Fayetteville RMF-40: Residential Multi-family - Forty (40) Units per Acre District
The RMF-40 district in Fayetteville is a high-density residential zone allowing up to 40 units per acre and building heights of up to five stories depending on their proximity to the street. Development in this district requires a minimum buildable street frontage of 50% and limits building coverage to 50% of the total lot area to balance intense land use with community character.
Purpose and General Character
The RMF-40: Residential Multi-family - Forty (40) Units per Acre district is designated by the City of Fayetteville to protect existing high-density multi-family developments. Furthermore, the district is intended to encourage additional high-density residential growth in areas where such intensity is desirable for the city's urban fabric [Section 161.17(A)].
Permitted Land Uses
The Fayetteville Unified Development Code (UDC) categorizes uses into those permitted by right and those requiring a conditional use permit.
Uses Permitted by Right
The following use units are allowed by right within the RMF-40 district:
- Unit 1: City-wide uses by right
- Unit 8: Single-family dwellings
- Unit 9: Two-family dwellings
- Unit 10: Three- and four-family dwellings
- Unit 26: Multi-family dwellings
- Unit 41: Accessory dwellings
- Unit 44: Cluster Housing Development
- Unit 46: Short-term rentals [Section 161.17(B)(1)]
Conditional Uses
The following uses may be permitted in the RMF-40 district subject to Planning Commission approval:
- Unit 2: City-wide uses by conditional use permit
- Unit 3: Public protection and utility facilities
- Unit 4: Cultural and recreational facilities
- Unit 5: Government facilities
- Unit 11: Manufactured home park
- Unit 12a: Limited business
- Unit 24: Home occupation
- Unit 25: Professional offices
- Unit 36: Wireless communications facilities
- Unit 48: Private dormitories [Section 161.17(B)(2)]
Development Standards
Development within the RMF-40 district of Fayetteville must adhere to specific density, bulk, and area requirements.
Density and Lot Coverage
The maximum density allowed is forty (40) units per acre or less [Section 161.17(C)]. The total area occupied by all buildings on a lot may not exceed 50% of the total lot area, though accessory ground-mounted solar energy systems are not counted toward this limit [Section 161.17(G)].
Bulk and Area Regulations
| standard | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Lot Width Minimum: Manufactured home park | 100 feet |
| Lot Width Minimum: Lot within a Manufactured home park | 50 feet |
| Lot Width Minimum: Single-family | 30 feet |
| Lot Width Minimum: Two-family | 30 feet |
| Lot Width Minimum: Three-family or more | 70 feet |
| Lot Width Minimum: Professional offices | 100 feet |
| Minimum Buildable Street Frontage | 50% of the lot width |
| [Section 161.17(D)(1) and (H)] |
Minimum Lot Area Requirements
| Use Type | Minimum Lot Area |
|---|---|
| Manufactured home park | 3 acres |
| Lot within a mobile home park | 4,200 square feet |
| Townhouses: Individual lot | 2,000 square feet |
| Single-family | 2,500 square feet |
| Two-family | 3,000 square feet |
| Three-family or more | 7,000 square feet |
| Fraternity or Sorority | 1 acre |
| Professional offices | 1 acre |
| [Section 161.17(D)(2)] |
Setback Requirements
The City of Fayetteville applies different setback standards depending on whether a project follows standard form or an "Urban Form" build-to zone approach.
| Setback Type | Standard Requirement | Urban Form (Build-to Zone) |
|---|---|---|
| Front | 15 feet | 10 to 25 feet from front property line |
| Side (Other Uses) | 8 feet | 5 feet |
| Side (Single/Two-family) | 5 feet | 5 feet |
| Rear (Other Uses) | 20 feet | 5 feet |
| Rear (Single Family) | 5 feet | 5 feet |
| [Section 161.17(E)] |
Building Height Regulations
Maximum building height in the RMF-40 district is determined by the structure's distance from the front property line or the Master Street Plan right-of-way:
- 0 to 10 feet from line: Maximum height of 2 stories.
- 10 to 20 feet from line: Maximum height of 3 stories.
- Greater than 20 feet from line: Maximum height of 5 stories. [Section 161.17(F)]
Parking Ratios
Parking requirements for residential uses in Fayetteville's RMF-40 district are based on the specific type of dwelling unit.
| Residential Use Type | Minimum Parking Spaces Required | Maximum Parking Spaces Allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Single-family | 2 per dwelling unit | None |
| Duplex, triplex, or quadplex | 2 per dwelling unit | 4 per dwelling unit |
| Townhouse | 2 per unit or 1 per bedroom* | 1 per bedroom |
| Multi-family | 1 per bedroom | 1 per bedroom |
*Whichever is greater. [Section 172.05, Table 3]
Sections Cited
- Section 161.17 - District RMF-40, Residential Multi-Family — Forty (40) Units Per Acre
- Section 172.05 - Standards For The Number Of Spaces By Use