Fayetteville Neighborhood Commercial (C-1) Zoning Guide

The C-1 Neighborhood Commercial district in Fayetteville is established primarily to provide essential convenience goods and personal services to residents in surrounding neighborhoods. Under the Fayetteville Unified Development Code, this district allows a mix of residential and commercial uses, including eating places and small-scale production, while limiting building heights to five stories. Development in Fayetteville District C-1 is intended to be pedestrian-friendly and can often be approved administratively if it adheres to specific urban form standards.

Purpose of the C-1 District

The Fayetteville Unified Development Code (UDC) defines District C-1 as a zone meant to support the daily needs of local residential areas [Section 161.21(A)]. By providing services in close proximity to housing, District C-1 helps reduce vehicle trips and supports the city's goal of creating walkable neighborhood centers. The Fayetteville Planning Commission encourages developments that use "urban form" (buildings placed close to the street) in this district to enhance the streetscape.

Allowed Uses in District C-1

Uses in Fayetteville are categorized into "Use Units." In District C-1, these are split between uses allowed "by right" (Permitted) and those requiring a "Conditional Use Permit" (CUP).

Permitted Uses (By Right)

The following use units are permitted by right in Fayetteville's C-1 district [Section 161.21(B)(1)]:

• Unit 1: City-wide uses by right. Includes agricultural uses like field crop farms, forests, and essential services like sidewalks and fire hydrants [Section 162.01(A)].
• Unit 5: Government Facilities. Includes libraries, post offices, and police stations [Section 162.01(E)].
• Unit 13: Eating Places. Includes restaurants and cafes, excluding drive-ins [Section 162.01(N)].
• Unit 15: Neighborhood Shopping Goods. Includes convenience-oriented retail like groceries, drugstores, and bakeries, provided the building is 25,000 square feet or less [Section 162.01(P)].
• Unit 18: Gasoline Service Stations and Drive-in/Drive-through Restaurants. These are specifically allowed in Fayetteville's C-1 district to serve highway and local traffic [Section 161.21(B)(1)].
• Unit 25: Offices, Studios, and Related Services. Includes professional offices (lawyers, accountants) and medical clinics [Section 162.01(Z)].
• Unit 40: Sidewalk Cafes. Open-air seating areas associated with an adjacent business [Section 162.01(OO)].
• Unit 44: Cluster Housing Development. Specialized residential layouts intended to preserve open space [Section 162.01(SS)].
• Unit 45: Small Scale Production. Includes microbreweries and boutique manufacturing limited to 5,000 square feet [Section 162.01(TT)].
• Unit 46: Short-term Rentals. Residential units leased for periods of less than 30 consecutive days [Section 162.01(UU)].

Conditional Uses

The following uses may be permitted in District C-1 only after the Fayetteville Planning Commission grants a Conditional Use Permit [Section 161.21(B)(2)]:

• Unit 2: City-wide uses by CUP. Includes airports, campgrounds, and bed and breakfasts [Section 162.01(B)].
• Unit 3: Public protection and utility facilities. Includes electrical regulating stations and transmission towers [Section 162.01(C)].
• Unit 4: Cultural and recreational facilities. Includes museums, churches, and playfields [Section 162.01(D)].
• Unit 16: Shopping Goods. Retail stores that have a wider regional market than those in Unit 15 [Section 162.01(Q)].
• Unit 34: Liquor Stores. Establishments licensed for off-premise alcohol consumption [Section 162.01(II)].
• Unit 35: Outdoor Music Establishments. Businesses where amplified music is played in outdoor areas [Section 162.01(JJ)].
• Unit 36: Wireless Communications Facilities. Antennas and towers for telecommunications [Section 162.01(KK)].
• Unit 42: Clean Technologies. Facilities for alternative energy fabrication or research [Section 162.01(QQ)].

Prohibited Uses

While the Fayetteville UDC does not always list every prohibited use, it restricts certain activities from District C-1:

1. Sexually Oriented Businesses: These are explicitly prohibited in all districts in Fayetteville except for UC (Urban Corridor) and C-2 (Thoroughfare Commercial) [Section 163.11(B)].
2. Unlisted Use Units: Any use unit not explicitly listed as "Permitted" or "Conditional" is generally prohibited. For example, Unit 23 (Heavy Industrial) and Unit 39 (Auto Salvage and Junk Yards) are not allowed in District C-1 [Section 161.21].
3. Large Retail (Unit 15): Buildings for Neighborhood Shopping Goods (Unit 15) must be 25,000 square feet or less; larger facilities would fall outside the permitted scope for this district [Section 162.01(P)].

Development Standards for District C-1

The City of Fayetteville maintains two sets of standards for District C-1: "Conventional" and "Urban Form."

Standard Type	Front Setback	Side Setback	Rear Setback	Max Height
Conventional	15 feet	None*	20 feet	5 stories
Urban Form	10–25 ft (Build-to zone)	None**	None**	5 stories

*If contiguous to a residential district, a 10-foot side setback is required [Section 161.21(E)]. **If contiguous to a single-family residential district, a 15-foot side or rear setback is required for Urban Form [Section 161.21(E)].

Additional Requirements

• Building Area: In conventional C-1 developments, buildings may not occupy more than 40% of the total lot area [Section 161.21(G)].
• Street Frontage: For Urban Form developments, at least 50% of the lot width must be occupied by the building frontage [Section 161.21(H)].
• Screening: Parking lots containing five or more spaces must be screened from the public right-of-way and adjacent residential properties [Section 166.25(D)(6)].

Sections Cited

• 161.21 - District C-1, Neighborhood Commercial
• 162.01 - Establishment/Listing (Use Units)
• 163.11 - Sexually Oriented Business
• 166.24 - Nonresidential Design Standards
• 166.25 - Commercial, Office and Mixed-use Design and Development Standards