached
Accessory structures are also allowed, subject to the requirements of Sec. 10-41 (1).
What uses are allowed with a Special Use Permit?
Some uses are allowed in the CB district with the permission of the Board of Supervisors through the Special Use Permit process
(applications available from the Planning Department). These include:
• Amateur radio tower greater than 75 feet
• Assembly of electrical, electronic devices, greater than
1200 sq. ft floor area
• Boarding house
• Building greater than 35 feet in height
• Campground
• Contractor’s service establishment
• Convenience store less than 3000 sq. ft., with motor
fuel sales
• Country Inn
• Dwelling, single or two-family
• Feed and seed store and mill
• Golf course
• Golf driving range
• Kennel, commercial
• Mini-warehouse
• Park and ride lot of more than 50 spaces
• Public utility plant, water, sewer, and other
• Public utility substation
• Recreation establishment
• Recycling facility
• Stone engraving and sales
• Telecommunications facility, micro wireless
• Telecommunications facility, small cell
• Telecommunications tower, freestanding
• Transition house
• Truck, trailer sales, service, rental, and repair with
outside operations
• Veterinary practice, animal hospital
08/2022
Building and Lot Requirements
Minimum Lot Area:
A lot in the CB District must be a minimum of 20,000 square
feet for lots sharing access with another lot and connected
to public water or sewer. In cases that do not meet the above
criteria, the minimum lot size is one (1) acre; except for
public utility, public water, or public sewer installations,
which shall be in accordance with the Montgomery County
Subdivision Ordinance.
Lot Access:
Whenever possible, lots shall be accessed from a shared
access drive connected to a road in the Virginia Department
of Transportation (VDOT) system. Access roads shall be
hard-surfaced roads designed by a Professional Engineer to
accommodate projected volumes, loads, and vehicle types
and approved by the Zoning Administrator with the Fire
Marshall. Lot access for CB uses shall avoid impacting
residential subdivisions with primary access and through
traffic.
Maximum Floor Area Ratio: 0.40
Total Impervious Coverage:
75% of gross site area
Maximum Coverage by Buildings: 40%
Minimum Width:
Seventy five (75) feet for lots sharing access with another
lot; one hundred and fifty (150) otherwise, Width
requirements for public utility or public water or sewer
installations shall be accordance with the Montgomery
County Subdivision Ordinance.
Minimum Yards:
• Front: Fifty (50) feet when any off-street parking is
in front of the building and opposing street frontage
is a residential district; thirty-five (35) feet
otherwise. Fifteen (15) feet when no off-street
parking is in front of building.
• Side: Forty (40) feet when adjacent lot is residential
district; ten (10) feet otherwise.
• Rear: Forty (40) feet when adjacent lot is residential
district; ten (10) feet otherwise.
Maximum Building Height:
Thirty-five (35) feet. Buildings over thirty-five (35) feet in
height are allowed only with a special use permit.
Use Limitations
Screening & landscaping: In addition to landscaping and buffering requirements in the Ordinance, outside storage areas for
materials, equipment, or trash are accessory uses and may not exceed 40% of the building area, must be located in side or rear
yards adjacent to building, and must be screened from view of adjacent streets and adjacent land.
Off-street parking & loading: Must be provided in accordance with §10-44 and is permitted in the required setback. Parking
requirements differ by size and type of use.
Indoor/outdoor operations: All repair and service operations must take place within a completely enclosed building, unless
permission for outside operations is specifically allowed by SUP approved by the Board of Supervisor.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Montgomery County Planning & GIS Services
755 Roanoke Street Suite 2A, Christiansburg, VA 24073
CALL 540-394-2148 | EMAIL mcplan@montgomerycountyva.gov
VISIT www.MontgomeryCountyVA.gov/Planning
A zoning permit and/or site plan may be required to proceed with the uses listed on this data sheet. See section 10-53 of the Montgomery County Code,
or call the Planning Department, to determine the required development approvals.
This sheet is intended to only be a guide for development regulations in this zoning district. Please see Chapter 10 of the Montgomery County Code for
the specific regulations. The full texts of the zoning and subdivision ordinances are available at the Planning Department Webpage or at
www.municode.com.