Chapel Hill, NC Parking Rules: EV Charging (2026)

Section 3.8.3(a) of the Land Use Management Ordinance lists features that 'shall not be subject to the required minimum setbacks provided the town manager determines that such features do not significantly impair the degree of solar access provided adjacent properties.' Item (10) on that list is electric vehicle charging stations and related mechanical equipment that maintain a minimum setback of five feet from the property line. In practice, this means a property owner does not have to hold an EV charger and its wiring, conduit, or pedestal back to the full street, interior, or solar setback that would otherwise apply under Table 3.8-1, such as the 26-foot street setback in the R-1 district, so long as the charging equipment itself never comes closer than 5 feet to the property line.

The same subsection extends similar treatment to other utility-style features, including mechanical equipment such as HVAC condensers and backflow preventers under item (6), which must comply with the noise standards of Chapter 11, Article 3, and driveways under item (9), which must comply with Chapter 17. The town manager retains authority to deny the reduced setback if the equipment would significantly impair a neighboring property's solar access, tying the EV charging exception back to the ordinance's broader solar-access purpose in section 3.8.1.