Guide to the GO(A) General Office District in Dallas
The GO(A) General Office District in Dallas is a zoning designation intended to support high-density, sophisticated office developments that serve city-wide needs while maintaining a minimal impact on low-density communities. Within the City of Dallas, this district allows for a significant intensity of use, including a maximum floor area ratio of 4.0, building heights up to 270 feet, and a maximum of 20 stories [Sec. 51A-4.121(d)]. While primarily an office zone, it permits a mix of residential and retail uses provided they adhere to strict floor area limitations, generally 5% and 10% respectively [Sec. 51A-4.121(d)].
Technical Standards for the GO(A) General Office District
The following table summarizes the primary development standards for the GO(A) General Office District in the City of Dallas. In the event of a conflict between the summary charts and the text of the City of Dallas Development Code, the text controls [Sec. 51A-4.105(b)].
| Standard | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR) | 4.0 |
| Maximum Building Height | 270 feet |
| Maximum Lot Coverage | 80% |
| Maximum Number of Stories | 20 |
| Minimum Front Yard Setback | 15 feet |
| Minimum Side/Rear Yard | 20 feet (if adjacent to or across an alley from a residential district); 0 feet (all other cases) |
| Maximum Trip Generation (for DIR) | 6,000 trips/day or 500 trips/acre/day |
[Sec. 51A-4.121(d); Sec. 51A-4.803]
Permitted Uses in the GO(A) General Office District
The City of Dallas Development Code categorizes uses in the GO(A) General Office District as being permitted by right, permitted as a limited use [L], requiring Residential Adjacency Review [RAR], requiring a Specific Use Permit [SUP], or requiring a Development Impact Review [DIR].
Office and Business Uses
- Office Uses: Standard offices, medical clinics, ambulatory surgical centers, and financial institutions without drive-in windows are permitted by right. Financial institutions with drive-in windows require a Development Impact Review [DIR]. Alternative financial establishments are only permitted via [SUP] [Sec. 51A-4.121(d)(2)(G)].
- Commercial and Business Service Uses: The GO(A) General Office District permits catering services [L], electronics service centers [L], and medical or scientific laboratories [Sec. 51A-4.121(d)(2)(B)].
Institutional and Community Uses
- Permitted by Right: Child or adult care facilities, churches, convents/monasteries, and libraries, art galleries, or museums.
- Conditional Institutional Uses: Hospitals require [RAR]. Cemeteries, mausoleums, and community service centers require [SUP]. Public and private schools generally require [SUP], though public schools may be permitted via [RAR] in specific circumstances [Sec. 51A-4.121(d)(2)(D)].
Residential and Lodging Uses
- Lodging: Short-term rental lodging is permitted by right. Hotels or motels require [RAR] or [SUP] depending on the number of rooms. Extended stay hotels/motels require [SUP] [Sec. 51A-4.121(d)(2)(E)].
- Residential Limitations: Single-family, duplex, and multifamily uses are restricted in the GO(A) General Office District. Collectively, these uses may occupy no more than five percent of the total floor area of any building. College dormitories and fraternity/sorority houses are permitted by [SUP] [Sec. 51A-4.121(d)(2)(I)].
Retail and Personal Service Uses
Retail and personal service uses in the City of Dallas GO(A) General Office District are subject to a cumulative floor area restriction: they must be contained entirely within a building and may not exceed 10 percent of the total floor area of that building [Sec. 51A-4.121(d)(2)(J)].
- Permitted by Right: Business schools, dry cleaning/laundry stores, and personal service uses.
- Limited Retail: Motor vehicle fueling stations are permitted as a limited [L] use.
- Conditional Retail: Restaurants without drive-in or drive-through service require [RAR]. Theaters and alcoholic beverage establishments require [SUP] [Sec. 51A-4.121(d)(2)(J)].
Restricted and Prohibited Uses
The City of Dallas maintains strict regulations on uses that may disrupt the office environment of the GO(A) General Office District.
- Prohibited Industrial Uses: Most industrial uses are prohibited, with the exception of gas drilling and production and temporary concrete/asphalt batching plants, both of which require [SUP] [Sec. 51A-4.121(d)(2)(C)].
- Prohibited Wholesale/Storage: Commercial parking lots and garages are permitted by right, but most wholesale, distribution, and storage uses are restricted to recycling drop-off containers or special occasion collection points [Sec. 51A-4.121(d)(2)(M)].
- General Prohibition: Any use not specifically listed as a permitted main use or accessory use is prohibited within the GO(A) General Office District.
Sections Cited
- Section 51A-4.101. New Zoning Districts Established.
- Section 51A-4.105. Interpretation of District Regulations.
- Section 51A-4.121. Office Districts.
- Section 51A-4.205. Lodging Uses.
- Section 51A-4.209. Residential Uses.
- Section 51A-4.210. Retail and Personal Service Uses.
- Section 51A-4.212. Utility and Public Service Uses.
- Section 51A-4.410. Schedule of Yard, Lot, and Space Regulations.
- Section 51A-4.803. Site Plan Review.