For all calculations, the applicant shall be responsible for supplying drawings illustrating the measurements that apply to a project. These drawings shall be drawn to scale and of sufficient detail to allow easy verification upon inspection by the Director.
(A) Fractions. Whenever this code requires consideration of distances, parking spaces, dwelling units, or other aspects of development or the physical environment expressed in numerical quantities, and the result of a calculation contains a fraction of a whole number, the results will be rounded as follows:
(1) General rounding. Fractions exceeding one-half or greater shall be rounded up to the nearest whole number and fractions equal to or less than one-half shall be rounded down to the nearest whole number, except as otherwise provided.
(2) Residential density. In calculating allowable residential density, any fractional number of units shall be rounded down to the next whole number except in the calculation of fractions related to permitted bonus density units for projects eligible for bonus density pursuant to Cal. Gov’t Code § 65915 or any successor statute, and Chapter 23.14, where any fractional number of units shall be rounded up to the next whole number.
(3) Required parking spaces. Fractional space requirements shall be counted as the next largest whole space. For multi-unit residential uses, fractional requirements shall be rounded up only after all the parking space requirements for all dwelling units on the site are computed.
(B) Measuring distances.
(1) Measurements are shortest distance. When measuring a required distance, such as the minimum distance between a structure and a lot line, the measurement is made at the closest or shortest distance between the two objects.
(2) Distances are measured horizontally. When determining distances for setbacks and structure dimensions, all distances are measured along a horizontal plane from the appropriate line, edge of building, structure, storage area, parking area, or other object. These distances are not measured by following the topography or slope of the land.
(3) Measurements involving a structure. Measurements involving a structure are made to the closest support element of the structure. Structures or portions of structures that are entirely underground are not included in measuring required distances.
(4) Measurement of vehicle stacking or travel areas. Measurement of a minimum travel distance for vehicles, such as garage entrance setbacks and stacking lane distances, are measured down the center of the vehicle travel area. For example, curving driveways and travel lanes are measured along the center arc of the driveway or traffic lane.
(5) Measuring radius. When a specified land use is required to be located a minimum distance from another land use, the minimum distance is measured in a straight line from all points along the lot line of the subject project, in all directions.
FIGURE 23.02.030.B: MEASURING DISTANCES
(C) Measuring height. Height is measured as the vertical distance measured from the average level of the finished grade of the lot to the highest point of the object being measured.
(1) Measuring building height. Building height is the vertical distance measured from the average elevation of the finished grade within five feet of the structure to the highest point of the structure.
FIGURE 23.02.030.C: MEASURING HEIGHT
(2) Measuring the number of stories. In measuring the number of stories in a building, the following rules shall apply:
(a) An interior balcony or mezzanine shall be counted as a full story if its floor area exceeds one-third of the total area of the nearest full floor directly below it or if it is enclosed on more than two sides.
(b) A basement shall be counted as a full story if the vertical distance between finished grade and the finished surface of the floor above the basement is more than six feet at any point.
(c) A story shall not exceed 25 feet in height from the upper surface of the floor to the ceiling above.
FIGURE 23.02.030.C.2: MEASURING THE NUMBER OF STORIES
(3) Measuring height of fences or walls.
(a) Front yard fencing. The height of front yard fencing is measured as the vertical distance from the sidewalk elevation to the highest point of such fence or wall.
(b) Fencing along interior side and rear property lines. The height of fencing located along an interior side or rear property line is measured as the vertical distance from the ground level of the adjacent property to the highest point of such fence or wall.
(c) Interior of lot fencing. The height of fencing located in the interior of the lot (i.e. outside the front yard and not located on the interior side or rear property line) is measured as the vertical distance from the ground level on the lowest external side of the fence or wall to the highest point of such fence or wall.
(4) Measuring the height of decks. Deck height is determined by measuring from the ground to the top of the floor of the deck directly above the ground below.
FIGURE 23.02.030.C.4: MEASURING HEIGHT OF DECKS
(D) Measuring lot width and depth.
(1) Lot width. Lot width is the horizontal distance between the side lot lines, measured at right angles to the lot along a straight line parallel to the front lot line at the minimum required building setback line.
(2) Lot depth. Lot depth is measured along a straight line down from the midpoint of the front property line of the lot to the midpoint of the rear property line or to the most distant point on any other lot line where there is no rear lot line.
FIGURE 23.02.030.D: MEASURING LOT WIDTH AND DEPTH
(E) Determining floor area. The floor area of a building is the sum of the gross horizontal areas of the several floors of a building measured from the exterior face of exterior walls, or from the centerline of a wall separating two buildings, but not including interior parking spaces, loading space for motor vehicles, vehicular maneuvering areas, or any space where the floor-to-ceiling height is less than six feet
(F) Determining floor area ratio. The floor area ratio (FAR) is the ratio of the total gross floor area of a development to the total site area of the property on which the development is located. To calculate the FAR, floor area is divided by site area, and typically expressed as a decimal. For example, if the floor area of all buildings on a site totals 20,000 square feet, and the site area is 10,000 square feet, the FAR is expressed as 2.0.
(G) Determining lot coverage. Lot coverage is the ratio of the horizontal area measured at the outside of the exterior walls of the ground floor of all principal and accessory buildings located on a lot to the net lot area, typically expressed as a percentage.
(H) Determining lot frontage.
(1) Corner lot. The front of a lot is the narrowest dimension of the lot with street frontage.
(2) Through lot. Both street frontages shall be designated as the front of the lot.
(I) Determining setbacks (yards). A setback line defining a required yard is parallel to and at the specified distance from the corresponding front, side, or rear property line. Required setbacks shall be unobstructed from the ground to the sky except where allowed pursuant to § 23.12.040, subject to compliance with the Building Code. The following special regulations for determining yards apply when a lot abuts a proposed street or alley.
(1) Yards abutting planned street expansions. If a property abuts an existing or proposed street for which the existing right-of-way is narrower than the right-of-way ultimately required for the street, the required setback shall be established from the future right-of-way rather than the property line.
(2) Yards on alleys.
(a) If a side lot line abuts an alley, the yard shall be considered an interior side yard rather than a street side yard.
(b) In calculating the minimum yard for any lot with an interior side yard abutting an alley, no part of the width of the alley may be considered as part of the required yard.
FIGURE 23.02.030.I: DETERMINING SETBACKS (YARDS)
(J) Measuring signs. The calculations of measurements related to signs are described in Chapter 23.21.
(Ord. 4823, passed 1-22-24)