OFC: Office Flex Campus Zoning District Regulations in Charlotte
The OFC: Office Flex Campus Zoning District in the City of Charlotte is established to accommodate large-scale office, research, and medical campuses that may include light industrial components and supportive service uses. Development within this district requires a minimum district size of 10 acres and limits building coverage to 60% of the lot area. While most professional and research uses are permitted by-right, residential dwellings and industrial crafts are subject to specific prescribed conditions to ensure compatibility with the campus-like environment.
Purpose of the OFC District
The City of Charlotte intended the OFC: Office Flex Campus Zoning District to support office, research, and medical campuses that include light industrial elements. These developments are generally low-intensity, and the zoning standards are designed to foster both internal and external walkability while providing essential connections to the broader City of Charlotte pedestrian network [Section 7.1.C].
Allowed Uses in the OFC Zoning District
Uses in the OFC: Office Flex Campus Zoning District are categorized as permitted by-right (X), permitted subject to prescribed conditions (PC), or requiring conditional zoning (C/PC) [Section 15.2.B].
Permitted By-Right (X)
The following uses are allowed in the OFC: Office Flex Campus Zoning District without additional conditions beyond general district standards:
- Commercial: Art Gallery, Arts or Fitness Studio, Broadcasting Facility (No Antennae), Commercial Fitness Center, Convention Center, Financial Institution, Hotel/Motel, Industrial Design, Lodge/Meeting Hall, Medical/Dental Office, Office, Outdoor Market, Personal Service Establishment, Research and Development (R&D), Retail Goods: Showroom, and Specialty Food Service.
- Institutional and Governmental: Community Center, Cultural Facility, Educational Facility (Pre-School, Primary/Secondary, University/College, and Vocational), Government Office/Facility, Place of Worship, and Public Safety Facility.
- Public Health/Social Service: Food Pantry, Healthcare Institution, and Social Service Facility.
- Industrial/Transportation: Parking Lot (Principal Use), Parking Structure (Principal Use), and Public Transit Facility.
- Agricultural: Bona Fide Farm [Table 15-1].
Permitted Subject to Prescribed Conditions (PC)
The City of Charlotte requires the following uses to meet specific supplemental standards within the OFC: Office Flex Campus Zoning District:
- Residential: Single-Family, Duplex, Triplex, Quadraplex, Multi-Family Attached, Multi-Family Stacked, and Multi-Dwelling Developments.
- Commercial/Industrial: Commercial Kitchen, Restaurant/Bar, Retail Goods Establishment, Research and Development (R&D) with Light Industrial, Beneficial Fill Site, Industrial Craft, and Light Assembly.
- Agricultural/Environmental: Cemetery, Community Garden, Conservation Area, and Farm.
- Infrastructure: Utility (including Transmission and Distribution) and Wireless Telecommunications.
- Accessory Uses: Accessory Shelter, Childcare Center in Residence, Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU), Helistop, Home Occupation, and Outdoor Seating/Activity Areas [Table 15-1].
Conditional Uses (C/PC)
- Movie Studio: This use requires a specialized conditional zoning process and must meet prescribed conditions [Table 15-1].
Prohibited Uses
Any use not explicitly listed in the City of Charlotte Use Matrix is prohibited in the OFC: Office Flex Campus Zoning District [Section 15.1.C]. Notable prohibited uses include:
- Residential: Dormitories, Group Homes, and Manufactured Homes.
- Commercial: Adult Use, Animal Care Facilities/Shelters, Car Washes, Nightclubs, Raceway/Dragstrips, Shooting Ranges, and Vehicle Dealerships.
- Industrial: Agriculture-Industrial Processes, Airstrips, Crematoriums, General Industrial, Quarries, and Salvage/Junk Yards.
- Transportation/Infrastructure: Truck Stops and Wind Farms [Table 15-1].
Technical Development Standards
Development in the OFC: Office Flex Campus Zoning District must adhere to the following dimensional and siting requirements:
Lot and Intensity Standards
| Standard | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Minimum District Size | 10 acres [Table 7-1] |
| Minimum Lot Width | 50 feet [Table 7-1] |
| Maximum Building Coverage | 60% [Table 7-1] |
Building Siting and Height
| Standard | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Frontage Setback Line (from future back of curb) | 16 feet to 40 feet (varies by street type) [Table 7-2] |
| Frontage Build-To Zone (BTZ) | 0 feet to 20 feet from setback line (Main Streets only) [Table 7-2] |
| Minimum Side Setback | 10 feet [Table 7-2] |
| Minimum Rear Setback | 20 feet [Table 7-2] |
| Maximum Building Height | 50 feet [Table 7-3] |
| Maximum Building Height with Bonus | 80 feet [Table 7-3] |
Vehicle Parking Tiers
The City of Charlotte assigns the OFC: Office Flex Campus Zoning District to Tier 2 for vehicle parking requirements. This tier requires minimum off-street parking spaces and enforces maximum parking limits for both surface lots and parking structures [Table 19-1].
Sections Cited
- Article 7, Campus Zoning Districts: IC-1, IC-2, OFC, OG, RC
- Section 7.1, Purpose
- Table 7-1, Campus Zoning Districts Lot Standards
- Table 7-2, Campus Zoning Districts Building Siting Standards
- Table 7-3, Campus Zoning Districts Building Height Standards
- Section 15.1, General Use Regulations
- Section 15.2, Global Use Matrix
- Table 15-1, Use Matrix
- Section 19.2, Vehicle Parking Space Requirements
- Table 19-1, Vehicle Parking Requirements