Setback Requirements for O&I-2 Office and Institution-2 Legacy District in Raleigh

The O&I-2 (Office and Institution-2) district is classified as a "Legacy District" within the City of Raleigh, which means it originates from the former zoning code and is designated for eventual replacement by current Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) districts [Section 1.3.4]. While the UDO does not list unique numerical setback tables for legacy districts like O&I-2, it stipulates that the setback, height, and parking regulations of the UDO are controlling whenever they are more stringent than the conditions of the original legacy ordinance [Section 1.2.3].

Status of O&I-2 in the City of Raleigh

The City of Raleigh identifies O&I-2 as a Legacy District that exists in the previous Part 10 Zoning Code. According to the Unified Development Ordinance, these districts will eventually be replaced with UDO zoning districts. Under current law, no new O&I-2 districts may be added to the City of Raleigh's Official Zoning Map, and the boundaries of existing O&I-2 districts cannot be modified [Section 1.3.4].

Controlling UDO Setback Standards

For properties currently zoned O&I-2, the City of Raleigh applies the UDO's base dimensional standards for height, setbacks, and parking if they are more restrictive than the legacy zoning conditions. In the UDO, the most comparable general use districts for office and institutional uses are the OX- (Office Mixed Use) and OP- (Office Park) districts [Section 1.3.1, Section 1.3.2].

The following table outlines the UDO setback requirements for the "General Building" and "Mixed Use Building" types, which are the standard forms for office and institutional developments in the comparable OX- and OP- districts.

UDO Setback Standards for Comparable Office Districts (OX- and OP-)

Setback Type	Requirement for General Building (OP-, OX-)	Requirement for Mixed Use Building (OP-, OX-)
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
Alley Setback (min)	5 feet	5 feet

Note: For Side and Rear lot lines, the "0' or 6'" requirement typically depends on building separation and fire code requirements as detailed in the UDO base dimensional standards [Section 3.2.5, Section 3.2.6].

General Rules for Setback Measurement

The City of Raleigh defines and measures building setbacks as follows:

Primary and Side Street Setbacks: Measured perpendicular from the edge of the existing or proposed right-of-way, whichever is greater [Section 1.5.4.B].
Side Setbacks: Measured perpendicular from the side property line [Section 1.5.4.B].
Rear Setbacks: Measured perpendicular from the rear property line or the edge of the existing or proposed right-of-way (whichever is greater) in instances where an alley is present [Section 1.5.4.B].

Neighborhood Transitions

If an O&I-2 property in the City of Raleigh immediately abuts a residential district boundary (such as R-1, R-2, R-4, R-6, or R-10), "Neighborhood Transition" standards may apply. These standards can impose additional protective yards (Zone A) and use restrictions (Zone B) that effectively increase the required setbacks to protect the character of the adjacent residential neighborhood [Section 3.5.1, Section 3.5.2].

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