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Asheville, NC Code of Ordinances
Asheville, Standard Specifications and Details Manual
Sec. 7-8-15. Institutional District.
(a)   Purpose. The Institutional District is established to reserve land for the development of major educational facilities, major medical facilities and other complementary and supporting uses such as health related developments, office developments, and public services. Development standards for uses in this district are established to minimize conflict with adjacent land uses.
(b)   Allowable land uses. All permitted uses, special uses, conditional uses and uses expressly prohibited are identified in subsection 7-8-1(d), Table of Permitted Uses. Standards for special uses and conditional uses can be found in article XVI of this chapter.
(c)   Reserved.
(d)   Reserved.
(e)   Reserved.
(f)   Development standards.
(1)   Density standards. The maximum residential density per acre within the Institutional District shall be 30 dwelling units; or 60 dwelling units if 20 percent of the dwelling units are designated affordable. Projects including affordable units must provide a declaration of deed restrictions ensuring that rents or sale prices will remain affordable for the first ten years after completion, increasing by no more than three percent per year, or the annual increase in the Consumer Price index, whichever is lower. Also, such units must be reserved for qualified households in a form satisfactory to the city attorney. This density standard shall not apply to dormitories constructed on the campus of an educational institution.
(2)   Structure size standards. None.
(3)   Lot size standards. Except for single-family residential development, the minimum lot size in the Institutional District shall be 20,000 square feet. For single-family residential development in the Institutional District, the minimum lot size shall be 2,500 square feet for attached single-family development and 3,500 square feet for detached single-family development.
(4)   Lot width standards. Except for single-family residential development, lots in the Institutional District shall have a minimum width of 100 feet. For single-family residential development in the Institutional District, the minimum lot width shall be 50 feet.
(5)   Setback standards. The following minimum setbacks shall be required for uses in the Institutional District.
Front: 15 feet, except that the minimum setback may be reduced to zero feet in pedestrian-oriented areas where road widening is not anticipated provided that all parking is located to the side or rear and not closer to the street than the façade of the principal structure, and where pedestrian-oriented design features are incorporated in building and site design.
Side: 10 ft.
Rear: 10 ft.
The landscape and buffering standards (section 7-11-3) may require additional setback; if so, the most restrictive requirement shall apply.
The minimum spacing between structures shall, in addition, be as per the Asheville Fire Prevention Code.
(6)   Impervious surface standards. The maximum impervious surface coverage in the Educational/Campus Institutional District shall be 80 percent.
(7)   Height standards. None required, except in the transition area described below in subsection (13).
(8)   Landscaping/buffering standards. Landscaping and/or buffering shall be provided as required by section 7-11-3 of this chapter.
(9)   Parking/loading standards. Parking and loading facilities shall be provided as required by section 7-11-2 of this chapter. No parking shall be permitted in any required setback.
(10)   Sidewalk standards. Sidewalks shall be provided as required by and pursuant to the requirements for sidewalks as set forth in section 7-11-8 of this chapter.
(11)   Access standards. Primary access to colleges, universities, junior colleges, vocational schools, hospitals, and medical complexes shall not be from local residential streets. If located on a local residential street, primary access to other non-residential uses in the Institutional District shall be no more than 500 feet from the local street's intersection with a street with a minimum classification of collector.
(12)   Open space standards. Open space shall be provided as required by section 7-11-4 of this chapter.
(13)   Design and operation standards.
Transition area:
Within 100 feet of a residentially zoned area, the height of buildings and other structures shall be subject to the height limitations established in the least restrictive adjacent residential zone. The primary entrance of nonresidential buildings and structures located in the transition area shall be directed away from residential uses.
(14)   Emergency wireless communications. Communication requirements shall be provided as required by section 7-11-9 of this chapter.
(Ord. No. 2369, § 1, 5-27-97; Ord. No. 2539, § 1, 1-26-99; Ord. No. 2589, § 1(d), 7-13-99; Ord. No. 2663, § 1(g), 2-8- 00; Ord. No. 2664, § 1(o), 2-8-00; Ord. No. 2904, § 1(o), 3-12-02; Ord. No. 3002, § 1b, 2-25-03; Ord. No. 3010, § 1(b), 3-25-03; Ord. No. 3156, § 1, 8-24-04; Ord. No. 3209, § 1b, 1-25-05; Ord. No. 3272, § 1(b), 7-26-05; Ord. No. 3337, § 1(b), (c), 2-28-06; Ord. No. 3483, § 1(b), 6-2-07; Ord. No. 3583, § 1(a), 2-12-08; Ord. No. 3643, § 1a, 7-22- 08; Ord. No. 3685, §§ 1b, c, 1-13-09; Ord. No. 3743, § 1a, 6-9-09; Ord. No. 3908, § 1b, 10-26-10; Ord. No. 3959, §§ 1n, p, 4-12-11; Ord. No. 4374, § 1f, 12-9-14; Ord. No. 4361, § 1m, 3-23-21; Ord. No. 4961, § 1a, 7-26-22)