Allowed and Prohibited Uses for E-1: Extraction District in Fayetteville

The E-1: Extraction district in Fayetteville is a specialized land-use category restricted to the commercial removal of sand, clay, gravel, and minerals on tracts of at least 10 acres. Permitted uses are strictly limited to extractive operations and essential public services, while any building or activity not specifically authorized by the Fayetteville Unified Development Code is prohibited. Major machinery for sorting or crushing is further restricted by a mandatory 500-foot buffer from all property lines.

Allowed Uses in the E-1: Extraction District

The Fayetteville Unified Development Code restricts the E-1: Extraction district to a specific set of activities designed to manage the environmental impacts of mineral removal, such as noise, dust, and groundwater protection [Section 161.33].

Permitted Uses by Right

These uses are allowed without a conditional use permit, provided they meet the standards of the Fayetteville Unified Development Code:

Use Unit 1 (City-Wide Uses by Right): Includes public facilities, essential services (fire hydrants, police alarm boxes), agricultural uses (field crop farms, forests, fruit/vegetable farms), and open land/recreation uses (parks, parkways, wildlife preserves, and historical markers) [Section 162.01].
Use Unit 30 (Extractive Uses): The core purpose of the district, including the mining of coal, ores, clay, sand, silt, rock, and gravel. It also covers petroleum and natural gas extraction, rock crushing, and the sorting or washing of earth products [Section 162.01].
Noncommercial Public Areas: Parks, playgrounds, or preserves operated on a noncommercial basis [Section 164.08].
Accessory Uses: Buildings and structures that are customarily incidental to the primary extraction activity [Section 164.08].

Conditional Uses

The following uses require approval by the Fayetteville Planning Commission and must undergo a public hearing process:

Use Unit 2 (City-Wide Uses by Conditional Use Permit): This includes larger or more intensive facilities such as airports/heliports, campgrounds, community recycling drop-off centers, landscape contracting businesses, plant nurseries, and solid waste or RV sewage disposal facilities [Section 162.01].

Prohibited Uses and Operational Restrictions

In Fayetteville, the E-1: Extraction district operates under a "permissive" framework, meaning that any use not explicitly listed as permitted or conditional is strictly prohibited [Section 164.08].

Explicit Prohibitions and Restrictions

Non-Listed Uses: No building or premises in Fayetteville's E-1: Extraction district may be used for any purpose other than those listed in the primary categories above [Section 164.08].
Automobile Shredding: The shredding of automobiles is prohibited throughout the city limits of Fayetteville [Section 163.17].
Buffer for Machinery: Sorters, crushers, or other processing devices are prohibited from being located within 500 feet of any lot line within the E-1: Extraction district [Section 164.08].
Prohibited Materials: Certain building materials are prohibited for any structures in the district, including untreated concrete masonry units (CMU), vinyl siding, and reflective glass [Section 166.24].

E-1: Extraction District Technical Standards

Development within the E-1: Extraction district must adhere to the following dimensional and setback requirements to ensure compatibility with the surrounding municipality.

Standard	Requirement
Minimum Lot Area	10 acres
Minimum Lot Width	200 feet of frontage on a state road
Setback from Residential (R) Districts	200 feet
Setback from P, A, C, and I Districts	100 feet
Machinery/Processing Buffer	500 feet from all lot lines

Sections Cited

Section 161.33: District E-1, Extraction
Section 162.01: Use Units (Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 30)
Section 163.17: Wrecking, Demolition And Scrap Metal Processing
Section 164.08: Extraction (Rezoning and Operational Requirements)
Section 166.24: Nonresidential Design Standards (Prohibited Materials)