Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Zoning Urban Neighborhood topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council adopts 'Urban Neighborhood' zoning to add medium‑density housing option at downtown edges
Summary
The council adopted a new 'Urban Neighborhood' (UN) zoning district designed to provide a regulatory transition between downtown and lower‑intensity neighborhood districts, allowing a broader range of housing types while limiting building height to three stories.
The Fayetteville City Council adopted a new Urban Neighborhood (UN) zoning district and related amendments to the Unified Development Code after the Planning Commission recommended the change unanimously. Staff and the planning commission framed the district as a bridge between Downtown General (DG) and Neighborhood Services General (NSG) districts that allows a broader mix of housing types—single‑family, duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, accessory dwellings and multifamily—while limiting building heights to three stories.
Key provisions - Permitted housing types include a broad set of residential options (single‑family, duplex, multifamily, accessory dwelling units, townhouses) designed to enable “missing‑middle” housing. - Commercial use unit 12b (small‑scale neighborhood business) permitted within size limits (building area cap 8,000 sq ft for that use unit) to keep neighborhood scale. - Building height limited to three stories; lot width minimum reduced in some contexts to 12 feet for certain narrow‑lot townhouses as a development option. - Code edits to multiple chapters: signage (Chapter 174), tree preservation/canopy (Chapter 167), and tandem lot setbacks (Chapter 164) were inserted to recognize the new district.
Why it matters Planning staff and commissioners emphasized the district responds to repeated developer and public requests for a middle ground between higher‑intensity downtown rules and low‑density residential zoning. The UN district explicitly allows multifamily housing where NSG does not and imposes a lower height limit than downtown to moderate impacts at neighborhood edges. The Planning Commission forwarded the district to council with a unanimous 9–0 recommendation.
Council discussion and next steps Councilors asked clarifying questions about short‑term rentals, small commercial uses, and the potential for narrow lot townhouses. Staff noted additional administrative implementation steps: amending the official zoning map and updating application guidance and development review checklists. Planning staff will publish the new code sections and coordinate with applicants and developers on application of the UN district to properties (the ordinance created the district in code but did not rezone specific parcels).
Ending The council adopted the UDC changes by roll call; staff will post the updated code text and begin outreach to developers and neighborhood groups to explain where and how the new UN district may be applied in future rezoning petitions or form‑based initiatives.
