C-2 Thoroughfare Commercial Zoning Guide for Fayetteville

The C-2: Thoroughfare Commercial zoning district in Fayetteville is designed to accommodate commercial enterprises that primarily serve highway travelers and requires no minimum lot size or density. While many retail, service, and office uses are permitted by right, new developments must provide a 15-foot front setback and adhere to a maximum building height of six stories. Under Fayetteville regulations, any use not specifically listed as permitted or conditional within the C-2: Thoroughfare Commercial district is strictly prohibited.

Purpose of the C-2: Thoroughfare Commercial District

The C-2: Thoroughfare Commercial district in Fayetteville is established to encourage the functional grouping of commercial enterprises that cater primarily to highway travelers. The Fayetteville Unified Development Code (UDC) intends for this district to allow for administrative approval if the developer chooses to utilize an urban form, which involves adhering to specific build-to zones and minimum buildable street frontage requirements [Section 161.23].

Permitted Uses (Allowed by Right)

In the Municipality of Fayetteville, the following Use Units are permitted by right within the C-2: Thoroughfare Commercial designation. These uses do not require a conditional use permit, provided they meet all other standard requirements of the Fayetteville Unified Development Code [Section 161.23(B)(1)].

Use Unit	Name	Examples of Included Uses
Unit 1	City-wide uses by right	Parks, forests, wildlife preserves, and essential public services [Section 162.01].
Unit 4	Cultural and recreational facilities	Churches, schools, libraries, art galleries, and cemeteries [Section 162.01].
Unit 5	Government Facilities	Post offices, police stations, fire stations, and courts of law [Section 162.01].
Unit 13	Eating places	Restaurants and cafes [Section 162.01].
Unit 14	Hotel, motel, and amusement facilities	Hotels, motels, and motion picture theaters [Section 162.01].
Unit 16	Shopping goods	Department stores, appliance stores, and animal hospitals [Section 162.01].
Unit 17	Transportation trades and services	Automotive sales, body shops, and farm equipment repair [Section 162.01].
Unit 18	Gasoline service stations & drive-ins	Gas stations and drive-through restaurants [Section 162.01].
Unit 19	Commercial recreation, small sites	Billiard parlors, bowling alleys, and skating rinks [Section 162.01].
Unit 20	Commercial recreation, large sites	Amusement parks, zoos, and golf courses [Section 162.01].
Unit 25	Offices, studios, and related services	Medical clinics, professional offices (lawyers, architects), and barbers [Section 162.01].
Unit 33	Adult live entertainment club or bar	Establishments featuring adult dancing or entertainment [Section 162.01].
Unit 34	Liquor store	Retail establishments licensed for off-premise alcohol consumption [Section 162.01].
Unit 40	Sidewalk Cafes	Outdoor seating areas located on public or private sidewalks [Section 162.01].
Unit 44	Cluster Housing Development	Innovative residential layouts focused on shared open space [Section 162.01].
Unit 45	Small scale production	Microbreweries, boutique manufacturing, and coffee roasting [Section 162.01].
Unit 46	Short-term rentals	Residential units leased for periods of less than 30 consecutive days [Section 162.01].

Conditional Uses

In Fayetteville, certain uses are deemed to have a potentially greater impact on the surrounding area and are only permitted within the C-2: Thoroughfare Commercial district following a public hearing and approval by the Planning Commission [Section 163.02].

Use Unit	Name	Examples of Included Uses
Unit 2	City-wide uses by conditional use	Airports, campgrounds, and bed and breakfast facilities [Section 162.01].
Unit 3	Public protection and utility facilities	Electrical regulating stations and pressure control stations [Section 162.01].
Unit 21	Warehousing and wholesale	Storage warehouses and trucking establishments [Section 162.01].
Unit 28	Center for collecting recyclable materials	Facilities for processing paper, glass, and metal (excluding salvage yards) [Section 162.01].
Unit 29	Dance Halls	Establishments providing areas for public dancing [Section 162.01].
Unit 32	Sexually oriented business	Adult bookstores, adult video stores, and adult theaters [Section 162.01].
Unit 35	Outdoor music establishments	Businesses where amplified music is played in outdoor gardens or patios [Section 162.01].
Unit 36	Wireless communications facilities	Cellular towers, antennas, and related equipment buildings [Section 162.01].
Unit 38	Mini-storage units	Facilities with individual, private storage spaces for lease [Section 162.01].
Unit 42	Clean technologies	Facilities fabricating energy-efficient or renewable resource products [Section 162.01].
Unit 43	Animal boarding and training	Kennels and outdoor animal exercise areas [Section 162.01].

Prohibited Uses in the C-2 District

The Fayetteville Unified Development Code explicitly states that in the C-2: Thoroughfare Commercial district, all uses not specifically identified as permitted or conditional are prohibited [Section 161.23(E)].

Furthermore, the following specific activities are prohibited within Fayetteville or specifically excluded from the C-2: Thoroughfare Commercial district:

Heavy Industrial Uses: Manufacturing activities classified under Use Unit 23 are generally not allowed as they are not listed in the C-2 use schedule [Section 161.23].
Automobile Shredding: The shredding of automobiles is prohibited within the Fayetteville city limits [Section 163.17(A)].
Residential in Front Yards: For developments following urban form standards, parking spaces and drive-thru lanes are not permitted in the front yard directly between a building and the street right-of-way [Section 172.04(C)(4)].

Development Standards

Developments within the C-2: Thoroughfare Commercial district must comply with the following dimensional and site requirements established by Fayetteville.

Standard	Requirement
Density	None [Section 161.23(C)]
Bulk and Area	None [Section 161.23(D)]
Front Setback	15 feet [Section 161.23(E)]
Front Setback (with parking between building and street)	50 feet [Section 161.23(E)]
Side Setback	None [Section 161.23(E)]
Side Setback (contiguous to residential district)	15 feet [Section 161.23(E)]
Rear Setback	20 feet [Section 161.23(E)]
Maximum Building Height	6 stories* [Section 161.23(F)]
Urban Form Min. Buildable Street Frontage	50% of lot width [Section 161.23(H)]

*Note: If a building in the C-2: Thoroughfare Commercial district exceeds two stories and is adjacent to a residential district, an additional setback is required for the portion of the building above two stories [Section 161.23(F)].

Sections Cited