Off-Street Parking Standards for the RB: Residential Business District in Raleigh

In the City of Raleigh, the RB: Residential Business district is classified as a legacy district, meaning it exists within the prior zoning code but is subject to the general parking standards established by the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO). Off-street parking requirements in the City of Raleigh are determined primarily by the specific "Use Category" of the project, with vehicle parking regulated by maximum allowances and bicycle parking governed by minimum requirements. [Section 1.3.4, Section 7.1.1]

General Parking Framework for the RB District

The City of Raleigh UDO requires that all land uses and buildings provide bicycle and vehicle parking according to the standards in Article 7.1. For legacy districts like the RB: Residential Business district, the UDO's parking regulations are controlling, particularly when they are more stringent than previous standards. [Section 1.2.3, Section 7.1.1]

Vehicle and Bicycle Parking Ratios

The following table outlines the specific maximum vehicle parking and minimum bicycle parking requirements for common residential and commercial uses likely to be found in the RB: Residential Business district.

Use Category	Vehicle Parking (Maximum)	Short-Term Bicycle Parking (Minimum)	Long-Term Bicycle Parking (Minimum)
Single-unit living	No maximum	None	None
Two-unit living	No maximum	None	None
Multi-unit living (1-BR)	1.5 spaces per unit	1 space per 20 units (min. 4)	1 space per 7 bedrooms*
Office	1 space per 200 sq. ft.	1 space per 10,000 sq. ft.	1 space per 5,000 sq. ft.
Retail Sales	1 space per 200 sq. ft.**	1 space per 5,000 sq. ft.	None
Eating Establishment	1 space per 100 sq. ft.	1 space per 50,000 sq. ft.	1 space per 25,000 sq. ft.

*Applies to developments with 10 or more bedrooms. [Section 7.1.2.C] **Calculation includes 1.5 spaces for every 600 sq. ft. of outdoor display area. [Section 7.1.2.C]

Calculation and General Rules

When calculating parking for a project in the RB: Residential Business district, the City of Raleigh applies the following rules:

Combination of Uses: If a lot contains multiple uses (e.g., a mixed residential and commercial building), the requirements are the sum of the requirements for each individual use. [Section 7.1.2.A.2]
Rounding: If a calculation results in a fractional space, the number is rounded to the nearest whole number. Fractions of one-half or more are counted as an additional space. [Section 7.1.2.A.3]
Surface Standards: All off-street parking in the City of Raleigh must be constructed with permanent, non-erodible surface treatments such as asphalt, concrete, or masonry pavers. [Section 7.1.9]

Parking Location and Layout

The City of Raleigh mandates specific design standards for the arrangement of parking within the RB: Residential Business district:

Forward Motion: Parking areas must be designed so that vehicles are not forced to back out into a public street; vehicles must be able to enter and exit the parking area in a forward motion. [Section 7.1.6.A, Section 8.3.5.A]
Internal Access: All on-site parking must be arranged so that access from one parking aisle to another does not require using a public street. [Section 7.1.6.A]
Tandem Parking: In residential projects, tandem parking (one space behind another) is permitted, provided both spaces are assigned to the same dwelling unit and meet minimum dimensions of 8.5 feet by 36 feet. [Section 7.1.5.D]

Specialized Requirements

Because the RB: Residential Business district is a legacy district and not a modern Urban Frontage or Transit Overlay District (-TOD), it is generally exempt from the specific "minimum two-story" height requirements and specialized vehicle parking caps (e.g., the 2-space-per-unit absolute maximum) that apply to those specific areas. However, if a property in the RB district is also subject to an overlay such as the -SRPOD (Special Residential Parking Overlay District), additional restrictions on front yard parking area and surfacing may apply. [Section 1.5.12, Section 5.6.1, Section 7.1.3]

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