← Back to Charlotte AssistantCharlotte

Setback Requirements for the CAC-2 Community Activity Center Zoning District in Charlotte

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

In the City of Charlotte, the CAC-2: Community Activity Center Zoning District requires frontage setbacks that range from 5 to 36 feet depending on the street classification, typically measured from the future back of curb. Side and rear setbacks for the CAC-2: Community Activity Center Zoning District are 0 feet by default, but increase to 10 feet for side setbacks and 20 feet for rear setbacks when the property abuts a Neighborhood 1 Place Type.

Frontage Setback Requirements

The frontage setback for the CAC-2: Community Activity Center Zoning District is determined by the classification of the street or public space the lot faces. In the City of Charlotte, most frontage setbacks are measured from the "future back of curb," with specific exceptions for Parkways and Limited Access roads, which are measured from the Right-of-Way (ROW) [Table 11-1].

Frontage Type Setback Distance (CAC-2) Measurement Point
Linear Park 36 feet Future back of curb
Uptown Signature 24 feet Future back of curb
Main Street 24 feet Future back of curb
6 or more Lane Avenue/Boulevard 24 feet Future back of curb
4-5 Lane Avenue/Boulevard 20 feet Future back of curb
2-3 Lane Avenue 20 feet Future back of curb
Uptown Primary 20 feet Future back of curb
Other - Primary 20 feet Future back of curb
Parkway 20 feet Right-of-Way (ROW)
Uptown Secondary 16 feet Future back of curb
Secondary 16 feet Future back of curb
Limited Access 10 feet Right-of-Way (ROW)
Transit Station, Off-Street Public Path, or Public Park 5 feet Property line or ROW line

Side and Rear Setback Requirements

In the CAC-2: Community Activity Center Zoning District, side and rear setbacks are designed to facilitate intense, urban development while providing a transition buffer where the district meets lower-intensity residential areas [Section 11.1].

Setback Type Condition Distance (CAC-2)
Minimum Side Setback Not abutting Neighborhood 1 Place Type 0 feet
Abutting Neighborhood 1 Place Type 10 feet
Minimum Rear Setback Not abutting Neighborhood 1 Place Type 0 feet
Abutting Neighborhood 1 Place Type 20 feet

Supplemental Siting and Measurement Rules

The City of Charlotte UDO provides several specific rules for how these setbacks are applied and measured within the CAC-2: Community Activity Center Zoning District:

  • Building Entries: Regardless of the minimum setback, no building entry in the CAC-2: Community Activity Center Zoning District may be located closer than six feet to any existing or proposed off-street public path or shared-use path [Table 11-1, Footnote 2].
  • Measurement from Curb: On local and collector streets in the CAC-2: Community Activity Center Zoning District, the distance is measured from the existing back of curb. If no curb exists, the measurement is taken from the curb location for the "Residential Wide Cross Section" as defined in the Charlotte Land Development Standards Manual (CLDSM) [Table 11-1, Footnote 1].
  • Abutting Reservations: If a CAC-2: Community Activity Center Zoning District frontage abuts a reservation area for a future frontage, the setback is measured from the edge of that reservation area [Table 11-1, Footnote 3].
  • Frontage Hierarchy: If a lot has more than two frontages requiring a build-to zone, the City of Charlotte may allow the build-to zone to be increased for those frontages lowest in the established hierarchy [Table 11-1, Footnote 5].

Sections Cited

  • Article 11.1, Community Activity Center 2 Zoning District Purpose
  • Table 11-1, Community Activity Center Zoning Districts Building Siting Standards

Have a specific zoning question?

Ask our AI assistant for instant, cited answers from the Charlotte code.

Open Chat Assistant