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Setback Requirements for the City of Charlotte N2-A Neighborhood 2 Zoning District

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

In the City of Charlotte N2-A Neighborhood 2 Zoning District, the standard side setback is 5 feet and the rear setback is 20 feet. Frontage setbacks for the N2-A District are determined by the specific classification of the street or public space the lot faces, with minimum distances ranging from 16 feet to 36 feet. For single-family, duplex, triplex, or quadraplex dwellings that are not part of a multi-dwelling development, the City of Charlotte requires adherence to the Neighborhood 1-E (N1-E) standards, which establish a 10-foot minimum front and corner side setback [Section 5.3.A.1].

Primary Siting Standards for the N2-A District

Building siting in the City of Charlotte N2-A District is primarily governed by the type of frontage. These standards ensure that development is compatible with the surrounding urban context. For multi-family developments and all nonresidential or mixed-use developments within the N2-A District, the following setbacks apply:

Frontage Setback Requirements

The frontage setback is generally measured from the future back of curb, except for local and collector streets where it is measured from the existing back of curb [Table 5-2, Note 1].

Frontage Type N2-A Minimum Setback (feet)
Uptown Signature 24
Main Street 24
Linear Park 36
4-5 Lane Avenue/Boulevard 24
6 or more Lane Avenue/Boulevard 30
2-3 Lane Avenue 24
Transit Station, Off-Street Public Path, or Public Park 20
Uptown Primary 20
Other - Primary 20
Uptown Secondary 16
Secondary 20
Parkway (Measured from Right-of-Way) 20
Limited Access (Measured from Right-of-Way) 20

Side and Rear Setback Requirements

The City of Charlotte N2-A District applies uniform side and rear setbacks regardless of whether the property abuts a Neighborhood 1 Place Type.

Setback Type N2-A Minimum Requirement
Minimum Side Setback 5 feet
Minimum Rear Setback 20 feet

[Table 5-2]

Exceptions and Special Conditions

The City of Charlotte Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) provides specific instances where the standard N2-A setbacks may be modified or where different standards apply:

Lower-Intensity Dwelling Types

If a developer is constructing single-family, duplex, triplex, or quadraplex dwellings in the N2-A District, and these are not part of a larger multi-dwelling development (MDD), they must follow the dimensional standards of the Neighborhood 1-E (N1-E) District [Section 5.1.A].

N1-E Setback Type (Fallback for N2-A) Minimum Requirement
Front Setback 10 feet
Corner Side Setback 10 feet
Side Setback 5 feet
Rear Setback 20 feet

[Table 4-2]

Measurement Points and Encroachments

  • Measurement from Curb: On local and collector streets in the City of Charlotte N2-A District, the setback is measured from the existing back of curb. If there is no curb, the measurement is taken from the curb location for the "Residential Medium Cross Section" defined in the Charlotte Land Development Standards Manual (CLDSM) [Table 5-2, Note 1].
  • Public Paths: No building entry in the N2-A District may be located closer than six feet to an existing or proposed off-street public path or shared-use path [Table 5-2, Note 2].
  • Landscape Yards: If a 25-foot Class B landscape yard is provided parallel to an arterial street in the N2-A District, that portion of the street is not considered a frontage for siting standards, and no parking lots may be located within that landscape yard [Section 5.3.A.3.b].

Sections Cited

  • Article 4, Neighborhood 1 Zoning Districts
  • Section 4.3, Dimensional and Design Standards (N1-A through N1-F)
  • Table 4-2, Neighborhood 1 Zoning Districts Building Siting Standards
  • Article 5, Neighborhood 2 Zoning Districts
  • Section 5.1, Purpose (N2-A, N2-B, N2-C)
  • Section 5.3, Dimensional and Design Standards (N2-A, N2-B, N2-C)
  • Table 5-2, Neighborhood 2 Zoning Districts Building Siting Standards

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