Zoning Handbook

Parking Area: The area of a lot, building, or structure devoted to parking spaces, attendant driveways, aisles, queuing lanes, and landscaping. All such areas on a lot shall be considered to constitute a single parking area, even if the areas are not

Parking Lot: A tract of land used for the temporary parking of motor vehicles when the use is not accessory to any other use.

Parking Space: An accessible off-street area to be used exclusively for the temporary parking of a motor vehicle subject to the dimensional requirements of Subtitle C, Chapter 7.

Parking Space, Bicycle: A space for the temporary storage of a bicycle in the form of a rack, locker, or storage area of appropriate design and dimension, used exclusively for the storage of a bicycle, subject to the dimensional requirements
of Subtitle C, Chapter 8.

Parking Space, Compact: A parking space designed for smaller cars which meets the requirements of Subtitle C.

Parking Space, Shared: A parking space that is made available to more than one (1) use, or to the general public and that meets the requirements of Subtitle C.

Parking Space, Structured: A parking space that is within a building or structure above grade.

Parking Space, Surface: A parking space that is not within a building or structure.

Party: An applicant, or the Advisory Neighborhood Commission for the area within which the property that is the subject of the contested case is located, or any person who is accepted as a party by the Commission pursuant to Subtitle Z, or by the Board of Zoning Adjustment pursuant to Subtitle Y.


Penthouse Habitable Space: An enclosed space within a penthouse devoted to any use permitted in the zone, unless otherwise restricted, other than penthouse
mechanical space. The term penthouse habitable space shall include communal recreation space and associated facilities such as storage, kitchen space, change rooms, or lavatories.

Penthouse Mechanical Space: An enclosed space within a penthouse devoted to mechanical equipment for the building, elevator over-rides, or stair towers.

Permeable Paving: A surface that facilitates water infiltration through paving material while providing a stable, load-bearing surface. Examples include
pervious concrete, porous asphalt, perforated brick pavers, flexible porous paving (including porous rubber), mechanically reinforced grass, but do not include grass or gravel.

Pervious Surface: A surface that allows the percolation of water into the underlying soil. Pervious surfaces are required to be contained so neither sediment nor the pervious surface discharges off the site. Pervious surfaces include grass, mulched groundcover, planted areas, vegetated roofs, permeable paving as well as porches and decks erected on pier foundations that maintain the covered lot surface’s water permeability. Pervious surfaces do not include any structure or building, any porch or deck that limits the covered lot surface from absorbing water, or any outdoor stairs, on-grade surface sports court, swimming pool, artificial turf, sidewalk or patio constructed of concrete, asphalt, brick, compacted gravel or other material that impedes the infiltration of water directly into the subsurface of the lot.

Pet Grooming Establishment: An establishment that, for a fee, trims or cleans domestic pets, such as dogs and cats. A pet grooming establishment is considered
an animal boarding use if more than ten (10) animals are on the premises at a time or the overnight stay of animals is permitted.

Pet Shop: A store for the sale of dogs, cats, birds, tropical fish, and/or other domesticated pets, to the extent permitted by the Animal Protection Amendment Act of 2008, effective December 5, 2008 (D.C. Law 17-281; D.C. Official Code § 8-1808(h)(1)), and related supplies and equipment.

Planned Unit Development (PUD): A plan for the development of residential, institutional, and commercial developments, industrial parks, urban renewal
projects, or a combination of these, on land of a minimum area in one (1) or more zones irrespective of restrictions imposed by the general provisions of the Zoning Regulations, as more specifically set forth in Subtitle X, Chapter 3.

Prepared Food: Food that is assembled and heated by microwave, heating lamps or toaster, on the premises of a prepared food shop.

Prepared Food Shop: A food and beverage business that offers seating or carry out service, or both, and which is principally devoted to the sale of prepared food, non-alcoholic beverages, or cold refreshments. This term includes, but is not limited to, an establishment known as a sandwich shop, coffee shop, or an ice cream parlor.

Presiding Officer: The chairperson or the chairperson pro tem of the Zoning Commission or the Board of Zoning Adjustment, as relevant.

Public Library: A facility that falls into one (1) of the following categories:

  1. Full-Service Neighborhood - A District of Columbia Public Library
    housed in a permanent structure that may include meeting rooms, staff work rooms, kitchen facilities and book overflow space. It contains space for a variety of activities, such as children’s story hour, film showings and book talks, to take place simultaneously;
  2. Community - A District of Columbia Public Library housed in a portable
    structure that may include a small staff and minimal space for activities; or
  3. Kiosk - A District of Columbia Public Library housed in a portable
    structure with no space for activities.

Public Recreation and Community Center: An area, place, structure, or other facility under the jurisdiction of a public agency that is used for community recreation activities. A public recreation or community center may provide a range of health and wellness, cultural, and arts and crafts activities, and educational classes and services. The center may include, but not be limited to, auditorium, multi-purpose room, gymnasium, meeting space, open space, playground, playing court, playing field, and swimming pool. The center shall not include examination rooms, treatment rooms, or other facilities for regular use by members of the medical or dental professions, but may include a first aid room. Such centers may have pantry-type kitchens with limited food storage and preparation areas, but shall not have kitchen facilities that are of the size customarily used to serve meals for large numbers of persons on a regular basis.

Recreational Building or Use: Any establishment providing facilities for recreation; including, but not limited to, picnicking, boating, fishing, bicycling, tennis, and activities incidental to the foregoing, but not including golf driving ranges or any mechanical amusement device.

Regional Command Center: A Police Department Local Facility used for community outreach or administrative control and managerial services for operations, for a specific geographic area that encompasses two (2) or more districts or commands of the Metropolitan Police Department.

Restaurant: A place of business that does not meet the definition of a “fast food establishment” or “prepared food shop,” where food, drinks or refreshments are prepared on the premises and sold to customers primarily for consumption on the premises. This term shall include, but not be limited to, an establishment known as a café, lunch counter, cafeteria, or other similar business, but shall not include a fast food restaurant. In a restaurant, any facilities for carry out shall be clearly subordinate to the principal use of providing prepared foods for consumption on the premises. A restaurant may include ancillary carry out sales, provided that there is no designated carry out counter or window, no drive through facility, and the carry out service is not an advertised element of the business.

Rooming Unit: One (1) or more habitable rooms forming a single, habitable unit used or intended to be used for living or sleeping purposes; but not for the preparation or eating of meals.