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Building Siting and Setback Requirements for the IC-2 Institutional Campus District

Jurisdiction: CharlotteCode Version: June 01, 2023 (Amended March 23, 2026)

In the City of Charlotte, setback requirements for the IC-2 Institutional Campus Zoning District are primarily determined by the type of street frontage, with distances ranging from 5 feet to 36 feet. For side and rear boundaries, the City of Charlotte established a 0-foot minimum setback for the IC-2 district, provided the property does not abut a Neighborhood 1 Place Type; if it does, setbacks increase to 10 feet for sides and 20 feet for rears. These measurements are typically taken from the future back of curb or the property line depending on the frontage type [Table 7-2].

IC-2 Frontage Setback Requirements

The City of Charlotte utilizes a frontage-based system to determine the required distance between a structure and the street. For the IC-2 Institutional Campus Zoning District, these distances are measured from the future back of curb unless otherwise noted.

Frontage Type IC-2 Minimum Frontage Setback (Feet)
Uptown Signature 24
Main Street 24
Linear Park 36
4-5 Lane Avenue/Boulevard 20
6 or more Lane Avenue/Boulevard 24
2-3 Lane Avenue 20
Transit Station, Off-Street Public Path, Public Park 5
Uptown Primary 20
Other - Primary 20
Uptown Secondary 16
Secondary 16
Parkway (Measured from ROW) 20
Limited Access (Measured from ROW) 10

[Table 7-2]

Side and Rear Setback Standards

The City of Charlotte UDO provides flexibility for the IC-2 Institutional Campus Zoning District by allowing for no minimum side or rear setbacks in many urban contexts. However, stricter protections are triggered when the IC-2 development is adjacent to lower-density residential areas.

Side Setbacks

  • Standard: There is a 0-foot minimum side setback for the IC-2 district when the property is not abutting a Neighborhood 1 Place Type.
  • Abutting Neighborhood 1: A 10-foot minimum side setback is required if the property abuts a Neighborhood 1 Place Type [Table 7-2].

Rear Setbacks

  • Standard: There is a 0-foot minimum rear setback for the IC-2 district when the property is not abutting a Neighborhood 1 Place Type.
  • Abutting Neighborhood 1: A 20-foot minimum rear setback is required if the property abuts a Neighborhood 1 Place Type [Table 7-2].

Additional Siting and Measurement Rules

The City of Charlotte Unified Development Ordinance specifies exactly how these distances must be calculated and maintained for the IC-2 Institutional Campus Zoning District.

Point of Measurement

On local and collector streets within the City of Charlotte IC-2 district, setbacks are measured from the existing back of curb. If no curb is currently present, the measurement is taken from the curb location for the "Office/Commercial Wide Local Street Cross Section" as defined in the Charlotte Land Development Standards Manual (CLDSM) [Table 7-2, Note 1]. For frontages involving transit stations, public paths, or public parks, the setback is measured directly from the property line or right-of-way line [Table 7-2, Note 3].

Building Entry Constraints

Regardless of the minimum setback allowed, the City of Charlotte prohibits any building entry in the IC-2 district from being located closer than six feet to an existing or proposed off-street public path or shared-use path [Table 7-2, Note 2].

Sections Cited

  • Article 7, Campus Zoning Districts: IC-1, IC-2, OFC, OG, RC
  • Section 7.1, Purpose (7.1.B, IC-2 Institutional Campus Zoning District)
  • Section 7.3, Dimensional and Design Standards
  • Table 7-2, Campus Zoning Districts Building Siting Standards

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