A. Lot Area
Lot area shall be determined by measuring the total horizontal land area (in square feet) within the lot lines of the lot—excluding any area within existing or proposed public street rights-of-way or private street easements.
B. Lot Width
Lot width shall be determined by calculating the mean horizontal distance between the interior side lines of a lot, or for corner lots, between a
street side lot line
and the opposite
interior side lot line
, as measured along a line running along the midpoints between the
interior side lot lines
, or between the
street side lot line
and the opposite
interior side lot line
, as appropriate.
C. Density (Dwelling Units per Acre)
Density (expressed as
dwelling units
per acre) shall be determined by dividing the total number of
dwelling units
located or proposed on a lot by the area of the
lot area
(See subsection A above.) and multiplying the result by 43,560. For purposes of determining maximum density, an accessory dwelling unit shall be considered to be a half
dwelling unit
.
D. Floor Area per Dwelling Unit
Floor area per
dwelling unit
shall be determined by measuring the sum of the gross horizontal area (in square feet) of each floor of a
dwelling unit
, measured from the exterior walls or the centerline of party walls—excluding any area used exclusively for the parking of motor vehicles (e.g., garage).
E. Lot Coverage
Lot coverage (expressed as a percentage of lot area) shall be determined by measuring the total horizontal land area (in square feet) covered by all principal and accessory structures on the lot, dividing that coverage area by the total lot area (See subsection A above.), and multiplying the result by 100.
F. Pervious Area
Pervious area (expressed as a percentage of
lot area
) shall be determined by measuring the total horizontal land area (in square feet) covered by pervious surfaces on the lot Pervious surfaces are covered by living plant material that allows precipitation to infiltrate directly into the ground. Up to 15% of the
pervious area
may be covered with mulch or other types of non-living pervious materials. Pervious surfaces shall not include any
pervious areas
within existing or proposed public street rights-of-way or private street easements. The
pervious area
is then divided by the total
lot area
(See subsection A above.), and the result is multiplied by 100. (See the definition of "
pervious area
" in Part 5 (Terms and Uses Defined) of this article.) To determine the Pervious Area of a Required Front Yard, the measurement shall include the total horizontal land area within the required front yard that is covered by pervious surfaces, and dividing that coverage area by the total required front yard area.
G. Height
The height of a structure shall be determined by measuring the vertical distance from the average elevation of the existing finished grade at the front of the structure to the top of the roof for a flat roof, to the deck line for a mansard roof, or to the mean height between
eaves
and ridge for a gable, hip, cone, gambrel, or shed roof (See Figure 155.9401.G: General Height Measurement.).
H. Yard Setback
1. Generally
Front, side, and
rear yard
setbacks on a lot shall be determined by measuring the horizontal distance along a straight line extending at a right angle from the lot's front, side, or rear lot line (as appropriate) to the foundation of the nearest structure on the lot (See Figure 155.9401.H: Lot Dimensions.). Allowable encroachments into required yards shall be ignored when measuring yard setbacks See Section 155.9402.C, Allowable Required Yard Encroachments.).
2. Front Yard Setback
a. Corner Lot
i. On a
corner lot
, the front yard setback shall be measured from the street-fronting lot line the Development Services Director determines to be the front lot line in accordance with the definition of "lot line, front" in Part 5 (Terms and Uses Defined) of this article. The street side yard setback shall be measured and applied from the other street-fronting lot line (the
street side lot line
).
ii. On a
corner lot
where the intersecting right-of-way boundaries are defined by a radius, the front yard setback shall be measured, and the minimum front yard setback requirement shall be applied, from the front lot line defined by one right-of-way boundary as extended to form an intersecting angle with an extension of the side lot line defined by the other right-of-way boundary (See Figure 155.9401.H: Lot Dimensions.).
b. Through Lot
On a through lot, the front yard setback shall be measured, and the minimum front yard setback requirement shall be applied, from both of the parallel or nearly parallel street-fronting lot lines.
3. Measured from Future Street Right-of-Way
Where city-adopted plans, including § 100.01 of the Code of Ordinances, call for the future widening of the street right-of-way abutting a lot and identify the future right-of-way boundary (e.g., by delineating the boundary or establishing its distance from the street's centerline), the minimum front yard setback on the lot shall be measured from the future right-of-way boundary (See Figure 155.9401.H.3, Front Yard Abutting Future Right-of-Way.).
4. Street Side Yard Setback
On a
corner lot
where the intersecting right-of-way boundaries are defined by a radius, the street side yard depth shall be measured from the street-fronting lot line the Development Services Director determines not to be the front lot line in accordance with subsection 2.a.i above.
5. Cul-De-Sac Setback.
Where a cul-de-sac occurs at the end of a street, buildings fronting thereon shall be set back from the extended center line a distance equal to half the amount of the width of the ultimate right-of-way plus the distance of the minimum required front yard.
I. Measuring Required Distances Between Uses or Properties
1. Unless otherwise specified in the code, when a specified distance is required between uses, the distance shall be measured using the shortest possible distance between the two property lines by airline route. City staff will use computer software capable of performing spatial analysis to approximate the distance between properties & uses.
2. If contested, the applicant (at their expense) may submit a survey illustrating the true distance between property lines for the city to review. On determining that the applicant's survey is accurate, the Development Services Director may accept the survey in lieu of the estimated distance.