Raleigh Zoning Guide: RB – Residential Business Legacy District

The RB: Residential Business zoning designation is classified as a Legacy District within the City of Raleigh. Under the City of Raleigh Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), the RB district is an older zoning category originating from the previous Part 10 Zoning Code and is slated for eventual replacement by current UDO districts [Section 1.3.4]. The City of Raleigh prohibits the creation of any new RB districts and forbids the modification of any existing RB district boundaries [Section 1.3.4].

Status and Use Governance of RB Districts

Because the RB: Residential Business designation is a legacy category, it is not included in the standard "Allowed Principal Use Table" found in the current Raleigh UDO. Its uses are governed by the following rules of the City of Raleigh Unified Development Ordinance:

1. Location of Use Regulations

The specific list of allowed, limited, and prohibited uses for the RB district is contained within the original Part 10 Zoning Code rather than the current Unified Development Ordinance [Section 1.3.4].

2. Use Limitations in Conditional Districts

If a property is zoned with a conditional legacy district (such as RB-CU), the following interpretation rules apply under the City of Raleigh UDO:

Continuation of Uses: Use limitations established in the original conditional zoning ordinance continue to apply.
UDO Conflict Rule: If a use was formerly allowed under the RB legacy rules but is explicitly prohibited in the "new UDO general use zoning district" assigned to that area, the use is no longer permitted.
Determination of Standards: For any uses classified as "Limited" or "Special," the specific development standards are determined by the requirements of the current Raleigh UDO [Section 1.2.3.D].

3. Prohibitions and Restrictions

The City of Raleigh imposes strict limitations on the RB: Residential Business district to facilitate its phase-out:

No New Mapping: No land within the City of Raleigh or its extraterritorial jurisdiction may be newly rezoned to the RB designation.
Boundary Freezes: The physical boundaries of any area currently zoned RB cannot be modified or expanded [Section 1.3.4].

Administrative Standards for Legacy Districts

While the RB district uses are managed through older records, any new development activity or administrative requests on RB-zoned land must follow the procedural regulations of the current Raleigh UDO.

Requirement	Regulation [Section]
Approval Processes	Must follow the current regulations and procedures of the City of Raleigh UDO.
Zoning Map Changes	RB areas must eventually be replaced with a corresponding UDO zoning district.
Conflict Resolution	UDO height, setback, parking, landscaping, and screening regulations control if they are more stringent than those in the legacy conditional ordinance.

Sections Cited