Allowed and Prohibited Uses in the CR: Regional Commercial Zoning District of Charlotte

The CR: Regional Commercial Zoning District is intended to accommodate large-scale or regionally significant commercial developments, often organized as coordinated clusters or high-intensity individual establishments. Within the City of Charlotte, this district allows for a broad mix of commercial, institutional, health, and residential uses, while strictly prohibiting heavy industrial activities and certain low-density residential types like manufactured home parks. Development in the CR: Regional Commercial Zoning District must adhere to specific siting standards, including a minimum lot width of 50 feet and a base building height of 50 feet [Sections 6.1.B, 6.3].

Allowed Uses

Uses in the CR: Regional Commercial Zoning District are categorized as Permitted By-Right (X), Permitted with Prescribed Conditions (PC), or requiring Conditional Zoning (C).

Permitted By-Right (X)

Commercial: Art Gallery, Arts or Fitness Studio, Broadcasting Facility (No Antennae), Commercial Fitness Center, Convention Center, Financial Institution, Greenhouse/Nursery (Retail or Wholesale), Heavy Rental and Service Establishment, Heavy Retail Establishment, Hotel/Motel, Industrial Design, Medical/Dental Office, Office, Outdoor Market, Personal Service Establishment, Research and Development (R&D), Retail Goods Establishment, Retail Goods Showroom, Specialty Food Service, Telecommunications and Data Storage Facility, Vehicle Dealership (Enclosed or Outdoor), Vehicle Rental (Enclosed).
Institutional/Governmental: Community Center, Cultural Facility, Educational Facility (Pre-School, Primary, Secondary, University, College, or Vocational), Government Office/Facility, Place of Worship, Public Safety Facility.
Public Health/Social Service: Food Pantry, Healthcare Institution, Social Service Facility.
Transportation: Parking Lot (Principal Use), Parking Structure (Principal Use), Passenger Terminal, Public Transit Facility, Vehicle Operations Facility.
Open Space/Agriculture: Farm (Bona Fide), Golf Course.
Accessory: Childcare Center (Accessory to Employment).

Permitted with Prescribed Conditions (PC)

Residential: Dwelling (Single-Family, Duplex, Triplex, Quadraplex, Multi-Family Attached, or Multi-Family Stacked), Multi-Dwelling Development, Single Room Occupancy (SRO).
Commercial: Adult Electronic Gaming Establishment, Adult Use, Amusement Facility (Indoor or Outdoor), Animal Care Facility, Animal Shelter, Car Wash, Drive-Through Establishment, Employment/Labor Service Agency, Funeral Home, Restaurant/Bar, Self-Storage Facility (Climate-Controlled or Outdoor), Shooting Range (Indoor), Vehicle Fueling Facility, Vehicle Rental (Outdoor), Vehicle Repair Facility (Minor).
Institutional/Governmental: Adult Care Center, Childcare Center (including Large).
Public Health/Social Service: Drug Treatment Clinic, Homeless Shelter.
Industrial: Beneficial Fill Site.
Open Space/Agriculture: Cemetery, Farm (General), Community Garden, Conservation Area, Private Outdoor Recreation Facilities, Public Park.
Infrastructure: Utility (Includes Transmission & Distribution), Wireless Telecommunications.

Conditional Zoning (C)

Stadium.

Prohibited Uses

A use that is not explicitly listed in the City of Charlotte Use Matrix is prohibited within the CR: Regional Commercial Zoning District [Section 15.1.C.3]. Key prohibited uses include:

Residential: Continuum Care Retirement Community (CCRC), Dormitory, Manufactured Home, Manufactured Home Park, Residential Care Facility, Group Home.
Commercial: Auction Sales, Broadcasting Facility (With Antennae), Commercial Kitchen, Contractor Office with Outdoor Storage, Kennel, Live Performance Venue (Indoor), Lodge/Meeting Hall, Micro-Production of Alcohol, Neighborhood Commercial Establishment, Nightclub, Raceway/Dragstrip, Reception Facility, Research and Development (R&D) with Light Industrial.
Industrial: Agriculture (Industrial Processes), Airport, Airstrip, Crematorium, Industrial (Craft, General, or Light), Landfill (LCID), Light Assembly, Movie Studio, Outdoor Storage Yard, Quarry, Rail Freight Terminal, Rail Yard, Recycling Collection Center, Salvage and/or Junk Yard, Solar Farm, Truck Terminal, Waste Management Facility, Wholesale Goods Establishment, Wind Farm.
Other: Truck Stop, Boarding Stables, Campground, Marina, Private Recreation Club, Driving Range.

Technical Standards for the CR District

The City of Charlotte mandates specific dimensional and design standards for the CR: Regional Commercial Zoning District to ensure regional compatibility and traffic safety.

Standard	Requirement
Minimum Lot Width	50 feet [Table 6-1]
Minimum Side Setback	10 feet [Table 6-2]
Minimum Rear Setback	20 feet [Table 6-2]
Maximum Building Height (Base)	50 feet [Table 6-3]
Maximum Building Height (With Bonus)	65 feet [Table 6-3]
Minimum On-Site Open Space	5% of total site area [Table 6-7]
Public Open Space Requirement	50% of the total required on-site open space [Table 6-7]

Frontage Setback Requirements

Setbacks for buildings in the CR: Regional Commercial Zoning District vary significantly based on the classification of the street frontage.

Frontage Type	Setback Line (from future back of curb)
6 or More Lane Avenue/Boulevard	40 feet
Linear Park, 4-5 Lane Avenue/Boulevard, 2-3 Lane Avenue, Other-Primary, Secondary	36 feet
Uptown Signature, Main Street	24 feet
Transit Station, Public Park, Uptown Primary, Parkway, Limited Access	20 feet
Uptown Secondary	16 feet

[Source: Table 6-2]

Sections Cited

Section 6.1.B PURPOSE (CR Regional Commercial Zoning District)
Section 6.3 DIMENSIONAL AND DESIGN STANDARDS
Table 6-1: Commercial Zoning Districts Lot Standards
Table 6-2: Commercial Zoning Districts Building Siting Standards
Table 6-3: Commercial Zoning Districts Building Height Standards
Table 6-7: Minimum Required Open Space
Section 15.1 GENERAL USE REGULATIONS
Section 15.2 GLOBAL USE MATRIX
Table 15-1: Use Matrix