Any decision, order, requirement, or determination rendered by the Zoning Administrator pursuant to the Zoning Ordinance can be appealed to the Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA).
An appeal application must be filed within 30 days from the date that the decision, order, requirement, or determination in question was made. Applications submitted after that 30-day period will not be accepted.
Applicants should be aware of the BZA’s schedule of public hearings and filing dates, as it will be weeks before a submitted application is heard by the BZA. All applications and submitted materials are available for public examination. Requests to review material can be submitted by email: zoningadmin@arlingtonva.us.
Prior to the public hearing, staff will forward a staff report to the BZA. A link to the staff report will be published in the agenda for the public hearing, found on the BZA’s webpage. The appellant or other interested parties may download a copy of the report using this link.
Although the BZA may defer its decision to a later hearing (typically at least two (2) months after the original hearing date), it usually makes a decision on the case immediately following the public hearing. The BZA may affirm or reverse the original order, determination, decision, or requirement. Such an affirmation or reversal requires the concurring vote of three (3) members of the five-member BZA.
Appeal of a BZA Decision
Title 15.2-2314 of the Code of Virginia provides that any person aggrieved by any decision of the BZA itself may file an appeal with the Circuit Court of Arlington/Falls Church within 30 days of the final decision of the BZA.
Submission Requirements
Appeal applications must be submitted online within 30 days from the date that the decision, order, requirement, or determination in question was made.
You must complete a Board of Zoning Appeals – Appeal application in Permit Arlington. Click “Create” and select “Zoning Application.”
Fees
Filing fees will be assessed after the application has been reviewed and considered complete. The fees are collected regardless of the outcome and are 50% refundable only upon written request that an application be withdrawn prior to the advertisement of the Public Notice for the BZA hearing. BZA filing fees can be found in the Zoning Division Fee Schedule.
Fee schedules provide the range of fees charged for each type of application or activity related to land development in Arlington. Fees cover permitting, plan review, enforcement, inspection, service delivery, performance agreements, and conditions. There are separate fee schedules for the Inspection Services Division (ISD), Zoning, and the Department of Environmental Services (DES). Some permits involve fees from more than one schedule.