Zoning Library › North Carolina › Gastonia, NC
Gastonia, NC zoning: where a drive-thru restaurant is allowed
Is a drive-thru allowed in Gastonia, NC?
A drive-thru restaurant is allowed by right (no conditional use permit, special exception or rezoning) in these zoning districts: C-2, C-3, CBD, I-1, I-2, I-U, UMU.
It is not allowed in 10 districts: C-1, O-1, O-M, OLC, PD TND, RLD, RMF, RS-8, RS-12, TMU.
34 districts are not confirmed yet.
Drive-thru rules in plain words
Per the city's 2014 per-district use list, a restaurant with drive-thru is permitted by right with supplemental regulations in C-2, C-3, I-1, I-2, I-U and UMU, and in CBD only where the lot fronts two major thoroughfares (7.11(E)(1)). C-1, the office districts, TMU and residential districts do not list it. Standards: Type D buffer next to residential (8.2.30), 50 ft separation of speaker and lane from residential lots (9.20), queuing (10.9). Current Table 7.1-1 could not be read, so confirm with the Planning Department.
Code facts
- Jurisdiction
- City of Gastonia, North Carolina
- Zoning code
- Unified Development Ordinance (UDO)
- Code last amended
- Through Ord. 25-845 (signed 2025-12-16, per city PDF filename); Ord. 25-845 amends Table 7.3-1, Sec. 7.6.5 and others, not Table 7.1-1, 8.2.30 or 10.9. Later amendments not checked.
- Restaurant parking
- Sec. 10.12 lists maximums, not minimums; fast-food restaurants fall under 'Other', parking based on project and Technical Review Committee approval.
- Drive-thru stacking
- Sec. 10.9: adequate on-site queuing that does not block streets or sidewalks; restaurants need at least 8 queuing spaces with one drive-thru lane, 6 per lane where more than one lane exists. Sec. 9.20: speaker, menu board, window and stacking lane 50 ft or more from a residential lot edge.
- Official code
- gastonianc.gov
- Official zoning map
- gastonianc.gov
- Planning office
- City of Gastonia Planning Department 704-854-6652 gastonianc.gov
Approvals and how long they take
| Approval | Who decides | Steps | Typical time | Fee | Section |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Special use permit (Table 7.1-1 'C' uses) | Planning Commission after an evidentiary hearing | Pre-application conference, application with site development plan, staff review, mailed notice at least 10 days before hearing, hearing, decision by simple majority; four findings required (welfare, compliance, no substantial injury to values, harmony with area). Appeal to Superior Court within 30 days. | Commission to consider within 35 days of receiving information from the Administrator | 5.11 source | |
| Conditional zoning (CD district rezoning) | City Council after Planning Commission review | Application with site plan, Administrator review, neighborhood meeting and report, Planning Commission review, Council legislative hearing with published and mailed notice and posted sign, Council adopts or rejects with statement of reasonableness. Uses limited to those in the adopting ordinance; reverts if not begun within 24 months. | Commission has 45 days after its hearing closes on a map amendment | 5.16.3, 5.16.4, 6.4 source |
District standards
| District | Name | Restaurant | Section |
|---|---|---|---|
| C-2 | Highway Commercial | By right | Table 7.1-1 (2014 list) source |
| C-3 | General Commercial | By right | Table 7.1-1 (2014 list) source |
| CBD | Central Business District | By right | Table 7.1-1 (2014 list); 7.11(E)(1) source |
| I-1 | Light Industrial | By right | Table 7.1-1 (2014 list) source |
| I-2 | General Industrial | By right | Table 7.1-1 (2014 list) source |
| I-U | Urban Industrial | By right | Table 7.1-1 (2014 list) source |
| UMU | Urban Mixed Use | By right | Table 7.1-1 (2014 list) source |
Overlays to watch
- Urban Standards Overlay (Sec. 7.6.5): For non-residential uses, the drive-through lane should loop inside the site; on internal lots the building sits between lane and street; on corner lots the lane may lie between building and street but not encircle the building and needs enhanced features approved by the Administrator; alternates and landscaping/knee walls/building wall between lane and street per Administrator; queuing per 10.9. source
Second check against the source text: 2026-11-15 (The 2014 city PDF is a per-district list (not a flattened grid), so no column alignment problem; it lists drive-thru restaurants as XS (by right with supplemental regulations) in C-2, C-3, CBD, I-1, I-2, I-U, UMU only. No status changed; quotes, sections and notes corrected (O-1/O-M/TMU list only restaurant within other facilities; O-M cap 3,000 sq ft; TND cite is 8.1.13(D)(3)). Current Table 7.1-1 not reachable (enCodePlus blocks bots, Municode not used); 2021-2025 amendments could affect cells.).
Drive-thru restaurant rule by zoning district
| District | Drive-thru restaurant | What the code says | Section | Source | Read on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Airport District | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | gastonianc.gov | 2026-11-15 | |
| C-1 Light Commercial | Not allowed | Restaurant; Restaurant within Other Facilities (no "Restaurant, with Drive Thru" entry) The 2014 C-1 list has Restaurant and Restaurant within Other Facilities (XS) but no drive-through entry. Drive-through restaurants are not listed, and the legend/Sec. 7.1 treat unlisted uses as not allowed. Source is the city's per-district use list (revised 10/17/2014), which does not list the use; later UDO amendments (2021-2025) could not be checked against a current Table 7.1-1, so confidence is medium. | Table 7.1-1 (2014 district list) | gastonianc.gov | 2026-11-15 |
| C-1 CD Light Commercial (conditional zoning) | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| C-2 Highway Commercial | By right | Restaurant, with Drive Thru Standards: Sec. 8.2.30 requires a Type D buffer where the lot is adjacent to a residential zoning district; Sec. 9.20 puts the speaker, menu board, drive-through window and stacking lane at least 50 ft from a residential lot edge; Sec. 10.9 requires on-site queuing (8 spaces for one lane, 6 per lane if more than one). Source is the city's per-district use list (revised 10/17/2014), which lists this use under 'permitted by right with supplemental regulations (XS)'; later UDO amendments (2021-2025) could not be checked against a current Table 7.1-1, so confidence is medium. | Table 7.1-1 (2014 district list, XS); 8.2.30; 9.20; 10.9 | gastonianc.gov | 2026-11-15 |
| C-2 CD Highway Commercial (conditional zoning) | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| C-2 CUP Highway Commercial (conditional use) | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| C-3 General Commercial | By right | Restaurant, with Drive Thru Standards: Sec. 8.2.30 requires a Type D buffer where the lot is adjacent to a residential zoning district; Sec. 9.20 puts the speaker, menu board, drive-through window and stacking lane at least 50 ft from a residential lot edge; Sec. 10.9 requires on-site queuing (8 spaces for one lane, 6 per lane if more than one). Source is the city's per-district use list (revised 10/17/2014), which lists this use under 'permitted by right with supplemental regulations (XS)'; later UDO amendments (2021-2025) could not be checked against a current Table 7.1-1, so confidence is medium. | Table 7.1-1 (2014 district list, XS); 8.2.30; 9.20; 10.9 | gastonianc.gov | 2026-11-15 |
| C-3 CD General Commercial (conditional zoning) | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| C-3 CUP General Commercial (conditional use) | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| CBD Central Business District | By right | no drive-through service shall be allowed except in instances where properties have frontage on at least two (2) Listed XS (by right with supplemental regulations) in the 2014 CBD list, but Sec. 7.11(E)(1) allows drive-through only where the property fronts at least two major thoroughfares of the adopted thoroughfare plan; the plan reviewer may require added site/architectural improvements; drive-through fast food must include outdoor dining and bike racks; no franchise architecture. Standards: Sec. 8.2.30 requires a Type D buffer where the lot is adjacent to a residential zoning district; Sec. 9.20 puts the speaker, menu board, drive-through window and stacking lane at least 50 ft from a residential lot edge; Sec. 10.9 requires on-site queuing (8 spaces for one lane, 6 per lane if more than one). Source is the city's per-district use list (revised 10/17/2014), which lists this use under 'permitted by right with supplemental regulations (XS)'; later UDO amendments (2021-2025) could not be checked against a current Table 7.1-1, so confidence is medium. | Table 7.1-1 (2014 district list, XS); 7.11(E)(1); 8.2.30; 9.20; 10.9 | gastonianc.gov | 2026-11-15 |
| CBD CUP Central Business District (conditional use) | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| I-1 Light Industrial | By right | Restaurant, with Drive Thru Standards: Sec. 8.2.30 requires a Type D buffer where the lot is adjacent to a residential zoning district; Sec. 9.20 puts the speaker, menu board, drive-through window and stacking lane at least 50 ft from a residential lot edge; Sec. 10.9 requires on-site queuing (8 spaces for one lane, 6 per lane if more than one). Source is the city's per-district use list (revised 10/17/2014), which lists this use under 'permitted by right with supplemental regulations (XS)'; later UDO amendments (2021-2025) could not be checked against a current Table 7.1-1, so confidence is medium. | Table 7.1-1 (2014 district list, XS); 8.2.30; 9.20; 10.9 | gastonianc.gov | 2026-11-15 |
| I-1 CD Light Industrial (conditional zoning) | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| I-1 CUP Light Industrial (conditional use) | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| I-2 General Industrial | By right | Restaurant, with Drive Thru Standards: Sec. 8.2.30 requires a Type D buffer where the lot is adjacent to a residential zoning district; Sec. 9.20 puts the speaker, menu board, drive-through window and stacking lane at least 50 ft from a residential lot edge; Sec. 10.9 requires on-site queuing (8 spaces for one lane, 6 per lane if more than one). Source is the city's per-district use list (revised 10/17/2014), which lists this use under 'permitted by right with supplemental regulations (XS)'; later UDO amendments (2021-2025) could not be checked against a current Table 7.1-1, so confidence is medium. | Table 7.1-1 (2014 district list, XS); 8.2.30; 9.20; 10.9 | gastonianc.gov | 2026-11-15 |
| I-2 CD General Industrial (conditional zoning) | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| I-2 CUP General Industrial (conditional use) | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| I-2 SUP General Industrial (special use permit) | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| I-3 CD Exclusive Industrial (conditional zoning) | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| I-U Urban Industrial | By right | Restaurant, with Drive Thru Standards: Sec. 8.2.30 requires a Type D buffer where the lot is adjacent to a residential zoning district; Sec. 9.20 puts the speaker, menu board, drive-through window and stacking lane at least 50 ft from a residential lot edge; Sec. 10.9 requires on-site queuing (8 spaces for one lane, 6 per lane if more than one). Source is the city's per-district use list (revised 10/17/2014), which lists this use under 'permitted by right with supplemental regulations (XS)'; later UDO amendments (2021-2025) could not be checked against a current Table 7.1-1, so confidence is medium. | Table 7.1-1 (2014 district list, XS); 8.2.30; 9.20; 10.9 | gastonianc.gov | 2026-11-15 |
| I-U CD Urban Industrial (conditional zoning) | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| I-U CUP Urban Industrial (conditional use) | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| O-1 Office | Not allowed | Restaurant within Other Facilities (no "Restaurant, with Drive Thru" entry) The 2014 O-1 list has only Restaurant within Other Facilities (XS); no drive-through entry. Drive-through restaurants are not listed, and the legend/Sec. 7.1 treat unlisted uses as not allowed. Source is the city's per-district use list (revised 10/17/2014), which does not list the use; later UDO amendments (2021-2025) could not be checked against a current Table 7.1-1, so confidence is medium. | Table 7.1-1 (2014 district list) | gastonianc.gov | 2026-11-15 |
| O-1 CD Office (conditional zoning) | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| O-1 CUP Office (conditional use) | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| O-M Medical Office | Not allowed | Restaurant within Other Facilities (no "Restaurant, with Drive Thru" entry) The 2014 O-M list has only Restaurant within Other Facilities (XS); no drive-through entry. Sec. 8.2.31 caps office-district restaurants at 1,500 sq ft (3,000 sq ft in O-M). Drive-through restaurants are not listed, and the legend/Sec. 7.1 treat unlisted uses as not allowed. Source is the city's per-district use list (revised 10/17/2014), which does not list the use; later UDO amendments (2021-2025) could not be checked against a current Table 7.1-1, so confidence is medium. | Table 7.1-1 (2014 district list) | gastonianc.gov | 2026-11-15 |
| O-M CD Medical Office (conditional zoning) | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| OLC Office/Light Commercial | Not allowed | Restaurant; Restaurant within Other Facilities (no "Restaurant, with Drive Thru" entry) The 2014 OLC list has Restaurant and Restaurant within Other Facilities (XS) but no drive-through entry. Sec. 8.2.31 caps office-district restaurants at 1,500 sq ft. Drive-through restaurants are not listed, and the legend/Sec. 7.1 treat unlisted uses as not allowed. Source is the city's per-district use list (revised 10/17/2014), which does not list the use; later UDO amendments (2021-2025) could not be checked against a current Table 7.1-1, so confidence is medium. | Table 7.1-1 (2014 district list) | gastonianc.gov | 2026-11-15 |
| OLC CD Office/Light Commercial (conditional zoning) | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| OLC CUP Office/Light Commercial (conditional use) | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| out | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | gastonianc.gov | 2026-11-15 | |
| PD IRD | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| PD PRD | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| PD PUD Planned Unit Development (within PD) | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| PD RRDD Revised Residential Development (within PD) | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| PD TND Traditional Neighborhood Development (within PD) | Not allowed | Restaurants (no fast food; no drive-through) TND use table allows restaurants by right but expressly excludes fast food and drive-throughs. TND is a planned district type; other PD variants stay unclear. | 8.1.13(D)(3) | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 |
| RLD Residential Low Density | Not allowed | District use list has no restaurant entry No restaurant of any kind is listed in the 2014 residential district use list. TND exception exists only under PD TND. | Table 7.1-1 (2014 district list) | gastonianc.gov | 2026-11-15 |
| RMF Multi-family Residential | Not allowed | District use list has no restaurant entry No restaurant of any kind is listed in the 2014 residential district use list. TND exception exists only under PD TND. | Table 7.1-1 (2014 district list) | gastonianc.gov | 2026-11-15 |
| RMF CD Multi-family Residential (conditional zoning) | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| RMF PRD Multi-family (planned residential) | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | gastonianc.gov | 2026-11-15 | |
| RS-8 Urban Residential (8,000 sq ft class) | Not allowed | District use list has no restaurant entry No restaurant of any kind is listed in the 2014 residential district use list. TND exception exists only under PD TND. | Table 7.1-1 (2014 district list) | gastonianc.gov | 2026-11-15 |
| RS-8 CD Urban Residential (conditional zoning) | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| RS-8 CUP Urban Residential (conditional use) | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| RS-12 Urban Residential (12,000 sq ft class) | Not allowed | District use list has no restaurant entry No restaurant of any kind is listed in the 2014 residential district use list. TND exception exists only under PD TND. | Table 7.1-1 (2014 district list) | gastonianc.gov | 2026-11-15 |
| RS-12 CD Urban Residential (conditional zoning) | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| RS-12 CUP Urban Residential (conditional use) | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| SP State Park District | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | gastonianc.gov | 2026-11-15 | |
| TMU Transitional Mixed Use | Not allowed | Restaurant within Other Facilities (no "Restaurant, with Drive Thru" entry) The 2014 TMU list has only Restaurant within Other Facilities (XS); no drive-through entry. Drive-through restaurants are not listed, and the legend/Sec. 7.1 treat unlisted uses as not allowed. Source is the city's per-district use list (revised 10/17/2014), which does not list the use; later UDO amendments (2021-2025) could not be checked against a current Table 7.1-1, so confidence is medium. | Table 7.1-1 (2014 district list) | gastonianc.gov | 2026-11-15 |
| TMU CD Transitional Mixed Use (conditional zoning) | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 | |
| UMU Urban Mixed Use | By right | Any Restaurant, with Drive Thru shall also include an outdoor dining area and on-site bike racks. Sec. 7.12(D)(1): subject to Chapter 10 staging space rules, must include outdoor dining and on-site bike racks; Design Review Committee may require added improvements; no high-intensity, metallic or fluorescent primary building colors. Standards: Sec. 8.2.30 requires a Type D buffer where the lot is adjacent to a residential zoning district; Sec. 9.20 puts the speaker, menu board, drive-through window and stacking lane at least 50 ft from a residential lot edge; Sec. 10.9 requires on-site queuing (8 spaces for one lane, 6 per lane if more than one). Source is the city's per-district use list (revised 10/17/2014), which lists this use under 'permitted by right with supplemental regulations (XS)'; later UDO amendments (2021-2025) could not be checked against a current Table 7.1-1, so confidence is medium. | Table 7.1-1 (2014 district list, XS); 7.12(D)(1); 8.2.30; 9.20; 10.9 | gastonianc.gov | 2026-11-15 |
| UMU CUP Urban Mixed Use (conditional use) | Not confirmed | Not read closely enough to state a rule. | zoneomics.com | 2026-11-15 |
"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://cogserver.gastonianc.gov/serverweb/rest/services/Planning/Zoning_UDO/MapServer/0 (district field: ZONING)
City of Gastonia 'Zoning Code and Definition' layer (city server). Query returns 51 non-null district values plus null; the county-hosted 'Gastonia Zoning' layer (gis.gastoncountync.gov .../PublicGIS/Zoning/MapServer/2, field ZONING) returned the same values. Base I-3 and RS-20 are not on the layer; base O-M/CUP-style variants follow the layer spelling.
Sources
How to confirm before you buy
- Look up the parcel on the official zoning map to get its district and any overlay.
- Open the code section linked in the table and read the use table and the drive-thru standards.
- 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.