Cottage Housing, Chickens: Code Update Meeting Planned in Vienna

VIENNA, VA — The Town of Vienna is in the process of a code update known as Code Create Vienna. A meeting on Feb. 16 to discuss draft language of notable updates, including the permitting of chickens, cottage housing and more.

The Town of Vienna's last major code update happened in 1969. The code update is being led by the town's Department of Planning and Zoning with assistance from land planning consultant ZoneCo as the lead consultant. After a contract was awarded to the consultant, the project kicked off in September 2020. The first step of the process was an analysis of the existing code. The current phase is drafting an updated code through summer 2022. A public hearing process is anticipated to start in fall 2022.

The Feb. 16 meeting will focus on articles 3 and 4 of the code, which set uses and use standards, and single-unit development standards. Residents can attend the meeting Feb. 16 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the second floor of Town Hall. For those who cannot attend, comments may be emailed to codecreate@viennava.gov.

Ahead of the meeting, residents can view the draft articles 3 and 4.

Here are some notable points from the draft code updates for uses:

• Cottage housing would be added as a permitted use in a residential multi-unit district.
• Adult day support centers, community gardens, cultural facilities or museums, independent living facilities, craft beverage production establishments, data centers, vehicle charging stations, and compost drop-off facilities would be added to the code.
• The keeping of chickens, domestic animals and honey bees would be regulated in the code.
  • The proposed language says up to four chickens could be kept on a single-unit residential lot with enclosures kept at least 25 feet from an occupied residential dwelling. No roosters would be allowed to be kept, and selling eggs and slaughtering chickens would not be permitted.
  • The keeping of domestic animals would be permitted as an accessory use if animals are not kept for commercial boarding. Hutches, animal houses, coops, runs, cages or other structures must be in the rear yard, and no structure with three or more dogs can be closer than 10 feet to a property line.
  • For honeybees, the proposed language says up to four beehives would be permitted on a residential lot but must be at least 10 feet from the side or rear lot line.