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Morehead City City Zoning Code

ARTICLE 11

- PERMISSIBLE AND SPECIAL USES

11-1 - Table of Permissible Uses

The Table of Permissible Uses should be read in close conjunction with the definitions of the terms set forth in Section 2-2 and the other interpretative provisions set forth in the Unified Development Ordinance. The Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) is located in Appendix X for reference purposes.

11-2 - Use of the Designations P and S in Table of Permissible Uses

When used in conjunction with a particular use in the Table of Permissible Uses, the letter "P" means that the use is permissible in the indicated zone with a zoning permit issued by the Land Use Administrator and the letter "S" means a special-use permit must be obtained from the Board of Adjustment. If a definition is included in this Ordinance, it is indicated in the table. An asterisk (*) indicates that additional requirements are required for that particular use.

11-3 - Permissible Uses Not Requiring Permits

Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Ordinance, no zoning or special-use permit is necessary for the following uses:

11-3.1

Streets.

11-3.2

Electric power, telephone, telegraph, cable television, gas, water and sewer lines, wires or pipes, together with supporting poles or structures, located within a public right-of-way.

11-3.3

Neighborhood utility facilities located within a public right-of-way with the permission of the owner (state or city) of the right-of-way.

11-3.3

Neighborhood utility facilities located within a public right-of-way with the permission of the owner (state or city) of the right-of-way with the exception of small wireless facilities (SWF) which are subject to the requirements found under Section 14-48.

TABLE OF PERMISSIBLE USES AND SPECIAL USES

Use/District (definition)
R5
R5S
R7
R10
R15
R15M
R15SM
R20
RMF
O & P
PD
MA
CD
CM
DB
CN
CH
I
PM
FP
IC
Accessory building/use Yes P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P
Accessory outdoor displays Yes P P P P
Accessory outdoor storage* P
Accessory retail sales P
Accessory personal services Yes S
Adult day care center Yes S P S S
Adult day care center, family Yes S S S S S S S S S S
Adult establishment* P
Amusement arcade Yes Refer to: Recreation use, indoor
Animal hospital/veterinary clinic Yes S P
Answering service Refer to: Communication services
Arcade club S S
Auction house Yes P
Auditorium P
Automobile repair garage* Yes P P
Automobile service station* Yes S S P P
Bar/cocktail lounge* Yes Sc S P
Barber/beauty shop Refer to: Personal services
Beauty shop Refer to: Personal services
Bed and breakfast Yes S P P
Boardinghouse Yes S
Boat ramp, regional public P
Boat sales/storage Yes Refer to: Retail, marine-related (excludes commercial marinas)
Boat storage P P S P
Bulk storage, general:
Body art studio, accessory S
Agricultural products P P
Bulk storage compatible with the uses in the district, not associated with any type of freight, cargo or commodities, indoor and outdoor S S
Lime and fertilizer storage P P
Nonhazardous materials P P
Petroleum plant/storage Refer to: Fuel services
Storage of bulk and break-bulk freight, cargo and commodities, indoor and outdoor P
Storage of roll-on/roll-off freight, cargo and commodities, indoor and outdoor P
Woodchips/wood pellets P P
Bus station Refer to: Passenger transportation and incidental services
Bus terminal Refer to: Passenger transportation and incidental services
Business residence* Yes S P P P S
Campground Refer to: Recreation use, outdoor
Car wash Yes P
Cargo, salvage P
Cellular telephone service Refer to: Communication services
Cemetery* Yes S S P P P P P S
Cemetery, pet P
Child day care Yes S P S S S S
Child day care, afterschool Yes S P S S
Child day care, home* Yes S S S S S S S S S S
Church* Yes S S S S S S P P P P P S S S P
Circus, carnival, fair P P
Clinic Yes P P P P
Club or lodge, private* Yes S S P P
Cluster housing development* Yes P P P P P P P
Communication services Yes P P P S P S
Communication tower* Yes S P S
Condominium hotel/condotel Yes P
Contractor's plant/storage yard P P
Convalescent home Refer to: Nursing home
Courier services P
Crisis response ministry center Yes S S
Distillery Yes S P
Dock, pier, wharf operations and maintenance P
Dock, public P P P P P S
Dog training facility S
Dormitory Yes S S
Dredging/spoil area P
Dry cleaning/laundry establishment Yes P P P
Duplex Yes Refer to: Dwelling, two-family
Dwelling, multifamily Yes S P S P S S
Dwelling, single-family detached Yes P P P P P P P P S P S S
Dwelling, staff, single-family P
Dwelling, two-family (duplex) Yes P P P S P
Emergency shelter mission* Yes P P
Event center P P
Event venue, residential S
Fabricating shop (majority of products sold at retail, on premises) Yes S S S P
Family care home* Yes P P P P P P P S S
Family shelter home Yes P P S S S S S S P
Farmer's market Yes S S
Financial institution Yes P P P P P
Flea/farmer's market Y-Farmer's market P
Food pantry* Yes S S S P P
Fuel services S P
Funeral home P P P P P
Garden center Yes P
Government building/use S S S S S S S S S P P S P P P P P
Greenhouse/plant nursery P
Health/recreational facility Yes Refer to: Recreation use, indoor
Home occupation* Yes S S S S S S S S S S P S S
Hospital* P
Institution of higher learning Yes P P
Itinerant merchant P
In-law quarters* Yes
Junkyard* Yes S
Kennel* Yes P P
Laundry/dry cleaning plant P
Library, museum, art gallery S S S S P P P P
Maintenance building/facility P
Manufactured home* Yes P P S
Manufactured home park* Yes P
Manufacturing and processing:
Apparel and other finished textile products (SIC #23) P
Asphalt, paving and roofing materials (SIC #295) P P
Electronic and other electrical equipment (SIC #36) P
Fabricated structural metal products (SIC #344) P
Food and kindred products (SIC #20) excluding meat products (SIC #201) P
Furniture and fixtures (SIC #25) P
Industrial and commercial machinery and computer equipment (SIC #35) P
Industrial (other) uses compatible with the permitted uses of the district S S
Industrial processing associated with port services, freight, cargo and commodities P
Leather and leather products (SIC #31) excluding tanning and finishing (SIC #311) P
Manufacturing compatible with the permitted uses of the district S S
Measuring, analyzing and controlling instruments (SIC #38) P
Miscellaneous fabricated metal products (SIC #349) P
Miscellaneous manufacturing industries (SIC #39) P
Motorcycles, bicycles and parts (SIC #375) P
Printing, publishing and allied industries (SIC #27) S P P P P
Stone, clay, glass and concrete products (SIC #32) P
Tobacco products (SIC #21) P
Transportation equipment (SIC #37) P
Woodchips/wood pellets P
Marina, commercial* Yes P P P P S
Marine cargo handling P P
Marine research facility* S S
Marine storage/repair yard Yes P P P
Marine survey P
Marketplace Yes S
Massage parlor Yes Refer to: Adult establishment
Microbrewery Yes S P P
Motel Yes P S P P
Motor vehicle sales Yes P
Nursing home Yes S P P
Office, all Yes P P P P P S
Office, marine-related Yes P
Office, medical Yes P
Office, on-site for the purpose of managing multifamily units Yes P
Offices for arrangement of freight, cargo and commodities P
Outdoor vending self-service machine* Yes P P P P P P P
Parking facility Yes P P P P
Personal services Yes P P-a P P P
Petroleum products, bulk S
Printing/publishing P
Public utility building/use* Yes P P P P P P P P P P P P P S P P P P P
Radio services Refer to: Communication services
Recreation use, governmental Yes P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P P
Recreation use, indoor Yes P P P P S P S P
Recreation use, outdoor Yes P P P P P S
Recreation use, outdoor (golf course or marina only) Yes S P-b
Recycling center Yes S S
Recycling collection point Yes P
Recycling plant Yes S S
Research facility S S
Rest home Refer to: Nursing home
Restaurant Yes S P-a P P P P P P
Restaurant, drive-in Yes P
Retail, indoor Yes P-a P P P
Retail, indoor with gas pumps and storage Y-Retail P P
Retail, marine-related with or without outdoor storage Y-Retail P
Retail, marine-related without outdoor storage P P
Retail, medical-related, indoor Y-Retail P P
Retail and wholesaling, indoor Yes P P P
Retail and wholesaling, marine-related with or w/o outdoor storage Y-Retail P P
Retail with outdoor storage Y-Retail S S
School, private * Yes S S S S S S S S - S P - - - S P
School, public * Yes S S S S S S S S S P P
Self-service storage facility Yes S P P P
Ship chandler P
Ship cleaning P
Sidewalk café P P
Sign Yes Refer to Appendix V
Sign shop P
Soup kitchen Refer to: Emergency shelter mission
Stevedore services P
Studio P P P P
Studio, art, dance, photography or music only P
Tanning salon Refer to: Personal services
Tattoo and/or body piercing establishment P
Taxi stand P P P
Theater P P P
Towing/recovery storage yard* Yes S
Townhouse duplex* Yes P P P S P
Transitional family home Yes S
Transportation services:
Maintenance facilities for water, motor freight and railroad transportation P P
Marine port terminal, including value added operations P
Motor freight transportation/warehousing and associated services P
Passenger transportation and associated services P P P P P
Railroad transportation and associated services P P P
Shipping brokers, freight and cargo P P
Towing, tugboat and pilot services P
Water transportation/warehousing and associated services P
Travel trailer park Refer to: Recreation use, outdoor
Warehousing and distribution Yes P P P
Water conditioning service P P
Wholesaling, marine-related S
Wholesaling, warehousing P P

 

~refer to additional requirements in Article 12

*refer to additional requirements in Article 14

a - Only permitted in PDs with ten or more acres/limited in area to 10% of built residential floor space

b - Permitted in a PD of any size

c - East of 10th Street (see § 14-26 for additional requirements)

(Ord. No. 2021-0-15, § 2, 6-8-2021; Ord. No. 2021-O-17, § 1, 7-13-2021; Ord. No. 2022-O-08, § 2, 6-14-2022; Ord. No. 2023-O-8, § 1, 6-13-2023; Ord. No. 2023-O-15, § 1, 10-10-2023; Ord. No. 2023-O-16, § 1, 10-10-2023; Ord. No. 2025-O-04, 1-14-2025)