Dallas LO-2: Limited Office District 2 Setback Standards

The LO-2: Limited office district 2 in Dallas requires a minimum front yard setback of 15 feet, which must be increased by an additional 20 feet for any portion of a structure that exceeds 45 feet in height. While there is generally no minimum side or rear yard requirement for the LO-2: Limited office district 2, a 20-foot setback is mandatory when the property is adjacent to or directly across an alley from specified residential districts.

Setback Type	LO-2: Limited Office District 2 Requirement	Condition or Additional Requirement
Front Yard	15 feet	Minimum requirement for all structures [Section 51A-4.121(b)(4)(A)(i)].
Urban Form Setback	Additional 20 feet	Required for portions of a building exceeding 45 feet in height [Section 51A-4.121(b)(4)(A)(ii)].
Side Yard (Standard)	No minimum (0 feet)	Applicable when not adjacent to residential districts [Section 51A-4.121(b)(4)(B)(i)].
Rear Yard (Standard)	No minimum (0 feet)	Applicable when not adjacent to residential districts [Section 51A-4.121(b)(4)(B)(i)].
Residential Adjacency	20 feet	Required for side and rear yards if adjacent to or across an alley from R, R(A), D, D(A), TH, TH(A), CH, MF, or MF(A) districts [Section 51A-4.121(b)(4)(B)(i)].
Tower Spacing	+1 foot per 2 feet height	Applies to side and rear setbacks for building portions over 45 feet high, up to a maximum total setback of 30 feet [Section 51A-4.121(b)(4)(B)(ii)].

Front Yard Setback Requirements

The primary front yard requirement for the LO-2: Limited office district 2 in Dallas is a minimum of 15 feet [Section 51A-4.121(b)(4)(A)(i)]. This setback is measured from the front lot line of the building site or the required right-of-way as determined by the municipality's thoroughfare plan [Section 51A-4.401(a)(2)].

For taller buildings in the LO-2: Limited office district 2, an "urban form" setback applies. Any portion of a structure that rises above 45 feet in height must be set back an additional 20 feet beyond the standard 15-foot requirement [Section 51A-4.121(b)(4)(A)(ii)].

Side and Rear Yard Setback Requirements

Under standard conditions in Dallas, the LO-2: Limited office district 2 does not mandate a minimum side or rear yard setback [Section 51A-4.121(b)(4)(B)(i)]. However, protection for neighboring residential areas is enforced through two specific exceptions:

Residential Adjacency

A minimum side and rear yard of 20 feet is required in the LO-2: Limited office district 2 if the lot is located adjacent to or directly across an alley from any of the following residential districts:

Agricultural [A(A)]
Single Family [R, R(A)]
Duplex [D, D(A)]
Townhouse [TH, TH(A)]
Clustered Housing [CH]
Multifamily [MF, MF(A)] [Section 51A-4.121(b)(4)(B)(i)].

Tower Spacing

To prevent excessive massing, Dallas requires additional side and rear setbacks for tall structures in the LO-2: Limited office district 2. For every two feet of height a building reaches above 45 feet, an additional one foot of setback must be provided. This incremental spacing requirement is capped at a total maximum side or rear yard setback of 30 feet [Section 51A-4.121(b)(4)(B)(ii)].

General Yard Provisions and Encroachments

In the LO-2: Limited office district 2, front yards must remain open and unobstructed. However, the Dallas Development Code allows certain ordinary projections to extend into the required yard, such as:

Window sills, belt courses, and cornices (maximum 12-inch projection).
Fireplace chimneys (maximum 2-foot projection into the yard).
Cantilevered roof eaves and balconies (maximum 5-foot projection into the yard) [Section 51A-4.401(a)(1)].

Additionally, the building official in Dallas may approve ramps for the handicapped to encroach into the required front yard, provided they meet specific accessibility standards [Section 51A-4.401(a)(4)].

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