Fayetteville DG: Downtown General Zoning District Guide
The DG: Downtown General district in Fayetteville is a flexible, mixed-use zone that allows a variety of residential and business activities with a maximum building height of five stories. Development in this district requires a 10-to-25-foot front build-to zone and maintains a minimum buildable street frontage of 50% to ensure a consistent urban form [Section 161.28].
Purpose and General Character
The Fayetteville DG: Downtown General zoning district is designed as a flexible environment that is not limited to the high-intensity concentrated mix of uses found in the Downtown Core. Its primary function is to provide a transition from more intense districts into residential areas. The general character of the DG: Downtown General district includes a mixture of building types, such as single-family homes, rowhouses, apartments, and live/work units.
Fayetteville planners intend for the district to support a dynamic range of activities, from public open spaces to less intense residential developments and neighborhood-scale businesses. For the purposes of City Noise Control regulations (Chapter 96), the DG: Downtown General district is classified as a residential zone [Section 161.28].
Permitted and Conditional Land Uses
Permitted Uses by Right
The following use units are permitted by right within the Fayetteville DG: Downtown General district:
- Residential: Single-family, two-family, three- and four-family, and multi-family dwellings; accessory dwelling units; cluster housing developments; and short-term rentals [Section 161.28].
- Civic and Public: City-wide uses by right (Unit 1), cultural and recreational facilities (Unit 4), and government facilities (Unit 5) [Section 161.28].
- Commercial: Eating places (Unit 13), neighborhood shopping goods (Unit 15), offices, studios, and related services (Unit 25), and sidewalk cafes (Unit 40) [Section 161.28].
- Other: Home occupations (Unit 24) and small-scale production (Unit 45) [Section 161.28].
Conditional Uses
The following uses may be allowed in the Fayetteville DG: Downtown General district if granted a conditional use permit by the Planning Commission:
- City-wide uses by conditional use permit (Unit 2)
- Public protection and utility facilities (Unit 3)
- Hotel, motel, and amusement services (Unit 14)
- Shopping goods (Unit 16)
- Transportation trades and services (Unit 17)
- Commercial recreation, small sites (Unit 19)
- Center for collecting recyclable materials (Unit 28)
- Wireless communication facilities (Unit 36)
- Private dormitories (Unit 48) [Section 161.28].
Development Standards
Property owners in the Fayetteville DG: Downtown General district must adhere to specific bulk, area, and height requirements. The district emphasizes an urban form where buildings are situated close to the street to create a pedestrian-friendly environment.
Dimensional Requirements
| Standard | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Max Building Height | 5 stories [Section 161.28] |
| Min. Lot Width (Dwellings) | 18 feet [Section 161.28] |
| Min. Lot Area | None [Section 161.28] |
| Front Build-to Zone | 10 to 25 feet from front property line [Section 161.28] |
| Side and Rear Setback | None [Section 161.28] |
| Setback (Contiguous to SF Res) | 15 feet [Section 161.28] |
| Min. Buildable Street Frontage | 50% of the lot width [Section 161.28] |
| Min. Tree Canopy | 10% [Section 167.04] |
Specific Regulations
- Street Frontage: In the Fayetteville DG: Downtown General district, at least 50% of the lot width must be occupied by the vertical side of a building or structure within the designated build-to zone [Section 161.28].
- Design Overlay: All parcels within the DG: Downtown General district are subject to the Downtown Design Overlay District (DDOD) standards, which regulate architectural form, materials, and features like awnings, balconies, and entryways [Section 166.21].
- Visibility: The DG: Downtown General district is exempt from certain visibility restrictions that prohibit parking motor vehicles or mobile homes near intersections on corner lots [Section 164.17].
- Facade Openings: For buildings within the Design Overlay, doors or entrances for pedestrian access must be provided at intervals no greater than 50 feet apart along the principal facade [Section 166.21].
Sections Cited
- 160.01 Establishment Of Districts
- 161.28 District DG, Downtown General
- 164.17 Visibility At Intersections In Residential/Nonresidential Districts
- 166.21 Downtown Design Overlay District
- 167.04 Tree Preservation And Protection During Development