Permitted and Prohibited Uses in the Dallas UC-3: Urban Corridor District 3

In the City of Dallas, the UC-3: Urban Corridor District 3 is a high-density, mixed-use designation that requires a minimum of two land uses to be developed on a single lot, one of which must be residential use located above the street level [Section 51A-4.127]. This district is designed to foster pedestrian-friendly environments and allows for a broad array of commercial, retail, and office uses by right, while strictly prohibiting several specific accessory uses such as outside storage and private stables [Section 51A-4.127]. Technical standards for the UC-3 district include a minimum dwelling unit density of 45 units per acre and a base maximum building height of 55 feet, which can be increased with bonuses [Section 51A-4.127].

Permitted Main Uses in the UC-3 District

The Dallas Development Code allows various main uses in the UC-3: Urban Corridor District 3, categorized into groups such as agricultural, commercial, industrial, and institutional. Many are allowed by right, while others require a Specific Use Permit (SUP), Development Impact Review (DIR), or Residential Adjacency Review (RAR).

Table of Permitted Main Uses

Use Category	Uses Permitted by Right	Uses Requiring SUP, DIR, or RAR
Agricultural	Crop production	None
Commercial & Business	Catering service; Custom business services; Electronics service center; Job or lithographic printing	Medical or scientific laboratory (SUP)
Industrial	None	Gas drilling and production (SUP); Temporary concrete or asphalt batching plant (SUP)
Institutional	Child or adult care facility; Church; College, university, or seminary	Community service center (SUP); Hospital (SUP); Open-enrollment charter or private school (SUP); Public school (RAR)
Lodging	Short-term rental lodging	None
Office	Office; Medical clinic or ambulatory surgical center; Financial institution without drive-in window	Alternative financial establishment (SUP)
Recreation	Private recreation center, club, or area	Public park, playground, or golf course (DIR)
Residential	Multifamily	College dormitory, fraternity, or sorority (SUP); Group residential facility (SUP); Handicapped group dwelling unit (SUP); Retirement housing (SUP)
Retail & Personal Service	Ambulance service; Animal shelter (no outside runs); Business school; Dry cleaning or laundry store; Furniture store; General merchandise or food store (any size); Liquor store; Mortuary or wedding chapel; Motor vehicle fueling station; Nursery or plant sales; Personal service use; Restaurant; Swap or buy shop; Temporary retail use	Paraphernalia shop (SUP); Theater (DIR); Restaurant with drive-in or drive-through (SUP)
Transportation	Transit passenger shelter	None
Utility & Public Service	Local utilities; Police or fire station; Post office; Mounted cellular antenna	Utility or government installation other than listed (SUP); Water treatment plant (SUP)

Specific Requirements for UC-3 Uses

The City of Dallas mandates that certain uses within the UC-3: Urban Corridor District 3 follow specific locational or operational criteria.

Residential Requirement: A minimum of two land uses must be developed on a lot, with one use being residential use above street level [Section 51A-4.127].
Retail/Office Proximity: In the City of Dallas, alternative financial establishments and private recreation centers are specifically permitted in the UC-3 district, whereas they may be restricted in other lower-density Urban Corridor districts [Section 51A-4.127].
Convenience Stores: General merchandise or food stores larger than 3,500 square feet are permitted by right in the UC-3: Urban Corridor District 3 [Section 51A-4.127].
Telecommunications: The City of Dallas allows mounted cellular antennas by right in the UC-3 district, provided they comply with specific height and mounting regulations [Section 51A-4.127].

Prohibited Accessory Uses

While accessory uses are generally permitted if they are customarily incidental to a main use, the Dallas Development Code explicitly lists several accessory uses that are strictly prohibited within the UC-3: Urban Corridor District 3 [Section 51A-4.127].

Table of Prohibited Accessory Uses

Prohibited Accessory Use	Description
Outside Storage	The outside placement of items for more than 24 hours is not allowed.
Private Stable	Keeping horses for private use is prohibited.
Day Home	Facilities for child or adult care in a residence are prohibited as an accessory use.
Incinerators	Medical/infectious waste, pathological waste, and general waste incinerators are prohibited.
Amateur Communication Tower	Ham radio or similar towers are not permitted as accessory uses.
Helistop	Accessory landing pads for rotary-wing aircraft are prohibited.

Sections Cited