Off-Street Parking Standards for the R-2 Residential District in Raleigh

In the City of Raleigh’s R-2: Residential-2 district, there are no established maximums for off-street vehicle parking for single-unit and two-unit residential developments. However, combined parking and driveway areas are restricted from occupying more than 40% of the front yard area, and parking must typically be set back 20 feet from the primary street. Commercial-style activities allowed in this district, such as golf courses or community gardens with on-site sales, also generally have no maximum vehicle parking limits but must meet specific bicycle parking minimums.

Required Vehicle and Bicycle Parking Ratios

The City of Raleigh Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) defines parking requirements based on the specific use of the property. For the R-2 district, which is primarily intended for low-density residential living, the following ratios apply:

Use Category	Vehicle Parking (Maximum)	Short-Term Bicycle Parking (Minimum)	Long-Term Bicycle Parking (Minimum)
Residential Uses
Single-unit living	No maximum	None	None
Two-unit living	No maximum	None	None
Multi-unit living (if permitted via Compact/Conservation)	1.5 to 5 spaces per unit (by BR count)	1 space per 20 units (min. 4)	1 space per 7 bedrooms
Group Living (Except listed below)	1 space per bed	None	None
Boardinghouse	2 spaces per bedroom	None	None
Supportive housing residence	No maximum	None	Minimum 2
Commercial/Public Uses
Community garden (on-site sales)	No maximum	None	None
Golf course	No maximum	None	1 space per 6 holes (min. 4)
Outdoor sports/entertainment (≤250 seats)	No maximum	1 space per 500 seats (min. 4)	None

[Section 7.1.2.C]

Parking Location and Setbacks

Off-street parking in the City of Raleigh R-2 district must adhere to principal building setbacks for the specific building type being developed under the Conventional Development Option.

Building Type	From Primary Street (min)	From Side Street (min)	From Side Lot Line (min)	From Rear Lot Line (min)
Detached House	20'	20'	10'	30'
Attached House	20'	20'	10'	30'
Townhouse (Max 2 units in R-2)	20'	10'	0'	3'

[Section 2.2.1, 2.2.2, 2.2.3]

Front Yard Restrictions

For detached, tiny, or attached houses in the R-2 district used for residential purposes, the combined parking and driveway area cannot exceed 40% of the area between the front building facade and the front property line. Additionally, any parking located in the front setback must have sufficient depth to ensure that parked vehicles do not encroach upon the adjacent sidewalk [Section 1.5.5.D, Section 8.3.5.C.2.e].

Design and Surface Standards

All off-street parking and driveway areas in the City of Raleigh must meet specific material and layout standards:

Surface Materials: Areas must be constructed of permanent, non-erodible materials. Permitted surfaces include porous or semi-porous monolithic/paver materials, masonry or concrete pavers, poured concrete, asphalt, or a minimum of 4 inches of crushed stone/crush-and-run [Section 7.1.9].
Edging: If crushed stone or "crush and run" is used, the borders must be delineated with anchored man-made or natural landscape edging to contain the material [Section 7.1.9].
Residential Entrance: Vehicular surface areas (excluding circular drives) shall not be located directly in front of the dwelling's primary entrance [Section 5.6.1.B].

Specialized Residential Garage Options

In instances where an R-2 property is located within a National Register Historic District (but not a local Historic Overlay District), specific garage placement rules apply to minimize visual impact:

Front-Facing Garages: If positioned 6 feet or less behind the front wall plane, the doors may not exceed 50% of the total width of the front-facing wall planes. If more than 6 feet behind, they may occupy up to 66% [Section 1.5.12.D].
Alley-Loaded Garages: These must be placed entirely to the rear of the house and set back either 4 feet or a minimum of 20 feet from the alley right-of-way [Section 1.5.12.D].

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