Off-Street Parking Standards for the Raleigh OX- Office Mixed Use District
In the City of Raleigh, commercial developments in the OX-: Office Mixed Use district, such as offices and retail, generally adhere to a maximum parking ratio of one space per 200 square feet, while multi-unit residential projects are capped between 1.5 and 5 spaces per unit based on the number of bedrooms. The City of Raleigh further regulates the physical placement of these spaces through building-specific parking setbacks, often requiring parking to be located at least 10 to 50 feet behind the primary street property line depending on the building type and applied frontage.
General Vehicle Parking Ratios
The City of Raleigh Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) establishes maximum limits for vehicle parking in the OX-: Office Mixed Use district to manage development density and encourage multi-modal transportation. While many districts in the City of Raleigh do not mandate a minimum number of off-street vehicle spaces, they strictly enforce maximums for most commercial and multi-unit residential uses [Section 7.1.2.C].
Commercial and Institutional Ratios
For commercial projects within the OX-: Office Mixed Use district, the following maximum vehicle parking ratios apply:
| Use Category | Vehicle Parking (Maximum) |
|---|---|
| Office | 1 space per 200 SF of gross floor area |
| Medical/Dental Office | No maximum |
| Retail Sales | 1 space per 200 SF of gross floor area |
| Restaurant / Bar | 1 space per 100 SF of gross floor area |
| Personal Service | 1 space per 250 SF of gross floor area |
| Day Care Center | No maximum |
| Indoor Recreation | 1 space per 200 SF of gross floor area |
| Bank (with drive-thru) | Requires at least 3 queuing spaces per lane [Section 7.1.5.F] |
Residential Ratios
Residential projects in the City of Raleigh OX-: Office Mixed Use district are also subject to parking caps, specifically for multi-unit living configurations:
| Residential Use Type | Vehicle Parking (Maximum) |
|---|---|
| Single-unit / Two-unit Living | No maximum |
| Townhouse | No maximum |
| Multi-unit: 0-1 Bedroom | 1.5 spaces per unit |
| Multi-unit: 2 Bedrooms | 2.25 spaces per unit |
| Multi-unit: 3 Bedrooms | 3 spaces per unit |
| Multi-unit: 4 Bedrooms | 4 spaces per unit |
| Multi-unit: 5+ Bedrooms | 5 spaces per unit |
Bicycle Parking Requirements
The City of Raleigh requires both short-term (visitor) and long-term (employee/resident) bicycle parking for projects in the OX-: Office Mixed Use district to support non-vehicular travel [Section 7.1.2.C].
| Use Category | Short-Term (Minimum) | Long-Term (Minimum) |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-unit Residential | 1 space per 20 units (min. 4) | 1 space per 7 bedrooms* |
| Office | 1 space per 10,000 SF (min. 4) | 1 space per 5,000 SF (min. 4) |
| Retail Sales | 1 space per 5,000 SF (min. 4) | None |
| Restaurant / Bar | 1 space per 50,000 SF (min. 4) | 1 space per 25,000 SF (min. 4) |
*Applicable only to developments with 10 or more bedrooms.
Parking Setbacks and Location Standards
The City of Raleigh OX-: Office Mixed Use district specifies exactly where on a lot parking may be situated. These "parking setbacks" ensure that vehicles are not the dominant visual feature of the streetscape. Setbacks vary based on the building type chosen for the development [Section 3.2.1 through 3.2.7].
| Building Type | Primary Street Setback | Side Street Setback | Side/Rear Lot Line |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached / Attached House | 50' | 10' | 5' |
| Townhouse | 20' | 10' | 0' |
| Apartment | 10' | 10' | 0' |
| General / Mixed Use Building | 10' | 10' | 0' or 3' |
| Civic Building | 10' | 10' | 0' or 3' |
General Access and Layout
All on-site parking in the City of Raleigh must be arranged so that no vehicle is forced to back onto a public street (excluding alleys) [Section 7.1.6.A]. Furthermore, surface and structured parking must be located behind the established parking setback lines [Section 1.5.5.C].
Frontage-Specific Restrictions
If a property in the OX-: Office Mixed Use district is also assigned a specific "Frontage" on the Official Zoning Map, additional parking limitations apply that overrule base district standards [Section 3.4.1]:
- Parking Limited (-PL): A maximum of two bays of on-site parking with a single drive aisle is permitted between the building and the street right-of-way [Section 3.4.5.E].
- Green (-GR) and Green Plus (-GP): On-site parking is strictly prohibited between the building and the street [Section 3.4.6.D, Section 3.4.10.D].
- Urban Limited (-UL) and Urban General (-UG): No on-site parking or vehicular surface area is permitted between the building and the street [Section 3.4.7.D, Section 3.4.8.D].
Vehicle Parking Mitigation
In the City of Raleigh, large-scale projects in the OX-: Office Mixed Use district that choose to provide parking in excess of the UDO maximums must implement mitigation measures [Section 7.1.4]. This applies to projects with more than 16 residential units or more than 10,000 square feet of nonresidential area. Mitigation options include:
- Providing all spaces within a parking structure.
- Making at least 20% of the "excess" spaces available to the general public.
- Increasing the number of electric vehicle (EV) ready or capable spaces by 50% over the standard requirement.
- Ensuring all parking is located no closer to the primary street than the front facade of the principal building.
Sections Cited
- Section 1.5.5. Parking Setbacks
- Section 3.1.1. District Intent Statements
- Section 3.2.1. - 3.2.7. Base Dimensional Standards (OX-)
- Section 3.4.1. - 3.4.10. Frontage Requirements
- Section 7.1.1. Applicability (Parking)
- Section 7.1.2. Required Parking
- Section 7.1.4. Vehicle Parking Mitigation
- Section 7.1.5. Additional Vehicle Parking Provisions
- Section 7.1.6. Vehicle Parking Location and Layout