City-County Planning Department

Supplementary Requirements

7.2 Accessory Buildings and Structures

Accessory buildings and structures, not including accessory dwellings (See Section 7.3 (1)), shall be subject to the following additional requirements:

1. The building shall not be located in any front yard. The only exception shall be when the lot is over 2 acres in size, in which case the building may be located in front but not in the required front yard.
2. The building shall not be located in any required side yard space, and accessory buildings in the Residential 5 (R-5) shall be no closer than 3 feet to any property line. Accessory buildings in the remaining zones shall be no closer than 5 feet to any property line. Any accessory buildings located less than 5 feet from the property line shall construct a wall meeting North Carolina Building Code Standards for fire obstruction on that side of the building facing the property line.
3. Accessory buildings in the rear or side yards of corner lots whose rear or side yards are adjacent to a front yard of the adjacent lot, shall maintain a setback equivalent to the required front yard setback of the adjacent lot and outside the required rear yard of the lot where the accessory building is to locate.
4. In residential areas the height of an accessory building shall not exceed 15 feet when the building is within 10 feet of the property line.
5. No accessory building shall be utilized unless the primary structure is also utilized.
6. If an accessory building is structurally attached to the primary structure by a wall or roof, it shall be deemed a part of the primary structure.
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