Small Business Approval Changes To Be Considered In Alexandria

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Changes to the city approval process for small business uses in Alexandria will be up for consideration in September. The proposed zoning text amendments would speed up the approval process for certain special use permits requested by new and existing small businesses in Alexandria.

The proposal would decrease the number of special use permit approvals requiring a public hearing or administrative review, according to a city staff report. The full special use permit approval requires a review by city staff and hearings by the Planning Commission and City Council. Administrative special use permits are reviewed by city staff.

The changes would also update zoning ordinance language to match modern terminology and business practices.

This proposed changes include:

• Restaurant: Change from either special use permit approval or administrative special use permit approval to only administrative special use permit approval. There would be an exception for restaurants offering live entertainment, which would continue to require special use permit approval.
• Outdoor dining: Expand opportunities for outdoor dining in most commercial settings and increase instances for administrative special use permit approval.
• Outdoor food and crafts market: Expand opportunities for outdoor markets and increase instances for administrative special use permit approval.
• Health and athletic club or fitness studio operating as a private commercial school: Combine all types of health and fitness uses and shift from requiring special use permit approval to a permitted use.
• Amusement enterprise: Expand the uses in this category and shift from requiring special use permit approval to a permitted use for indoor operations. Outdoor operations would continue to require special use permit approval.
• Day care center: Special use permit approval in some zones would change to a permitted use in all commercial zones.
• Social service use: Change from special use permit approval to a permitted use.
• Convenience store: Change from special use permit approval to a permitted use.
• Food and beverage production retail use: Increase the permitted retail use from the existing 3,500 square feet to 5,000 square feet.
• SUP Minor Amendment criteria: Increase the number of commercial uses that can be approved through administrative special use permit.
• Home occupation: Allow patrons at all home occupation businesses. Home occupations would be allowed up to two customers at a time and no more than 12 customers per day, mirroring the allowance for those providing in-home instruction.

Staff recommended approval of the changes. The zoning text amendments will go to the Planning Commission on Sept. 1. If advanced, a public hearing will take place during the Sept. 12 City Council meeting.

"A decrease in the number of Special Use Permit (SUP) approvals that require public hearing review or administrative SUP review would increase the number of commercial uses that could open in a shorter time period, with a reduced outlay of funds and have a minimal impacts on the City’s quality of life," reads the staff report.

See more information in the Planning Commission's Sept. 1 meeting agenda (item 14).