The Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) is a seven-member body, appointed by the City Council, which is responsible for the review of variance requests to the Zoning Ordinance and appeals of decisions of the Zoning Administrator. Members serve five-year terms. 

Meeting Information 

The BZA meets on the first Wednesday of each month in the Virginia Beach City Council Chamber, 2401 Courthouse Drive. An informal session is held at 1 p.m. for staff to present a summary of each agenda item. The formal public hearing begins at 2 p.m.

Criteria for Undue Hardship

The Code of Virginia states that the Board of Zoning Appeals can't approve a variance unless it finds the following:

• That the strict application of the ordinance would produce an undue hardship. 
• That such hardship is not shared by other properties in the same zoning district and the same vicinity. 
• That the authorization of such variance will not be of substantial detriment to adjacent property, and the character of the district will not be changed by the granting of this variance. 
• That the granting of the variance is in harmony with the intended spirit and purpose of the ordinance.

Applicants seeking BZA approval of a variance request need to provide a description of the undue hardship that reflects how the ordinance prohibits or restricts the use of the property, any unique topographic, size or shape features of the lot, why the proposal is in the character of the neighborhood, and how the request meets the spirit of the code section the applicant wishes to vary.