(4) Gross Floor Area.

The sum of the gross horizontal areas of all the floors of a building, measured from the exterior faces of the exterior walls or center lines of walls separating two buildings.

(a)   Measurement Includes. 14

(.1)   Porches. 15

(.2)   Elevator shafts and stairwells on each floor.

(.3)   Attic space, whether finished or unfinished, not dedicated to elevators or mechanical equipment.

(.4)   Interior balconies.

(.5)   Mezzanines.

(.6)   Basements.

(.7)   Penthouse space not used exclusively for elevators or mechanical equipment.

(.8)   Mechanical equipment areas with a structural headroom of seven and one-half ft. or more.

(.9)   All levels of an accessory or principal use parking garage located at or above the average ground level.

(.10)   Roof deck access structures. 16

(b)   Measurement Excludes. 17

(.1)   Terraces, overhangs, and uncovered steps.

(.2)   Cellars.

(.3)   Enclosed public space.

(.4)   Attic space, basement bulkheads, and penthouse space used exclusively for elevators or mechanical equipment, and other mechanical equipment areas with a structural headroom of less than seven and one-half ft. See also § 14-701(6) (Exceptions to Dimensional Standards).

(.5)   Accessory off-street surface parking areas or loading spaces.

(.6)   Underground accessory parking and related structures such as stairs, lobbies, and mechanical spaces.

(.7)   In all Residential and SP-INS districts (See also § 14-701(6) (Exceptions to Dimensional Standards)):

(.a)   Monuments, belfries, cupolas, minarets, pinnacles, gables, spires, or ornamental towers, not for human occupancy.

(.b)   Towers of mechanical or structural necessity, except where the area of those towers exceed twenty percent (20%) of the ground floor level of the building of which they are a part, in which case they will be considered a part of the "gross floor area" of the building in the same manner as any other part.

(.8)   Office, retail sales, commercial service, or public, civic, or institutional space located along the perimeter of a parking garage structure pursuant to § 14-502(6)(c)(.2) (Residential Parking Control Area) or § 14-803(4)(b)(.3) (Ground Floor Use). 18

(.9)   In the SP-INS district:

(.a)   Any floor area in any building that is below ground level and that is used for nonresidential purposes.

(.b)   Any floor area in any building, above or below ground level, used exclusively for off-street parking of automobiles.

(.10)   In the RMX-3, CMX-4, and CMX-5 districts, floor area used for retail sales, eating and drinking establishments, financial services (except for personal credit establishments), or personal services (except for body art service and fortune telling service), provided that the floor area exclusion shall not exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the total gross floor area of the building, calculated without taking account of this exclusion. 19

(.a)   The Personal Services use must be open to all members of the public and not restricted to residents of the development. This shall not prohibit the owner or operator from billing users of the facility.

(.b)   The Personal Services use must be operated by a 3rd party vendor that is not owned by or affiliated with the owner or manager of the property where the use is located.

(.11)   Exterior balconies.

(.12)   Roof decks (notwithstanding any roof deck access structures). 20

 

Notes

14	Amended, Bill No. 120774-A (approved January 14, 2013).
15	Amended, Bill No. 130764 (approved December 18, 2013).
16	Added, Bill No. 210075 (approved March 29, 2021).
17	Amended, Bill No. 120774-A (approved January 14, 2013).
18	Amended, Bill No. 161003-A (approved May 8, 2017).
19	Amended, Bill No. 170498 (approved August 1, 2017).
20	Added, Bill No. 210075 (approved March 29, 2021).

(5) Ground Floor.

(a)   Except as otherwise expressly stated in this Zoning Code, the ground floor is the story of a building at the average ground level at the front of the building.

(b)   In the case of buildings fronting on two or more streets, the ground floor is the story at the average of the ground level of the street frontages. 21

(c)   Within the floodplains of the Schuylkill River and Delaware River, the ground floor is the story measured one ft. above the 100-year flood elevation.

 

Notes

21	Amended, Bill No. 210075 (approved March 29, 2021).

(5.1) Ground Floor Frontage. 22

The horizontal measurement of any portion of the ground floor of a building fronting on a confirmed street, excluding any building entrances or lobbies.

 

Notes

22	Added, Bill No. 130764 (approved December 18, 2013).

(6) Height, Building or Structure.

Except as expressly provided elsewhere in this Zoning Code, the vertical distance from the average ground level at the base of the structure to the top of the structure, provided, that if height is measured on a gable wall of a building, the top of the building shall be considered to be the midpoint height between the eaves and the ridge.

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(7) Lot Area.

The total area of the horizontal plane of a lot at ground level.

(8) Lot Depth. 23

The horizontal distance from the midpoint of the front lot line to the midpoint of the rear lot line of a lot. In the case of through lots, the horizontal distance from the midpoint of one front lot line to the midpoint of the opposite front lot line of a lot. In the case of flag lots the width of the "pole" or portion of the lot only used for access to the remainder of the lot shall be ignored in determining the midpoint of both the front and rear lot lines.

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Notes

23	Amended, Bill No. 161003-A (approved May 8, 2017).

(9) Lot Frontage, Width of.

See § 14-202(20) (Street Frontage, Width of).