Raleigh Unified Development Ordinance: Shopping Center (SC) District and Setback Standards

In the City of Raleigh, the SC: Shopping Center designation is classified as a Legacy District, which is part of the older Zoning Code and is slated for eventual replacement by modern Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) districts such [Section 1.3.4]. Because it is a legacy district, its specific dimensional requirements are primarily maintained in the previous code, while current developments of this type are typically governed by the CX: Commercial Mixed Use district standards, which require a minimum primary street setback of 5 feet [Section 3.2.5, Section 3.2.6].

Legacy Status of the SC District

The City of Raleigh identifies SC: Shopping Center as a Legacy District [Section 1.3.4]. According to the Raleigh Unified Development Ordinance, legacy districts are those that exist in the older Part 10 Zoning Code and will remain in place until the property is rezoned to a current UDO district. The City of Raleigh prohibits the addition of any new legacy districts to the Official Zoning Map and does not allow for the modification of existing legacy district boundaries [Section 1.3.4].

Modern UDO Equivalent: CX (Commercial Mixed Use)

For properties transitioning from the legacy SC designation or for new developments intended for shopping center use, the City of Raleigh typically utilizes the CX: Commercial Mixed Use district. The CX District is intended to accommodate a wide variety of retail, service, and commercial activities [Section 3.1.1.E].

Under the Raleigh Unified Development Ordinance, developments in the CX District follow base dimensional standards depending on the chosen building type (typically the General Building or Mixed Use Building types for commercial centers).

Base Dimensional Standards for the CX District

The following table outlines the minimum setback requirements for the CX: Commercial Mixed Use district, which serves as the current UDO standard for shopping center type developments.

Setback Type	General Building (CX)	Mixed Use Building (CX)
Primary Street Setback (min)	5 feet	5 feet
Side Street Setback (min)	5 feet	5 feet
Side Lot Line Setback (min)	0 feet or 6 feet	0 feet or 6 feet
Rear Lot Line Setback (min)	0 feet or 6 feet	0 feet or 6 feet
From Alley (min)	5 feet	5 feet

Note: In cases where a side or rear setback is not 0 feet, a minimum of 6 feet is required to ensure adequate separation [Section 3.2.5, Section 3.2.6].

Frontage and Build-to Modifications

In the City of Raleigh, the base setbacks of a district like CX can be modified by the application of a Frontage designation [Section 3.4.1]. Frontages mandate specific building placement along the street edge to encourage walkability.

Shopfront (-SH): If a CX property has a Shopfront Frontage, the primary street build-to range is restricted to 0 feet to 15 feet, requiring the building to be placed significantly closer to the sidewalk than the base 5-foot minimum [Section 3.4.9].
Parking Limited (-PL): If a Parking Limited Frontage is applied, the primary street build-to range begins at the base minimum (5 feet) and extends to 100 feet [Section 3.4.5].

Neighborhood Transitions

If a commercial development in the CX District (or a legacy SC site undergoing UDO-regulated expansion) abuts a residential district (R-1, R-2, R-4, R-6, or R-10), the City of Raleigh requires Neighborhood Transitions [Section 3.5.1]. These transitions act as increased setbacks and buffers to protect residential character:

Zone A (Protective Yard): A mandatory vegetative buffer and/or wall located immediately at the property line [Section 3.5.2.A].
Zone B (Use Restricted): A 50-foot wide area from the property line restricted to low-intensity uses such as surface parking, landscaping, or alleys [Section 3.5.2.B].
Zone C (Height and Form): An area extending from 50 to 100 feet from the residential boundary that limits building height to a 45-degree height plane starting at 40 feet [Section 3.5.2.C, Section 3.5.5].

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