Sec. 5.1.1. District Intent Statements

 

  1. General Purpose
    1. The intent of the Overlay Districts is to apply regulations that achieve a specific purpose to a targeted area.
    2. Except for uses explicitly permitted in the Transit Overlay District, if a use is prohibited in either an applicable Overlay District or the General Use District, then that use is prohibited, even though one of the districts allows the use. The enumeration of expressly prohibited uses shall not be deemed either exclusive or all-inclusive.
    3. In the event of a conflict with the General Use District, the overlay standards shall apply.
  2. Environmental Overlays
    1. Airport Overlay District (-AOD)
      1. The -AOD protects the efficiency and long term usefulness of an area's aviation facilities, highways, arterials and major streets by controlling the type and design of land uses in proximity to such facilities.
      2. Provisions are made to ensure the attractiveness of this significant gateway to the City, and to protect the public from adverse health effects and annoyance by aircraft noise.
      3. Residential and similar uses are prohibited in the -AOD. The uses permitted are better able to protect themselves from aircraft noise and implement the functions of the airport.
    2. Metro-Park Overlay District (-MPOD)
      1. The -MPOD preserves and protects the integrity of large natural parks that serve the citizens of Raleigh, the region and the state.
      2. Parks are protected from incompatible uses and intense developments, by the application of impervious surface and building height limitations near the boundaries of any Metro-Park.
      3. In general, land in a -MPOD is approximately 1,000 to 1,500 feet deep, as measured from the boundary of a Metro-Park, and follows identifiable features or boundaries, wherever possible.
    3. Urban Watershed Protection Overlay District (-UWPOD)
      1. The -UWPOD is intended to protect the integrity of drinking water in Raleigh and surrounding communities, so as to provide clean and safe water for residents, business, industries, plant and animal life at a reasonable cost.
      2. The -UWPOD is applicable to Class WS-IV waters only and is divided into 2 areas: a primary water supply watershed protection area and a secondary water supply watershed protection area.
      3. Regulations in the -UWPOD include impervious surface limitations and natural resource buffer yards. Use limitations are imposed by this overlay district.
    4. Falls Watershed Protection Overlay District (-FWPOD)
      1. The -FWPOD is intended to protect the integrity of drinking water in Raleigh and surrounding communities, so as to provide clean and safe water for residents, businesses, industries, plant and animal life at a reasonable cost.
      2. The -FWPOD is applicable to Class WS-IV waters only and is divided into 2 areas: a primary reservoir watershed protection area and a secondary reservoir watershed protection area.
      3. Regulations in the -FWPOD include impervious surface limitations and natural resource buffer yards. Along watercourses, additional design standards are applied. Use limitations are imposed by this 0verlay district.
    5. Swift Creek Watershed Protection Overlay District (-SWPOD)
      1. The -SWPOD is intended to protect the integrity of drinking water in Raleigh and surrounding communities, so as to provide clean and safe water for residents, businesses, industries, plant and animal life at a reasonable cost.
      2. The -SWPOD is applicable to Class WS-III waters only and is divided into 2 areas: a primary reservoir watershed protection area and a secondary reservoir watershed protection area.
      3. Regulations in the -SWPOD include impervious surface limitations and natural resource buffer yards. Along watercourses, additional design standards are applied. Use limitations are imposed by this overlay district.
  3. Corridor Overlays
    1. Special Highway Overlay Districts (-SHOD-1 and -SHOD-2) -SHOD-1 and -SHOD-2 protect and preserve the natural scenic beauty along designated major access corridors and specified principal arterials. Maintaining the attractiveness of these corridors and arterials enhances the economic value of the community by encouraging tourism and trade. -SHOD-1 and -SHOD-2 are established for the purpose of:
      1. Protecting the public investment in and lengthening the time during which major access corridors and specified principal arterials can continue to serve their functions without expansion or relocation by expediting the free flow of traffic and reducing the hazards arising from unnecessary points of ingress and egress and cluttered roadside development;
      2. Reducing the costs of future roadway expansions by requiring that buildings and structures be sufficiently set back from the right of-way to provide adequate storage for vehicles until they can safely enter the highway;
      3. Reserving adequate roadside space through which neighborhood traffic may be admitted to and from the roadway system in a manner that avoids undue traffic concentrations, sudden turning and stopping and other hazards; and
      4. In contrast to -SHOD-1, -SHOD-2 contains no additional height or gross site size. -SHOD-2 requires a narrower protective yard and less planting than -SHOD-1.
  4. Character Protection Overlays
    1. General Historic Overlay District (-HOD-G)
      1. The -HOD-G preserves and protects certain areas, structures, buildings and objects within the City's zoning jurisdiction that are considered to be valued and important assets and have special significance in terms of one or more of the following: history, prehistory, archaeology, architecture and culture and possess integrity of design, setting, materials, feeling and association.
      2. Regulations promote the use of and conservation of Historic Districts for the education, pleasure and enrichment of the residents of Raleigh, Wake County and the State of North Carolina.
    2. Streetside Historic Overlay District (-HOD-S)
      1. The -HOD-S preserves and protects certain areas, structures, buildings and objects within the City's zoning jurisdiction that are considered to be valued and important assets and have special significance in terms of one or more of the following: history, prehistory, archaeology, architecture and culture and possess integrity of design, setting, materials, feeling and association.
      2. Regulations promote the use of and conservation of Historic Districts for education, pleasure and enrichment of the residents of Raleigh, Wake County and the State of North Carolina.
      3. In contrast to the -HOD-G, a -HOD-S applies only to structures as viewed from the adjacent street.
    3. Neighborhood Conservation District (-NCOD)
      1. The -NCOD preserves and enhances the general quality and appearance of older neighborhoods, for it is recognized that built environmental characteristics are a major part of the identity and positive image of the City.
      2. Through the regulation of street design, greenways, rights-of-way and built environmental characteristics, -NCOD stabilizes and improves property values and promotes local design qualities.
      3. By respecting the context of existing built environmental characteristics, the -NCOD reduces conflicts between new construction and existing development, and it encourages compatible infill development.
  5. Transit Overlays
    1. Transit Overlay District (-TOD)
      1. When combined with a base district, the -TOD allows for intense, compact and walkable mixed-use development in core areas around planned transit stations as designated on the Urban Form Map or in an adopted station area plan
      2. The -TOD modifies the underlying district, height, frontage, and use standards to promote a vibrant pedestrian core by prohibiting certain incompatible uses, and requiring that buildings have a minimum of 2 stories.
  6. Parking Overlays
    1. Special Residential Parking Overlay District (-SRPOD)
      1. The -SRPOD restricts parking area, location and surfacing for detached structures used for single unit living.
      2. The requirement to park vehicles on an improved surface reduces soil compaction and erosion, which is detrimental to the City’s storm sewer utility.
      3. The standards permit the orderly parking of vehicles on-site.