7.4.1 Purpose. This section authorizes the establishment of accessory uses that are incidental and customarily subordinate to principal uses. The town’s intent in adopting this section is to allow a broad range of accessory uses, so long as such uses are located on the same site as the principal use, and so long as they comply with the standards set forth in this section in order to reduce potentially adverse impacts on surrounding lands.
(1) Directly serve a pre-existing principal use or structure;
(2) Be customarily accessory and clearly incidental and subordinate to principal use or structure;
(3) Be subordinate in area, extent, and purpose to the principal use or structure;
(4) Be owned or operated by the same person as the principal use or structure;
(5) Be located on the same lot and within the same zoning district as the principal use or structure;
(6) Together with the principal use or structure, not violate the bulk, density, parking, landscaping, or open space standards of this ordinance;
(7) Not be constructed or established prior to the time the principal use or structure is constructed or established unless expressly permitted by this ordinance; and
(8) Not constitute a combination use, which is the combination of two principal uses (combination uses will not meet the above standards in terms of being subordinate or providing service to the principal use).
(1) Unless otherwise specified in this section, any accessory use or accessory structure shall be treated as a permitted use in the Base Zoning District in which it is located. An accessory use or structure may be approved in conjunction with approval of the principal use or structure.
(1) Table as guide. Table 7-2, Table of Permitted Accessory Uses, is established as a guide to identify the appropriateness of the more common accessory uses in each zoning district.
(2) Listed accessory uses. Table 7-2, Table of Permitted Accessory Uses, lists what types of accessory uses, structures, and activities are allowed in each of the zoning districts. If a specific accessory use is allowed in a Base Zoning District, the column underneath the zoning district is marked with a “P”. If a specific accessory use is allowed as a special use in a Base Zoning District, the column underneath the zoning district is marked with an “S”. If the accessory use or structure is not allowed in a zoning district, the column is blank. If there is a reference contained in the column entitled “Additional Requirements”, refer to the cited section(s) for additional standards that apply to the specific accessory use.
(3) Interpretation of unidentified accessory uses. The Ordinance Administrator shall evaluate potential accessory uses that are not identified in Table 7-2, Table of Permitted Accessory Uses, on a case-by-case basis, as an interpretation (see division 7.1.3). In making the interpretation, the Ordinance Administrator shall apply the following standards:
(i) The definition of “accessory use” and the general accessory use standards established in this division 7.4.2, General Standards and Limitations;
(ii) The additional regulations for specific accessory uses established in division 7.4.3, Specific Standards for Certain Accessory Uses;
(4) Table of permitted accessory uses. Table 7-2, Table of Permitted Accessory Uses, on the following page, specifies the zoning district where accessory uses may be permitted.
(1) Except for the following, no accessory use or structure shall occupy or take place in a required front setback.
(i) Fences or walls;
(ii) Signs or flagpoles;
(iii) Canopies;
(iv) Outdoor display/sales;
(v) Outdoor dining;
(vi) Ramps or accessways for persons with physcial disabilities;
(vii) Cluster mailbox units;
(viii) Produce stands; or
(ix) Ornamental ponds.
(2) Accessory structures shall be set back a minimum of five feet from side and rear property lines.
(3) Except for accessory structures identified in subsection (E)(1) above, no accessory structure shall project beyond the front building line of the principal structure or site. An attached porch, deck, garage, or carport shall not be considered as an accessory structure for the purposes of this subsection.
(4) Except for fences, walls, and unenclosed carports, no detached accessory structures shall be located within five feet of a principal structure or any other accessory structure.
(5) No accessory structure or use shall be located within any platted or recorded easement, a designated fire lane, a sight distance triangle, an emergency access route designted on a site plan, or over any known utility.
(6) No accessory structure or use shall impede ingress or egress to a lot, site, or principal structures, interfere with drainage or a stormwater control measure, or create an unsafe condition, in the sole opinion of the Ordinance Administrator.
P = Permitted S = Special Use | Zoning Districts | Additional Requirements | |||||||||||||||||||
Accessory Use Type
|
RP | RR | RS | RT | RMX | RMF | OI | NB | CB | HB | LI | HI | CX | SI | NI | CW | CE | B C G [1] | B C V [1] | E B G [1]
|
P = Permitted S = Special Use | Zoning Districts | Additional Requirements | |||||||||||||||||||
Accessory Use Type
|
RP | RR | RS | RT | RMX | RMF | OI | NB | CB | HB | LI | HI | CX | SI | NI | CW | CE | B C G [1] | B C V [1] | E B G [1]
| |
Accessory Dwelling Unit | P | P | P | S | P | P | 7.4.3(A) | ||||||||||||||
Accessory Storage Building | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | 7.4.2(E) |
Amateur Ham Radio/TV Antenna | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | 7.4.3(B) |
Auto Repair at a Residential Use | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | 7.4.3(C) | |||||||||||||
Canopies | P | P | P | P | P | S | S | P | P | P | P | P | P | 7.4.3(D) | |||||||
Drive Through Facilities | P | P | P | P | P | S | S | P | S | P | P | P | 7.4.3(E) | ||||||||
Garages | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | 7.4.3(F) |
Heavy Equipment Sales Auction Parking | P | 7.4.3(P) | |||||||||||||||||||
Home Daycare (up to 5 children) | P | P | P | P | S | S | P | P | P | P | P | P | S | 7.4.3(O) | |||||||
Home Daycare (6 to 8 children) | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | 7.4.3(O) | |||||||
Home Occupations | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | 7.4.3(G) | ||||||
Outdoor Dining | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | 7.4.3(R) | |||||||||
Outdoor Display/Sales | P | P | P | S | S | S | S | S | S | S | 7.4.3(H) | ||||||||||
Outdoor Storage | P | P | P | S | 7.4.3(I) | ||||||||||||||||
Playground Equipment (as accessory to a residential use) | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | 7.4.3(Q) | |||||||
Produce Stand | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | S | 7.4.3(J) | |||||||||
Residence, Temporary Healthcare | P | P | P | P | P | 7.4.3(S) | |||||||||||||||
Satellite Dish | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | 7.4.3(K) |
Shed, Tool or Storage | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | 7.4.3(T) |
Stable/Horses, Ponies, Mules, or Donkeys | P | P | P | 7.4.3(L) | |||||||||||||||||
Storage or Parking of Major Recreational Equipment | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | 7.4.3(M ) | ||||||||||||
Storage or Parking of Heavy Trucks or Trailers | P | P | P | 7.4.3(M ) | |||||||||||||||||
Swimming Pool | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | P | 7.4.3(N) | ||
Notes: [1] These districts are subject to regulations in § 6.6. | |||||||||||||||||||||
(4) Single-family residential properties over two acres may apply for a special use permit for a larger accessory structure and/or a greater aggregate square footage of accessory structures. In no instance shall the aggregate square footage of accessory structures exceed 150% of the principal structure.
(6) Accessory dwelling units shall be of durable exterior building materials that are the same or higher quality as surrounding developments, and shall not adversely affect adjacent uses (when the principal structure is predominately brick or stone, the introduction of smooth wood or fibrous cement siding is appropriate to reinforce the ancillary and subordinate nature of the accessory dwelling unit).
(1) Canopies shall have a maximum height of 15 feet measured from the finished grade to the underside of the canopy.
(2) In addition to meeting the standards in § 8.3, Outdoor Lighting, canopies shall not be internally illuminated, and any exterior lighting associated with a canopy shall be shielded so that the source of illumination is not visible from off-site areas.
(3) Canopies may project beyond the front building line of the principal structure or site, but in no instance shall they encroach into a public right-of-way without an encroachment agreement executed by the town.
(1) Drive through windows and their associated stacking lanes and circulation shall be prohibited in the front of the building. Drive through windows, stacking lanes, and circulation shall only be allowed or in a side yard abutting a street when screened by a street wall.
(2) Drive through facilities shall be located at least 100 linear feet from any residential district or lot used for residential purposes.
(3) Vehicle stacking spaces for drive through window uses shall be located outside of and physically separated from the right-of-way of any street.
(4) Vehicle stacking spaces shall not interfere with the efficient internal circulation of traffic on the site, adjacent property, or adjacent street right-of-way.
(5) Drive through facilities shall be located to the side or rear of the principal structure they serve.
(6) Menu boards shall not be visible from the road the building is fronting.
(7) Drive through facilities may be subject to town-imposed conditions relating to the location, configuration, and operational aspects of the drive through window to ensure its compatibility with surrounding uses and its compliance with the building codes and all relevant state laws and regulations.
(F) Garages. Detached garages shall comply with the maximum size provisions in division 7.4.2(G). Square footage associated with an accessory dwelling unit shall not be counted towards garage size.
(10) The home occupation does not create traffic or parking congestion, noise, vibration, odor, glare, fumes, or electrical or communications interference which can be detected by the normal senses off the premises, including visual or audible interference with radio or television reception.
(11) No more than one home occupation use or business shall be operated within any individual dwelling unit.
(H) Outdoor display/sales. Outdoor display or sales may be allowed as an accessory use for all Retail Sales and Service Uses and Wholesale Sales Uses. It is the intent of this ordinance to allow the display of merchandise for sale, but not where the display of such items impedes the flow of pedestrian or vehicular traffic, or creates an unsafe condition. The outdoor display of goods shall meet all of the following standards.
(5) The area of outdoor display or sales shall not encompass the width of the entrance doors to the establishment as projected straight out from the facility. (For example, if the width of the entrance doors is ten feet, there shall be at least a ten-foot clearance from the doors as projected straight out and away from the facility.)
(3) Each outdoor storage area shall be screened from view from all property lines and adjacent rights-of-way by an opaque wooden, plastic, or vinyl fence or brick or masonry wall of eight feet in height. Materials may not be stored higher than the height of the primary structure. When a wooden fence is utilized, only treated or rot-resistant wood such as cedar, cypress, redwood, or teak shall be used. Chain link, barbed wire, chicken wire, or any other fence material that is not fully opaque may not be used to meet this standard.
(2) The pasture or grazing land must be adequately fenced so that the horses are safely contained within the fenced area. The Ordinance Administrator shall approve the materials and location of the fencing proposed in order to ensure that the fencing is in keeping with the character of the neighborhood. Electric fencing may be used with the approval of the Ordinance Administrator when such fencing is not in close proximity to residences. The landowner or tenant is responsible for ensuring the safety and appropriateness of the fencing;
(1) Intent. It is the intent of this division 7.4.3 to regulate the customary or continual parking of certain vehicles and equipment on streets or properties located within residential neighborhoods since the presence of such vehicles runs contrary to the intended residential character of such neighborhoods. It is not the intent of these standards to prevent the occasional or temporary parking of such vehicles or equipment as necessary for the purposes of loading, unloading, or cleaning; however, the continual or customary overnight parking of such vehicles or equipment for a portion of the day followed by removal the following day is prohibited.
(2) Applicability. The standards in this division 7.4.3 apply to heavy trucks with more than two axles or that exceed 26,000 pounds of gross vehicle weight rating, trailers with more than one axle, or major recreational equipment, including, but not limited to, boats, campers, recreational vehicles, motor homes, and travel trailers.
(ii) No heavy truck or trailer shall be parked or stored upon any residentially zoned or used property except as necessary for the purposes of loading, unloading, or cleaning. In no instance shall a heavy truck or trailer be parked or stored on a residentially zoned or used property during the process of loading, unloading, or cleaning for more than four days over any calendar year.
(iii) Boats, campers, recreational vehicles, and other major recreational equipment may be parked or stored upon any residentially zoned or used property, provided the vehicle or equipment is located outside all required setbacks, and is parked or stored only to the side or rear of the dwelling they are associated with and provided they are parked or stored on an improved surface such as a driveway, parking pad, or gravel parking area. Parking such vehicles or equipment upon an established residential driveway in front of the dwelling they are associated with is only permitted if access to side or rear yards for storage is not possible due to lot width, topographic considerations, or the presence of permanent buildings. In no case shall boats, campers, recreational vehicles, or major recreational equipment be parked or stored in a front yard outside of an established driveway, paved parking pad, or gravel parking area.
(1) Home daycares shall comply with G.S. Chapter 110, Article 7, and the summary of North Carolina Child Care Laws and Rules pamphlet, as amended, prepared by the NC Department of Health and Human Services. Home daycares shall be licensed by the State and shall meet all applicable code requirements;
(2) Notwithstanding anything in this ordinance to the contrary, parking areas for customers to be used during auction events shall be covered with an all-weather surface designed to support anticipated loads. Loose material surfaces shall be contained with permanent edging, landscaped areas, asphalt surfaces, or other means to prevent the migration of the loose material. The surface shall be maintained so that traffic may move safely in and out of the parking area.
(R) Outdoor dining. Outdoor dining as an accessory use shall comply with the following standards:
(1) Approval of a zoning compliance permit shall be required for the establishment of outdoor dining or seating areas.
(2) Outdoor dining or seating shall be located on the same lot or tract or under the same ownership as the principal use it serves.
(3) Outdoor dining or seating areas shall be clearly demarcated from other areas of the site with planters, fencing, roping, railing, or some other physical barrier that separates the area from its surroundings.
(4) In no instance shall an outdoor dining or seating area take place within a required landscaping, screening, or parking area or interfere with safe pedestrian or vehicular circulation on or off the site.
(5) In no instance shall an outdoor dining or seating area obstruct access to an entrance or exit, emergency exit, drainage infrastructure, fire hydrant, standpipe, utility access area, ventilation, or ADA access features.
(6) Outdoor dining or seating areas shall include trash receptacles and shall not result in the accumulation of litter or waste in the public right-of-way or on adjacent lots.
(7) Outdoor dining or seating areas located on a public sidewalk or within a public right-of-way shall require approval of an encroachment agreement with the town.
(S) Temporary health care residence.
(1) Pursuant to G.S. § 160D-915, temporary health care residences as defined in Article 17 of this LDO shall be allowed in any single-family residential zoning district on lots zoned for single family detached dwellings.
(2) A temporary family health care structure used by a caregiver in providing care for a mentally or physically impaired person on property owned or occupied by the caregiver as the caregiver's residence shall be considered as a permitted accessory use in any single-family residential zoning district on lots zoned for single-family detached dwellings.
(3) A temporary family health care structure used by an individual who is the named legal guardian of the mentally or physically impaired person shall be considered a permitted accessory use in any single-family residential zoning district on lots zoned for single-family detached dwellings in accordance with this section if the temporary family health care structure is placed on the property of the residence of the individual and is used to provide care for the mentally or physically impaired person.
(4) Only one temporary family health care structure shall be allowed on a lot or parcel of land. The temporary family health care structures under subsections (1) and (2) of this section shall not require a special use permit or be subjected to any other local zoning requirements beyond those imposed upon other authorized accessory use structures, except as otherwise provided in this section. Such temporary family health care structures shall comply with all setback requirements that apply to the primary structure and with any maximum floor area ratio limitations that may apply to the primary structure.
(5) Any person proposing to install a temporary family healthcare structure shall first obtain a permit from the town.
(6) Placing the temporary family health care structure on a permanent foundation shall not be required or permitted.
(7) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, any temporary family health care structure installed under this section may be required to connect to any water, sewer, and electric utilities serving the property and shall comply with all applicable state law, local ordinances, and other requirements as if the temporary family health care structure were permanent real property.
(8) No signage advertising or otherwise promoting the existence of the temporary health care structure shall be permitted either on the exterior of the temporary family health cre structure or elsewhere on the property.
(9) Any temporary family health care structure installed pursuant to this section shall be removed within 60 days in which the mentally or physically impaired person is no longer receiving or is no longer in need of the assistance provided for in this section. If the temporary family health care structure is needed for another mentally or physically impaired person, the temporary family health care structure may continue to be used or may be reinstated on the property within 60 days of its removal, as applicable.
(10) The town may revoke the permit granted pusuant to division (5) of this section if the permit holder violates any provision of this section.
(11) Temporary family health care structures shall be treated as tangible personal property for purposes of taxation.
(T) Shed, tool or storage.
(1) Tool or storage sheds shall be required to secure a zoning permit prior to construction or installation.
(2) Tool or storage sheds shall comply with the dimensional requirements for the zoning district where located and shall not be within five feet of a lot line.
(3) Tool or storage sheds may not be located within required landscaping areas, within ten feet of an on-site wastewater facility (including drain fields).
(4) Tool or storage sheds shall be to the side or rear of the principal structure and shall not be forward of the front building line.
(Ord. TA.24.01, passed 4-4-2024; Ord. A.24.06, passed 10-3-2024)