The purposes of the Takoma Neighborhood Mixed-Use NC-2 zone are to:
- Reserve sufficient open space to provide adequate light and air to encourage retail and service uses, and pedestrian circulation in the vicinity of the Takoma Metro station;
- Require a minimum clear floor-to-ceiling height on the ground floor sufficient to accommodate the needs of neighborhood-serving retail, service, and office uses;
- Allow and encourage residential development to help meet the need for housing, enhance safety, and provide sufficient resident population to support neighborhood-serving retail, service, and office uses;
- Permit mixed-use development at a moderate density;
- Encourage residential development to enhance safety and provide resident population to support neighborhood-serving commercial uses; and
- Limit the height of new buildings and encourage a scale of development and a mixture of building uses that is generally compatible in scale with existing buildings.

Development Standards | ||||||||
Floor Area Ratio (max.)1 | Height (ft.) | Penthouse Height (ft.)/Stories2 | Lot Occupancy (percentage) |
Rear Yard (ft.) | Side Yard (ft.) | Green Area Ratio | Zoning Regulation Reference | |
NC-2 | 2.5 | 55 | 12 (1 story) |
60% (residential) | 15 (minimum) | No side setback is required; however, if a side setback is provided it shall be at least 2 in. wide for each 1 ft. of height of building but no less than 5 ft.3 | 0.3 | Subtitle H, Chapter 4 |
3.0 (IZ) | 15 for mechanical space (second additional story for mechanical space) | 100% (non-residential) | 8 ft. for a single-family detached or semi-detached dwelling | |||||
1.5 (non-residential) |
Use Permissions | Courtyards | Parking | Inclusionary Zoning | Design Requirements |
Subtitle H, Chapter 11 | Subtitle H § 407 | Subtitle C, Chapter 7/8 | Subtitle C, Chapter 10 | Subtitle H § 409 |
1 An existing building no a lot 10,000 sq. ft. or less may exceed maximum FAR standard for non-residential uses, provided the uses are located in the ground story directyl above the ground story.
2 Except as prohibited on the roof of a detached dwelling, semi-detached dwelling, rowhouse, or flat in Subtitle C § 1500.4.