Menu

Services

RV and outdoor hospitality

Fuel and auto

Storage

Hospitality and waterfront

Industrial and commercial

Residential development

Studio

Start a project

Site plans / Self storage / North Carolina

Self storage site plans in North Carolina

North Carolina writes its self storage rules town by town and its procedure in Raleigh: one town caps the building height, another bans outdoor storage in its commercial district, and Raleigh and Charlotte keep storage units off active street frontages. This page sets out the state layer, the towns with a documented storage record, the two metros and what the preliminary plan carries.

Last reviewed

Start a projectSee the process
Apex base height cap for self storage
24 ft; 30 ft combined with parapet [1]
Fuquay-Varina General Commercial district
Storage facilities permitted, with no outdoor storage (CTA-2024-01) [2]
Sprinkler trigger, 2018 NC Building Code
Group S-1 fire area over 12,000 sq ft, or more than three stories above grade plane [3]
Raleigh CX district
All units in a single internally accessed building; 2 acre minimum site [4]
Charlotte commercial plan review
15 business days per cycle; goal of 2.5 cycles on average [5]
Neuse riparian buffer
50 ft combined; Zone 2 is the outer 20 ft [6]

How North Carolina regulates self storage

General Statutes Chapter 160D governs planning and development regulation by North Carolina cities and counties [7]. The storage rules that act on the plan are local, and each town aims them at a different part of the site: Apex regulates the building (lot size, height, bay size, aisles, doors) [1], Fuquay-Varina regulates what its General Commercial district allows [2], and Raleigh and Charlotte regulate how storage meets the street [4, 8]. Apex's storage cases from 2021 to 2026 went through conditional zoning to LI-CZ [9, 10], and each retrieved Fuquay-Varina storage case went through conditional zoning, once in 2016, once in 2018 and twice in 2024 [11, 12, 13].

Apex's own Planning Board report form quotes the statute: "Per NCGS §160D-604(b), all proposed amendments to the zoning ordinance or zoning map shall be submitted to the Planning Board for review and comment. If no written report is received from the Planning Board within 30 days of referral of the amendment to the Planning Board, the Town Council may act on the amendment without the Planning Board report." A Planning Board finding of plan inconsistency "shall not preclude consideration or approval of the proposed amendment by the Town Council" (160D-604(d)). Notice for Apex case 21CZ17 went out under §160D-602 to owners, tenants and neighborhood associations within 300 feet [10].

The legislature has also narrowed what a town can do to a site once it is zoned. S.L. 2024-57 Section 3K.1(a) amended G.S. 160D-601(d) so that no down-zoning "shall be initiated, enacted, or enforced without the written consent of all property owners," and down-zoning includes reducing permitted uses or "creating any type of nonconformity on land not in a residential zoning district" [14]. The UNC School of Government reported in February 2026 that the S.L. 2024-57 limits were still in place [14]. S.L. 2025-94 Section 11 bars waiting periods on refiling a denied or withdrawn zoning map amendment or development application, and the act became law on October 6, 2025 [14]. Where local governments that share a split parcel do not agree, Section 29 of the same act lets the owner follow the regulations of the jurisdiction holding the majority of the acreage [14].

In Wake County, where Apex and Fuquay-Varina sit, S.L. 2025-30 bars a municipality from expanding its extraterritorial jurisdiction beyond the territory it held on January 1, 2025, and the provision expires on December 31, 2028 [15]. Fuquay-Varina regulates its town limits and its ETJ, and a site that needs town utilities must be annexed [16, 11].

StepApexFuquay-VarinaCharlotte
Legislative rezoningConditional zoning to LI-CZ: Planning Board recommends, Town Council decides [9, 10]Conditional rezoning (GC-CZD): Planning Board recommends, Town Board decides; a Land Use Plan amendment where the parcel is mapped Single-Family Neighborhood [16]Entitlement first (approved rezoning, site plan amendments) [17]; "C" uses need conditional zoning under UDO Sec. 37.2 [8]
Other approvalsBoard of Adjustment special use permit, only where a use in the conditional zoning list is marked SUP (UDO Sec. 2.3.5)Annexation by the Town Board, approved before site plan approval [18]Separate Urban Design Review for urban-zoned projects [19]
Staff site planMajor site plan, Technical Review Committee [20]Administrative site plan, sealed by a licensed professional [18]Commercial Plan Review, Land Development [17]

State rules that reach a storage site plan

Who prepares and seals. G.S. 89C-25 provides that the engineering chapter "shall not prevent ... (1) The practice of architecture as defined in Chapter 83A of the General Statutes, landscape architecture as defined in Chapter 89A of the General Statutes, or contracting" [21]. Local practice on unsealed site plans differs. Gaston County's UDO Section 5.2.1(A) encourages, but does not require, a site plan prepared by an engineer, architect, landscape architect or land surveyor authorized in North Carolina [22]. Fuquay-Varina's site plan checklist states: "All plans are required to be prepared and sealed by a licensed professional" [18]. In the Charlotte region, the NCDOT Division 10 driveway package dated October 14, 2025 requires traffic impact analyses and drainage studies to be prepared under the direct charge of, and sealed by, a North Carolina licensed professional [23]. The preliminary plan is the drawing those sealed documents are built on.

Parking. G.S. 160D-702(c)(2a), as amended by S.L. 2026-39, bars requiring "an off-street parking lot to meet a minimum number of parking spaces per development or structure, regardless of occupancy or use," and the parking provisions take effect January 1, 2027 [24]. The ban does not apply to local governments in the coastal area defined in G.S. 113A-103, except for historic properties, and subdivision (c)(2) caps a required stall at 9 feet wide by 20 feet long [24]. For scale, the Fuquay-Varina storage rezoning REZ-2024-08 showed 24 parking spaces for a three-story, 119,175 SF climate-controlled building on 4.52 acres [16].

Land disturbance. NCG010000 applies to construction stormwater discharges from land disturbance of one acre or more, or from part of a common plan of development of that size [25]. A DEQ report states that an erosion and sedimentation control plan must be submitted at least 30 days before land disturbance on any site over one acre, and that the statute requires a determination within 30 days for a new plan and 15 days for a revised plan [26]. Under S.L. 2023-142, once a local government approves that plan it must allow land disturbance to begin even if other development approvals have not yet been obtained [27].

Redevelopment. S.L. 2026-39 Part II rewrote G.S. 143-214.7(b3): on redevelopment, increased stormwater controls apply only to the impervious surface created beyond what existed before, existing built-upon area is credited square foot for square foot, and local ordinances must conform within 12 months [24]. That credit matters where storage replaces an existing commercial building and its parking field.

Driveways and traffic. NCDOT charges no fee for a driveway permit and treats 3,000 vehicles per day as the threshold that normally requires a Traffic Impact Study [28]. Local thresholds can be lower: a 2023 Rolesville scoping form flags a municipal TIA threshold of 50 peak hour trips [29].

Vesting and the building permit. A site-specific vesting plan is valid for two years, and the local government may set the initial term at up to five years under G.S. 160D-108.1 [30]. For the building permit, G.S. 160D-1110.1(c) requires a decision on commercial plans within 45 days unless the local government and the applicant agree otherwise, after which the applicant may elect third-party review by a certified engineer or architect [31]. The same section entitles the applicant to a pre-submittal meeting scheduled within 5 business days of the request [31].

Moratoria. G.S. 160D-107 governs moratoria and requires a stated problem, the alternatives considered and an action plan [32]. No self storage moratorium was found in the seven towns studied for the Fuquay-Varina record, but in June 2026 the Holly Springs Town Council voted unanimously to place a moratorium of up to 12 months on new data centers, data processing facilities and cryptocurrency mining operations [33].

The building code in force, and the sprinkler triggers

S.L. 2025-2 Section 5.12 (March 19, 2025) made the 2024 NC State Building Code take effect 12 months after the first day of the month following the State Fire Marshal's certification that publication and distribution are complete [34]. The working rule is to treat the 2018 code as governing unless the local building department confirms otherwise, and the owner may use the 2024 code as an alternative method [14]. In Mecklenburg County, staying under the 2018 code through vested rights takes an Alternate Materials and Methods request [35].

RuleTriggerEdition
Sprinklers, Group S-1Fire area over 12,000 square feet [3]2018 NC Building Code Sec. 903.2.9
Sprinklers, Group S-1Fire area located more than three stories above grade plane [3]2018 NC Building Code Sec. 903.2.9
Sprinklers, Group S-1Combined S-1 fire areas on all floors, including mezzanines, over 24,000 square feet [3]2018 NC Building Code Sec. 903.2.9

A building more than three stories above grade plane needs sprinklers whatever its fire area [3]. For drive-up rows, the preliminary plan keeps each building's fire area on the site data table so the fire code official and the engineer of record can read the triggers at a glance. Fire access is a drawing item from the first sheet: Fuquay-Varina's checklist asks for "Fire Lane: Location, width, length with any required turnarounds. Show truck turning template," and its site plans need a fire-flow analysis less than 12 months old [18]. Apex's storage standard requires that "Appropriate access and circulation by vehicles and emergency equipment shall be ensured through the design of internal turning radii of aisleways" [1].

Riparian buffers and the other lines drawn before the buildings

In the Neuse River Basin, 15A NCAC 02B .0714 applies "to activities conducted within 50-foot wide riparian buffers directly adjacent to surface waters in the Neuse River Basin (intermittent streams, perennial streams, lakes, ponds, reservoirs and estuaries), excluding wetlands" [6]. Zone 2 starts at the outer edge of Zone 1 and runs 20 feet landward, the two zones together are 50 feet wide on all sides of the water, and uses present as of July 22, 1997 are exempt [6]. The Jordan rule, 15A NCAC 02B .0267, also sets 50 feet: Zone One, the inner 30 ft, stays undisturbed, and Zone Two, the outer 20 ft, stays vegetated [36]. Wake County enforces the Neuse buffer rules in both the Cape Fear and Neuse basins, except where the Jordan rules supersede [37].

Buffer impacts are mitigated at a multiple of the area. Jordan buffer impacts are mitigated at 3:1 for Zone 1 and 1.5:1 for Zone 2 under 15A NCAC 02B .0295 [38]. In Johnston County, mitigation multiplies Zone 1 impacts by three and Zone 2 impacts by one and one-half (Sec. 14-393) [39].

Towns write buffers into their storage conditions. Apex's 22CZ15 ordinance, Condition 13: "Tree clearing, SCM, or infrastructure shall not occur or be placed in either zone of the riparian buffer, except as necessary for the installation of Town of Apex utilities" [9]. In Raleigh, sites subject to active stormwater controls under UDO Article 9.2 must meet nitrogen export targets tied to the Neuse Nutrient Strategy, under the Stormwater Design Manual effective November 2, 2024 [40]. Fuquay-Varina requires a flood study for development in flood hazard soils, a floodplain development permit with No-Rise certification in the floodplain or floodway, and plans that show the 100-year, future and floodway limits with the panel number and date [18]. The buffer and flood lines go on the preliminary plan before any building is placed.

The local layer: towns with a documented storage record

TownHow storage is approvedRules and conditions that shape the planRecord
Apex (Wake County)Supplemental standard Sec. 4.4.5.G.14; multistory through conditional zoning to LI-CZ [1, 9]3 acres minimum, no variance; 24 ft height (30 ft with parapet); 900 SF bays; aisles 21 ft one-way, 30 ft two-way; 10 ft between buildings [1]22CZ15: Planning Board 6-0, Town Council 4-0, height to 48 ft by condition [9]
Fuquay-Varina (Wake County)Storage facilities permitted in General Commercial without outdoor storage (CTA-2024-01) [2]; conditional zoning (GC-CZD) in the 2024 cases [11]REZ-2024-08 conditions: evergreen-only buffer next to residential zoning, no exterior dumpsters, a privacy fence at least 6 ft tall, no use open to the public 24 consecutive hours [16]REZ-2024-08: three stories, 119,175 SF, 24 spaces, 4.52 ac; Town Board 5-0 on August 5, 2024 [11, 16]
Holly SpringsNot verified in our research: the town's UDO could not be retrieved2018 rezoning conditions: self storage "100% indoors and majority climate-controlled", no truck rentals, at least 2,400 SF of storage office space [41]Approved August 7, 2018 [41]
MatthewsConditional rezoning, B-1 (CD) to B-3 (CD) [42]2022-763 conditions: 50 ft max height, enhanced screening along E John St and the I-485 ramp, all storage indoors, no outside storage of vans, trailers or boats, hazardous materials prohibited [42]2022-763 Council Place: 99,000 SF multistory on 1.5 ac; Board of Commissioners hearings November 14 and December 12, 2022 [43, 44]
Indian TrailConditional rezoningNo storage use standard foundMorningstar Storage 2022-0122, three-story, 656 units, "Complete"; Plyler Self-Storage 2019-0090, three floors of 33,210 SF on 4.0 ac [45, 46]
Wake ForestConditional districts decided legislatively, special use permits quasi-judicially (UDO Ch. 15) [47]UDO rewrite under way at the December 7, 2023 Technical Review Group meeting [48]No storage case retrieved

Fuquay-Varina. LDO Amendment #26 reads: "Storage Facilities are now permitted in the General Commercial zoning district. The existing development standards shall apply, except that storage facilities in the GC zoning district shall not be permitted to have outdoor storage" [2]. The town's path is a legislative conditional rezoning decided by the Town Board, then an administrative site plan [16, 18]. REZ-2024-08 went from its neighborhood meeting on June 18, 2024 to a unanimous Town Board approval on August 5, 2024, about seven weeks [11, 16]. The Planning Board recommended it unanimously on July 15, 2024, the rezoning carried 20 prohibited uses, and the conditions were added after the neighborhood meeting raised gas pumps, 24-hour operation and fencing [11]. The base town fees on the FY 2026-27 schedule are $600 for a conditional rezoning, $625 for a site plan of 5 acres or less and $300 for annexation, a total of $1,525, plus $450 for each submittal from the third onward [49]. A site plan above 5 acres is $1,250 plus $5 per lot [18, 49]. The neighborhood meeting is held at least 25 days before the first hearing, with mailed notice 10 days ahead to owners within 200 ft [50]. Comments must be answered within 90 days, and a site plan approval expires after 1 year without a building permit, with one 1-year extension available on request [18]. Older approvals set buffer and lighting patterns: Infinite Self Storage, rezoned on 1/2/2018, required Type A buffers of 50 feet on the south and 40 feet on the east, light poles no taller than 20 ft with full cutoff, and 25% of the land undisturbed [13]. Imperial Self Storage required a 20 ft buffer of existing vegetation plus 10 ft of new planting with 12 ft opaque evergreen screening at installation, and exterior materials matching those "displayed and presented at the Town Board Public Hearing" [12]. Frontage improvements must sit in the first phase of development, and a fee in lieu of them is the cost estimate plus 25% (LDO 9-1466) [18]. The Fuquay-Varina self storage model project carries the approval path, the conditions and the submittal anatomy in full.

Apex. The 22CZ15 rezoning took about 12 weeks from filing on June 1, 2022 to the Town Council vote on August 23, 2022 [9]. The 21CZ17 application, filed July 1, 2021, was approved 5-0 on November 29, 2022, about 16.5 months later [51]. Apex staff recommended "access only" storage on that site because of its proximity to an existing self storage use [10]. The perimeter rule in Sec. 4.4.5.G.14.n shapes drive-up schemes: "All perimeter buildings shall be two (2) stories in height and designed to look like office buildings. Storage bay doors shall not face any abutting property located in a residential district, nor shall they be visible from any public road" [1]. Open RV and boat storage is capped at 25% of the buildable area and screened, and in the Tech/Flex district storage covers no more than 60% of the overall site acreage [1]. The Apex self storage model project carries the operative text, the comparable approvals and the site data table, so this page does not repeat them.

Holly Springs. On the FY26 fee schedule, a conditional district rezoning with a Development Plan is $1,500 plus $10/acre plus $600, a special use permit is $500 plus other required fees, the Development Plan is $1,100 plus $5/lot or dwelling unit (covering up to 3 submittals), and site construction drawings are $1,100 plus $30/acre [52]. A special use permit "may only be approved upon the presentation of sufficient evidence," and the findings include that "The proposed use will not injure or adversely affect the adjacent area" and that "the location and arrangement of the use on the site, screening, buffering, landscaping and pedestrian accessways harmonize with adjoining properties" [53]. Elevations and buffer plans are drawn to answer those findings.

The self storage site plan hub sets out the program and layout archetypes that these town rules act on, and the North Carolina site plan page carries the statewide approval layers for other asset classes.

The metros: Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte

Apex and Fuquay-Varina sit in the Raleigh-Durham market, where the Raleigh-Cary metro went from 1,413,995 to 1,595,720 between the 2020 base and 2025, and grew 2.4% in 2024 to 2025, 10th fastest in the country [54]. The Charlotte metro went from 2,660,124 to 2,938,830 over the same period and added 54,122 residents in 2024 to 2025, fifth nationally [54]. The City of Charlotte reached 964,784 in July 2025 after a gain of 20,731, the largest of any US city [55].

Raleigh storage rules. Under UDO Sec. 6.5.5, in the CX district all units must be in a single internally accessed building and the minimum site is 2 acres; where an Urban Frontage applies, units are not permitted on the ground floor and outdoor boat and RV storage is not permitted, and in DX units are not permitted on the ground floor at all [4]. Ordinance TC-8-22, adopted in 2023, added self storage to the OP district as a limited use: no site with frontage on, or within 1,320 feet of, a rail corridor, no use above the fifth floor, no more than 10% of a contiguous OP area, and screened upper-story interior lighting [4, 56].

Raleigh review. UDO Sec. 10.2.8 sorts site plans into Tier One, Two and Three, and "ASR review and approval is only required for Tier Two and Tier Three site plans" [57]. A new use on vacant land is generally Tier Three, while a Tier One addition is, for example, no more than 4,000 sq ft or 10% of existing area, whichever is greater [58]. Before filing, the applicant confirms the tier through a fee-based Tier Verification request, and an optional paid Sketch Plan Review is available [57]. Site Permit Review is required for "land disturbance of 12,000 square feet or greater" [59]. Owners and tenants within 100 feet get mailed notice for qualifying reviews, including new buildings over 25,000 square feet near R-1 to R-10 zoning [60]. A minor modification allows up to a 15% increase in gross floor area (UDO 10.2.8.E) [61]. An approval lasts 3 years unless a building permit is issued or vested rights apply [58], and fees update every July 1 with CPI under UDO Sec. 10.2.1 [62].

Charlotte storage rules. UDO Table 15-1 lists Self-Storage Facility, climate-controlled and outdoor, as "PC" uses permitted only in a few districts, subject to the prescribed conditions in Secs. 15.4 to 15.6 [8]. A "C" use requires conditional zoning under Sec. 37.2, and a use that cannot be read as part of a listed use is prohibited (UDO 15.1.C) [8]. For "Self-Storage Facility: Climate-Controlled", all activities must be indoors and "any ground floor facade abutting a street shall be wrapped with active uses"; for "Self-Storage Facility: Outdoor", unit doors "should be oriented so that storage unit access doors do not face the public right-of-way," and the facility may include motor vehicle, RV and marine vehicle storage [8]. Text amendment 2025-118, adopted March 23, 2026, adjusted use permissions and prescribed conditions, so a storage plan cites the UDO by edition date [63].

Charlotte review. Commercial site plans in the city and its Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction go to Land Development "after land entitlement (approved rezoning, site plan amendments, etc.)," and building additions over 1,000 sf also trigger review [17]. "The review cycle is 15 business days," with an internal goal of "commercial plan approval in 2.5 review cycles on average" [5]. Submittals go through Accela Citizen Access, fees are due at initial submittal, and projects with one acre or more of grading upload a Financial Responsibility Form with their plans [19]. The City applies its Post-Construction Stormwater Ordinance to redevelopment as well as development [64], and the Mecklenburg County ordinance dates from June 30, 2007 [65].

What the preliminary plan carries, and what the engineer of record adds

StagePreliminary site planEngineer or architect of record
Rezoning petitionLayout, building footprints, conceptual elevations, use list and condition narrative, site data tableLegal description (surveyor)
Conditional zoning reviewVisual impact exhibits, buffer diagrams and circulation for the Apex Sec. 2.3.3.F considerations, including "visual impact of the proposed use on adjacent lands" [10]Transportation Impact Analysis if required
Site plan (Fuquay-Varina checklist)Site data table (use, zoning, area, setbacks, building SF, height, parking and ADA, bicycle racks, impervious breakdown), footprints, buffers, drive aisles with widths, parking rows, loading, fire lane with truck template, dumpster, mechanical equipment, signs, phase lines [18]Sealed boundary survey per NCGS 47-30, 2 ft contours, utilities with easements, heritage-tree survey, stormwater report, fire-flow analysis, downstream sewer capacity [18]
Elevations"Fully dimensioned color elevations illustrating all sides of all buildings," labeled by cardinal direction [18]Facade compliance calculations for glazing, articulation and material percentages [18]

Sheets go in at no smaller than 1 in = 100 ft on 24 x 36 in sheets, heritage trees of 24 in DBH or larger are shown inside the perimeter heritage-tree buffer, and a trash enclosure stands at least 1 ft taller than the dumpster [18]. In Fuquay-Varina the hearing exhibit can become a binding condition, as the Imperial materials condition shows [12], so 3D renderings shown to a board should carry the materials the developer intends to build.

For North Carolina storage, the site data table carries the numbers each town tests: lot area against the Apex 3 acre floor, building height against 24 ft, bay size against 900 SF and aisle widths [1], fire area per building against the 12,000 square foot trigger [3], the Raleigh 2 acre CX minimum where it applies [4], and parking provided against the 24 spaces of the Fuquay-Varina comparable [16]. The plans are preliminary, and engineering is done by your engineer of record, who takes the plan as the program and builds the sealed set on it. The preliminary site plan service explains how the plan is handed over.

Related pages: RV and boat storage site plans for open and covered vehicle storage, and the other North Carolina pages, RV park site plans in North Carolina, glamping site plans in North Carolina and the Buncombe County glamping model project. Background reading: self storage industry trends and climate-controlled storage versus traditional units. To start a North Carolina storage plan, send the site.

Frequently asked questions

Can I build self storage by right in a North Carolina town?

Sometimes. Apex allows it within the Sec. 4.4.5.G.14 envelope: 3 acres minimum, 24 ft height, 900 SF bays [1]. Fuquay-Varina's LDO Amendment #26 states that storage facilities are now permitted in the General Commercial district, without outdoor storage [2], yet each retrieved Fuquay-Varina storage case went through conditional zoning [11, 12, 13]. A multistory building in Apex goes through conditional zoning, as 22CZ15 did when it set the height at 48 ft [9].

When does a self storage building in North Carolina need sprinklers?

Under 2018 NC Building Code Sec. 903.2.9, where a Group S-1 fire area exceeds 12,000 square feet, is more than three stories above grade plane, or where the combined S-1 fire areas on all floors exceed 24,000 square feet [3].

Which building code applies to a storage building permitted now?

Treat the 2018 NC State Building Code as governing unless the local building department confirms otherwise; the owner may use the 2024 code as an alternative method [14]. Under S.L. 2025-2 Section 5.12, the 2024 code takes effect 12 months after the first day of the month following the State Fire Marshal's certification [34].

How long did the Fuquay-Varina storage rezoning take?

REZ-2024-08 went from its neighborhood meeting on June 18, 2024 to a unanimous Town Board approval on August 5, 2024, about seven weeks, with four conditions [11, 16].

How long is a commercial plan review cycle in Charlotte?

The city states that the review cycle is 15 business days, with an internal goal of commercial plan approval in 2.5 review cycles on average. Plans go in after entitlement, such as an approved rezoning [5, 17].

Does a Raleigh self storage site plan need Administrative Site Review?

Only for Tier Two and Tier Three site plans under UDO Sec. 10.2.8 [57], and a new use on vacant land is generally Tier Three [58]. Site Permit Review is separate and applies to land disturbance of 12,000 square feet or greater [59].

Can a North Carolina town require a minimum number of parking spaces for storage?

Yes, until January 1, 2027. From that date S.L. 2026-39 bars requiring an off-street parking lot to meet a minimum number of spaces per development or structure, outside the coastal area defined in G.S. 113A-103, and a required stall cannot be larger than 9 feet wide by 20 feet long [24].

Must a North Carolina storage site plan be sealed?

It depends on the town. Fuquay-Varina's checklist states that all site plans must be prepared and sealed by a licensed professional [18], while Gaston County encourages, but does not require, a site plan prepared by a licensed engineer, architect, landscape architect or land surveyor [22]. The preliminary plan is what the engineer of record builds the sealed set on.

Sources

  1. 1)Apex Unified Development Ordinance, Article 4, Sec. 4.4 Supplemental Standards (edition dated September 24, 2024), Town of Apex, North Carolina. Accessed 2026-10-09.
  2. 2)LDO Amendment #26 (CTA-2024-01), Town of Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  3. 3)2018 North Carolina State Building Code: Building Code, Chapter 9, Fire Protection Systems, International Code Council. Accessed 2026-10-09.
  4. 4)Raleigh Unified Development Ordinance, Sec. 6.5.5, Self-Service Storage, City of Raleigh, North Carolina. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  5. 5)Detailed Plan Review, City of Charlotte. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  6. 6)15A NCAC 02B .0714, Neuse River Basin: Protection and Maintenance of Existing Riparian Buffers (rule text), North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  7. 7)General Statutes Chapter 160D, Local Planning and Development Regulation, North Carolina General Assembly. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  8. 8)Charlotte Unified Development Ordinance, Article 15, Use Regulations, City of Charlotte. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  9. 9)Ordinance 22CZ15, amending the zoning map, Town of Apex, North Carolina. Accessed 2026-10-09.
  10. 10)Staff report, Rezoning 21CZ17, Ten Ten Business Park, Town of Apex, North Carolina. Accessed 2026-10-09.
  11. 11)Town Board minutes, August 5, 2024, Town of Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  12. 12)Imperial Self Storage, Town of Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  13. 13)Infinite Self Storage, Town of Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  14. 14)Planning and Zoning Law Bulletin No. 36 (February 2026), UNC School of Government. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  15. 15)Session Law 2025-30 (House Bill 173), North Carolina General Assembly. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  16. 16)Planning Board agenda abstract, REZ-2024-08, July 15, 2024, Town of Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  17. 17)Commercial Plan Review Process, City of Charlotte. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  18. 18)Site Plan Submittal Checklist (rev. July 2025), Town of Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  19. 19)Applications and Fees, Commercial Plan Review, City of Charlotte. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  20. 20)Rezoning and Conditional Zoning petition, Town of Apex, North Carolina. Accessed 2026-10-09.
  21. 21)G.S. 89C-25, Limitations on application of Chapter, North Carolina General Assembly. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  22. 22)Gaston County Unified Development Ordinance, Chapter 5, Permit Approval, Gaston County, North Carolina. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  23. 23)NCDOT Division 10 driveway permit application package (October 14, 2025), North Carolina Department of Transportation (posted by the City of Charlotte). Accessed 2026-10-10.
  24. 24)Session Law 2026-39 (House Bill 162), North Carolina General Assembly. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  25. 25)NPDES General Permit NCG010000, construction stormwater, North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  26. 26)Report to the General Assembly: study of erosion and sedimentation applicable to stormwater discharges from construction activities, North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  27. 27)Senate Bill 677, ratified (S.L. 2023-142), North Carolina General Assembly. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  28. 28)Driveway Permit Frequently Asked Questions, North Carolina Department of Transportation. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  29. 29)NCDOT Traffic Impact Analysis need screening and scoping request (2023), Town of Rolesville, North Carolina. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  30. 30)Permit Choice and Vested Rights, Chapter 160D guidance, UNC School of Government. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  31. 31)G.S. 160D-1110.1, Nonresidential building permits, North Carolina General Assembly. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  32. 32)Moratoria (legal summary), UNC School of Government. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  33. 33)Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), data center moratorium notice, Town of Holly Springs, North Carolina. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  34. 34)House Bill 47 summary (S.L. 2025-2), North Carolina General Assembly. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  35. 35)Code Change Central, Mecklenburg County Code Enforcement. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  36. 36)15A NCAC 02B .0267, Jordan Water Supply Nutrient Strategy: Protection of Existing Riparian Buffers (rule text), North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  37. 37)Wake County Environmental Services Department, watershed management approval letter, Wake County, North Carolina (posted by the Town of Rolesville). Accessed 2026-10-10.
  38. 38)15A NCAC 02B .0295, Mitigation Program Requirements for Protection and Maintenance of Riparian Buffers (rule text), North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  39. 39)Sec. 14-393, Riparian buffer protection (for lands within the Neuse River Basin), Johnston County, North Carolina (via American Legal Publishing). Accessed 2026-10-09.
  40. 40)Stormwater Design Manual (effective November 2, 2024), City of Raleigh, North Carolina. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  41. 41)Town Council minutes, August 7, 2018, Town of Holly Springs, North Carolina. Accessed 2026-10-09.
  42. 42)Application 2022-763 Staff Report, Council Place Self-Storage, Change in Zoning, Town of Matthews, North Carolina. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  43. 43)Board of Commissioners special meeting agenda, November 14, 2022, Town of Matthews, North Carolina. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  44. 44)Board of Commissioners special meeting agenda, December 12, 2022, Town of Matthews, North Carolina. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  45. 45)Development Projects in Indian Trail, Town of Indian Trail, North Carolina. Accessed 2026-10-09.
  46. 46)Plyler Self-Storage, Town of Indian Trail, North Carolina. Accessed 2026-10-09.
  47. 47)Zoning, Town of Wake Forest, North Carolina. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  48. 48)Technical Review Group Meeting #5, December 7, 2023, Town of Wake Forest, North Carolina. Accessed 2026-10-09.
  49. 49)Adopted Fee Schedule (FY 2026-27), Town of Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  50. 50)Zoning Map Amendment (Rezoning) Process, Town of Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  51. 51)Statement of Town Council and Ordinance #21CZ17, Town of Apex, North Carolina.
  52. 52)FY26 fee schedule, Town of Holly Springs, North Carolina. Accessed 2026-10-09.
  53. 53)Special Use Permit Application, DPM Appendix A.04.1, Supplement 20, October 2023, Town of Holly Springs, North Carolina. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  54. 54)Slow Growth Impacts Nation's Largest Counties Hardest (Vintage 2025 estimates, CB26-56), U.S. Census Bureau. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  55. 55)Population Growth Holds Steady in Midsized Cities Amid Widespread Slowdown (Vintage 2025 city estimates), U.S. Census Bureau. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  56. 56)Ordinance TC-8-22, self-service storage in the OP district, City of Raleigh, North Carolina. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  57. 57)Administrative Site Review, City of Raleigh. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  58. 58)Raleigh Unified Development Ordinance, Sec. 10.2.8, Site Plan Review, City of Raleigh, North Carolina. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  59. 59)Administrative Approval Action, ASR-0047-2023, City of Raleigh. Accessed 2026-10-09.
  60. 60)Administrative Site Review Submittal Instructions, City of Raleigh. Accessed 2026-10-09.
  61. 61)Modifications to Approved Site Permit Review (SPR), submittal packet, City of Raleigh. Accessed 2026-10-09.
  62. 62)Raleigh Unified Development Ordinance, Sec. 10.2.1, Common Review Procedures, City of Raleigh, North Carolina. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  63. 63)Charlotte UDO, City of Charlotte. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  64. 64)Post-Construction Stormwater Ordinances, City of Charlotte. Accessed 2026-10-10.
  65. 65)Mecklenburg County Post-Construction Storm Water Ordinance, Mecklenburg County (posted by the City of Charlotte). Accessed 2026-10-10.

Asset pages

Case studies

In this state

From the studio blog

All states and metros

Start a project

Bring us the site. We draw the first plan.

Send the parcel, the program and anything you already have: a survey, a sketch, a zoning letter. The studio returns a preliminary site plan your engineer of record can build on.

Start a project