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Zoning Library › North Carolina › Asheville, NC

Asheville, NC zoning: where a drive-thru restaurant is allowed

Buncombe County · 46 districts on file · last read 2026-11-14 · data.json

Is a drive-thru allowed in Asheville, NC?

A drive-thru restaurant is allowed by right (no conditional use permit, special exception or rezoning) in these zoning districts: UP, UV.

It needs a conditional or special use approval in: NCD.

It is not allowed in 9 districts: CBI, RES EXP, RM6, RM8, RM16, RS2, RS4, RS8, URD.

34 districts are not confirmed yet.

Drive-thru restaurant rule by zoning district

DistrictDrive-thru restaurantWhat the code saysSectionSourceRead on
CBDNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
CBD EXPNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
CBINot allowed"Uses with drive-through facilities are prohibited in the district."UDO 7-8-12(f)(15)codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
CBIINot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
CBII EXPNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
CINot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
COM EXPNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
HBNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
HCUNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
HR-1:CORENot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
HR-2:EXPNNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
HR-3:CRDRNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
HR-4:TRADNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
HR-6:TOWNNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
HR-7:TCNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
INDNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
INSTNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
INST EXPNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
LINot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
LODG EXPNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
NBNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
NCDConditional"(15) Drive through facilities... Use districts: Neighborhood Corridor."
Council approval; not on street side of corner lot; speakers/lighting not onto neighbors.		UDO 7-16-2 (conditional use)codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
NOT ZONEDNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
O2Not confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
OBNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
OFFICENot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
RAD-INDNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
RAD-LYHNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
RAD-NTNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
RAD-OSPNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
RAD-RESNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
RAD-RIVNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
RAD-SHPNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
RBNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
RES EXPNot allowedResidential district: no drive-through use listed.UDO 7-8-1(d) tablecodelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
RESORTNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
RIVERNot confirmedNot read closely enough to state a rule.codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
RM6Not allowedResidential district: no drive-through use listed.UDO 7-8-1(d) tablecodelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
RM8Not allowedResidential district: no drive-through use listed.UDO 7-8-1(d) tablecodelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
RM16Not allowedResidential district: no drive-through use listed.UDO 7-8-1(d) tablecodelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
RS2Not allowedResidential district: no drive-through use listed.UDO 7-8-1(d) tablecodelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
RS4Not allowedResidential district: no drive-through use listed.UDO 7-8-1(d) tablecodelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
RS8Not allowedResidential district: no drive-through use listed.UDO 7-8-1(d) tablecodelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
UPBy right"Drive through facilities shall be limited to one drive through lane."
Nothing between street and building.		UDO 7-8-26 3.1.A.1.ccodelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
URDNot allowed"Drive through facilities are prohibited in the district."UDO 7-8-25(f)(15)codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14
UVBy right"Drive through facilities... Use districts: Urban Village District"
Lane behind/beside building; not for convenience stores.		UDO 7-16-1(23) (use by right, special requirements)codelibrary.amlegal.com2026-11-14

"By right" means permitted with site plan and building permit review only. Overlay districts, planned developments (PD/PUD) and conditions attached to a past rezoning can change the answer for a single parcel.

Official zoning map layer

To find the district for a parcel, query the jurisdiction's own GIS zoning layer: https://gis.ashevillenc.gov/server/rest/services/Districts/ZoningDistricts/FeatureServer/11 (district field: districts)

City of Asheville zoning districts (field districts). "EXP" values = expansion sub-districts.

Sources

How to confirm before you buy

  1. Look up the parcel on the official zoning map to get its district and any overlay.
  2. Open the code section linked in the table and read the use table and the drive-thru standards.
  3. Call the planning office and ask whether a drive-thru restaurant needs anything beyond site plan review at that address.

Why this library exists

I'm Luke Smith. I find land for drive-thru brands like 7 Brew, Ellianos Coffee and Starbucks, sign the tenant, build the shop and sell it as a net lease property. Every deal starts with the same question: is the use allowed here without a rezoning? Getting that answer takes too long, so we read the codes (with AI research help), and I publish what we find with a link back to every source so you can check it yourself.

If you have a site that fits a drive-thru, or you want to learn how these deals are put together, join the free Reverse Deal Finder community on Skool, see cap rates and land prices by brand, or call 1-760-392-1525. Brokers welcome: I pay commissions.