Off-Street Parking Standards for Fayetteville RMF-6 Multi-family Districts

In the RMF-6: Residential Multi-family district of Fayetteville, commercial projects have no minimum off-street parking requirements, though they are subject to maximum limitations to prevent over-parking. Residential projects in the RMF-6 district must provide off-street parking based on unit type, generally requiring one space per bedroom for multi-family units and two spaces per dwelling unit for single-family or duplex structures [Section 172.05]. Because RMF-6 is an urban-form district, all parking must be located to the side or rear of the principal building and is strictly prohibited in the front yard between the building and the street [Section 172.04].

Residential Parking Ratios

For residential developments within the Fayetteville RMF-6 district, the number of required off-street parking spaces is determined by the specific type of residential use. The City of Fayetteville establishes both minimum requirements and maximum allowances to ensure adequate but not excessive parking.

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 dwelling unit or 1 per bedroom (whichever is greater)	1 per bedroom
Multi-family	1 per bedroom	1 per bedroom

[Section 172.05, Table 3]

Residential Parking Reductions

Fayetteville allows for significant reductions in the minimum required parking for RMF-6 residential projects to encourage density and walkability. Developments with 1—50 bedrooms may be allowed a maximum reduction of 35% of the total required spaces, while larger developments (251+ bedrooms) may receive a 10% reduction [Section 172.05(B)(1)].

Additionally, on-street parallel parking located adjacent to the project frontage can be counted toward the total required spaces if it complies with the fire code and is approved by the Zoning and Development Administrator [Section 172.05(G)].

Non-Residential (Commercial) Parking Requirements

In the RMF-6 district, certain non-residential uses such as "Limited Business" (Use Unit 12a) or "Offices and Studios" (Use Unit 25) may be permitted as conditional uses [Section 161.13]. Under the City of Fayetteville Unified Development Code, there is no minimum number of spaces required for these non-residential uses. However, the maximum number of spaces provided is limited by the standard ratios found in the code to mitigate negative impacts on adjacent properties and traffic conditions [Section 172.05(A)].

Site Design and Location Standards

The RMF-6 district is designed to maintain a traditional urban form, which dictates the physical placement of parking facilities:

Front Yard Prohibition: Parking lot drive aisles and parking spaces are not permitted in the front yard directly between a building and the Master Street Plan right-of-way [Section 172.04(C)(4)].
Setback Alignment: Garage entries and carports must not protrude forward from the principal façade of the building [Section 166.23(C)(2)(a)(i)].
Maneuvering: All parking lots must be designed so that vehicles can enter and exit the lot in a forward motion; maneuvering that encroaches into sidewalks or streets is prohibited [Section 172.04(A)].
Driveway Length: Driveways must extend at least 18 feet into the property from the right-of-way before parking can occur to prevent vehicles from blocking the public sidewalk [Section 166.23(C)(2)(a)(i)].

Bicycle Parking Requirements

All new construction or expansions in the RMF-6 district that require five or more off-street automobile spaces must also provide bicycle parking [Section 172.10].

Development Type	Minimum Bicycle Parking Requirement
Non-Residential (Commercial)	1 rack per 20 automobile spaces (Minimum 1 rack)
Residential	1 rack per 30 dwelling units (Minimum 1 rack)

[Section 172.10(C)]

Sections Cited