Fayetteville, NC Right to Farm: Agricultural Zoning Protection (2026)

3 of the Unified Development Ordinance establishes the Agricultural-Residential (AR) District specifically to accommodate rural uses, including agricultural uses and uses that complement or support them, alongside very low-density residential development. " Dimensional standards for the AR District set a 20,000-square-foot minimum lot area, 100-foot minimum lot width, a gross residential density cap of 2 dwelling units per acre, and maximum lot coverage of 25 percent. Building height is capped at 35 feet for principal structures (15 feet for accessory structures within 10 feet of a single-family district or use).

Setbacks run 30 feet front/corner side, 15 feet side, and 35 feet rear. Footnote [1] to the standards table clarifies that where a conservation subdivision is used, the gross density figure governs and the lot area, lot width, and lot coverage standards drop away, with setbacks measured only from the perimeter of the subdivision rather than each individual lot. Footnote [2] gives working farms a specific break: accessory structures or use areas tied to an agricultural use may exceed the size of the principal dwelling unit, while accessory uses tied to other permitted uses stay capped at the lesser of 1,500 square feet or 25 percent of the allowable lot coverage. The district was adopted by Ord. No. S2011-014 in 2011 and last amended by Ord. No. S2018-015 in 2018.