Guide to the LO-3 Limited Office District in Dallas

The LO-3: Limited office district 3 in the Municipality of Dallas is a high-intensity office designation allowing for a maximum building height of 115 feet and up to nine stories above grade. While primarily intended for professional office and institutional uses, the designation allows for limited retail and personal services provided they primarily serve building occupants rather than the general public. Under the Dallas Development Code, most industrial and high-volume retail uses are prohibited within this specific district.

Permitted Main Uses in the LO-3 District

The Municipality of Dallas classifies uses in the LO-3: Limited office district 3 into several categories. Permissions are indicated by right, by right as a limited use [L], with Residential Adjacency Review [RAR], or via a Specific Use Permit [SUP].

Technical Table: Main Use Permissions

Use Category	Specific Use	Permission Status
Agricultural	Crop production	Permitted by Right
Office	Office, Medical clinic, Ambulatory surgical center	Permitted by Right
Office	Alternative financial establishment	SUP Required
Office	Financial institution (with drive-in window)	SUP Required
Residential	College dormitory, fraternity, or sorority house	Permitted by Right
Institutional	Church, College/University, Library, Museum	Permitted by Right
Institutional	Child or adult care facility	Permitted by Right
Institutional	Cemetery or mausoleum, Community service center	SUP Required
Retail & Service	Business school	Permitted by Right
Retail & Service	Restaurant (no drive-in/through)	Limited [L] / RAR Required
Retail & Service	General merchandise or food store (≤ 3,500 SF)	Limited [L]
Retail & Service	Personal service uses	Limited [L]
Retail & Service	Dry cleaning or laundry store	Limited [L]
Retail & Service	Alcoholic beverage establishments	SUP Required
Commercial	Catering service	Limited [L]
Commercial	Medical or scientific laboratory	SUP Required
Industrial	Gas drilling and production	SUP Required
Industrial	Temporary concrete or asphalt batching plant	SUP Required
Lodging	Overnight general purpose shelter	Permitted (See Sec. 51A-4.205)
Transportation	Transit passenger shelter	Permitted by Right
Transportation	Transit passenger station or transfer center	SUP or City Council Resolution

Note: In the LO-3 district, "limited" [L] service uses are only allowed where they are contained primarily within the building and primarily serve the occupants of the building and not the general public [Section 51A-4.121(b)(1)].

Prohibited Uses in the LO-3 District

The Dallas Development Code operates on a permissive basis; any use not specifically listed as a "Permitted Main Use" for the LO-3: Limited office district 3 is prohibited. Significant prohibited uses include, but are not limited to:

Industrial: All heavy industrial uses, metal salvage facilities, mining, and municipal waste incinerators [Section 51A-4.121(b)(2)].
Retail: Vehicle sales, liquor stores, pawn shops, swap shops, and furniture stores [Section 51A-4.121(b)(2)].
Service: Auto service centers, car washes, and tool/equipment rental [Section 51A-4.121(b)(2)].
Lodging: Hotels or motels and short-term rental lodging [Section 51A-4.121(b)(2)].
Residential: Single-family, duplex, and multifamily dwellings (unless part of a permitted institutional use) [Section 51A-4.121(b)(2)].

Yard, Lot, and Space Regulations for LO-3

The following standards govern the physical development of sites within the LO-3: Limited office district 3 in the Municipality of Dallas.

Regulation Type	Standard Requirement
Minimum Front Yard	15 feet
Minimum Side/Rear Yard	20 feet if adjacent to Residential District*; otherwise no minimum
Maximum Floor Area Ratio (FAR)	1.75
Maximum Building Height	115 feet
Maximum Number of Stories	9 stories
Maximum Lot Coverage	80%
Minimum Lot Size	No minimum

*Residential districts include R, R(A), D, D(A), TH, TH(A), CH, MF, or MF(A) [Section 51A-4.121(b)(4)(B)].

Accessory Uses

As a general rule, an accessory use is permitted in the LO-3 district if it is customarily incidental to a permitted main use. Specific allowed accessory uses include:

Accessory community center (private).
Accessory helistop (by SUP only).
Accessory medical/infectious waste incinerator (by SUP only).
Accessory outside display of merchandise.
Accessory outside sales.
Accessory pathological waste incinerator.
Home occupation.
Private stable [Section 51A-4.121(b)(3)].

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