1. Density: Density shall be calculated as the number of dwelling units per acre.
2. Fractions:
A. Off-Street Parking, Loading, or Vehicle Stacking: Any fractional requirement of a parking space shall be rounded up to require one additional parking space.
B. Landscaping: Where a calculation of a landscaping requirement results in a fractional number, the requirement shall be considered the next greatest whole number.
3. Lot and Building Standards:
A. Buildable Area:
(1) For the purpose of Section 11-04-05.6, Foothills Planned Development Standards, the space within the setback lines that remains on a lot after compliance with the minimum open space requirements of this Code. Lands with a slope of 25 percent or less are buildable, if outside of floodways or geologic hazards. Buildable areas shall be designated in the conditional use site plan as either development pockets or permanent open space in the ratio chosen under the density bonus formula. Buildable area is determined by natural topography, not by post-construction graded contours.
(2) For all other purposes, the buildable area of the lot excluding the required building setbacks.
B. Effective Lot Area: The gross horizontal area of a lot minus any portion of the lot encumbered by a recorded driveway or road easement.
C. Floor Area, Gross: The sum of the square footage of all floors, including lofts and basements, and the exterior walls of a building or portion of a building.
D. Floor Area, Net Leasable: The entire square foot area of floor space of a building that is enclosed and subject to heating or air conditioning, less any of the following:
(1) Any space used and occupied by central mechanical or electrical equipment, elevators, escalators, conveyors, dumbwaiters, lifts, chutes, trash disposal units, and fuel storage spaces; and
(2) Public rights-of-way and other similar enclosed spaces open to the public, such as public washrooms, corridors, stairwells, or elevator lobbies.
E. Floor Area Ratio (FAR): The gross floor area divided by the lot area.
F. Grade: The elevation of the finished surface of the ground adjacent to the exterior wall of a building or structure. If a berm has been created adjacent to the structure, or if the structure is built on top of a berm or retaining wall, grade will be considered the lowest point of the berm or wall.
G. Grade, Established: The curb line grade at the lot line/property lines established by the City Engineer or otherwise established by law.
H. Lot Area: The square footage within the boundary of a lot or parcel. Lot area shall be determined exclusive of land that is used for public or private streets, highways, alleys, roads, and rights-of-way. The flagpole or stem portion of a flag lot shall not be considered as part of the lot area.
I. Lot Coverage: The area of a lot occupied by the primary building(s) and any accessory building(s).
J. Lot Depth: The distance between front and rear lot line/property lines measured in the mean direction of the side lot line/property lines.
K. Lot Width (Average): The distance between the side lot line/property lines, measured in one of the following manners, whichever is applicable as determined by the Planning Director:
(1) In the case of a regular-shaped lot, the width shall be measured along the front lot line/property line;
(2) In the case of an irregular-shaped lot, the width shall be the average distance between the side lot line/property lines, with the average distance to be measured at 10 foot intervals for the first 100 feet of the lot depth beginning at the front lot line/property line;
(3) In the case of a regular-shaped flag lot, the width shall be measured at a distance of 20 feet from the inside end of the flag pole; or
(4) In the case of an irregular-shaped flag lot, the width shall be the average distance between the side lot line/property lines, with the average distance to be measured at 10 foot intervals for the first 100 feet of the lot depth beginning at the front lot line/property line.
(5) The dimension of a lot at its front setback line shall not be less than the minimum average lot width required for the zoning district in question.
L. Non-Buildable Area: Lands with a slope greater than 25 percent are non-buildable areas and do not qualify as a development pocket, nor are they eligible to be calculated as open space for establishing a density bonus, unless classified as priority open space.
M. Open Space: When this Code requires that a percentage of open space be provided on a lot or within a development, that requirement is in addition to any required front or side building setbacks and/or street or property edge buffers otherwise required by this Code. Unobstructed at grade rear yard areas provided on site, whether or not required by this Code, shall count towards required open space.
N. Percent Slope: The vertical rise divided by the horizontal distance within which the vertical rise takes place.
O. Story: That portion of a building included between the upper surface of a floor and the upper surface of the floor or roof next above. A story is measured as the vertical distance from top to top of two successive tiers of beams or finished floor surfaces and, for the topmost story, from the top of the floor finish to the top of the ceiling joists or, where there is not a ceiling, to the top of the roof rafters.
P. Story Above Grade Plane: Any story having its finished floor surface entirely above grade plane, or in which the finished surface of the floor next above is:
(1) More than six feet (1829 mm) above grade plane; or
(2) More than 12 feet (3658 mm) above the finished ground level at any point.
4. Height:
A. Building Height:
(1) The vertical distance from the grade to the highest point of the roof or structure that is not listed as an exception to the maximum building height limits in Section 11-04-03.3.C.
(2) Towers, steeples, spires, belfries, cupolas, and domes on primary nonresidential structures, provided they are not used for human occupancy, are exempt from building height limits if their largest horizontal cross-section does not exceed 20 percent of the horizontal cross-section of the top floor ceiling plate of the building.
B. Fence Height: The height of fences shall be measured from the finished grade adjacent to the lowest section of the fence, and attached lattice, privacy screens, and similar features shall also be included in the total height.
C. Retaining Wall Height: The height of retaining walls shall be measured from wall footings, and attached fences, retaining walls, railings, and privacy screens shall also be included in the total height.
5. Setbacks:
A. Definitions:
(1) Setback: The space on a lot or parcel that is required to be left open and unoccupied by buildings or structures, either by the requirements of this Code or by delineation on a recorded subdivision map.
(2) Yard, Front: An area that extends across the full width of the lot adjacent to the front street line. Building design shall match respective yard types. For corner lots, either street may be designated as the front. For flag lots, the front yard shall be that facing the primary street frontage or the "pole", as determined by the Planning Director. Once chosen, the front yard designation and associated rear and side yards shall be identified on the plat and not be changed.
(3) Yard, Interior Side: A side yard that does not abut a street.
(4) Yard, Rear: An area that extends across the full width of the lot between the rear line of the lot and the nearest line of the primary building.
(5) Yard, Side: An area between the wall of the principal and accessory buildings, and side lot line/property line, and between the front and rear lot line/property line.
(6) Yard, Street Side: On a corner lot, a side yard that abuts a street.
B. Measurement:
(1) Front setbacks are measured from the property line, or the back of sidewalk, or the location of the future sidewalk, whichever is greater, unless otherwise indicated in a specific zoning district. If there is an existing attached sidewalk, the setbacks shall be measured from the location of a future detached sidewalk as determined by the City. When the Planning Director allows attached sidewalks on local streets due to unusual terrain, site conditions, utility conditions, or other extenuating circumstances, the setback shall be measured from the back of the existing sidewalk.
(2) When side or rear setbacks are required by building story, the setback is measured to each individual story wall.
(3) When a building setback line is indicated on any plat, the setback indicated on the plat shall apply.
(4) Front and street side setbacks for living space and side entry garages may be reduced to 15 feet provided that the distance along the inside edge of the driveway is no less than 20 feet.
Figure 6.7. Side Entry Garage Setbacks
(Ord. 27-23, 7-18-2023, eff. 12-1-2023; amd. Ord. 43-23, 12-5-2023)