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Residential density is the maximum allowable number of residential dwelling units permitted on a particular site, tract, lot, or other unit of land area, typically expressed as a maximum number of residential units per acre.
A. Calculation.
1. Maximum residential density is calculated by dividing the square footage of a lot by the number of square feet in an acre (43,560), then multiplying the maximum number dwelling units allowed in the zoning district, and rounding the product downwards to remove any fractions.
Example:
Lot size: 52,000 square feet / 43,560 = 1.19 acres.
Zoning district maximum density is 1.08 units per acre: 1.19 x 1.08 = 1.28. Maximum number of residential units = 1 (fractions are rounded downwards).
2. Land area associated with floodplains and riparian buffers may be included in the calculation of the square footage of a tract or site for the purposes of determining the maximum residential density.
3. Land area located within a right-of-way shall not be included in the calculation of allowable density.
B. Density Equivalence.
1. Accessory dwelling units associated with a single-family residential principal use shall not be counted towards the maximum allowable residential density.
2. When calculating the density for a private dormitory associated with an educational use, two bedrooms in a private dormitory shall be equivalent to one regular dwelling unit.
3. Maximum density amounts do not apply to student housing or lodging on college or university campuses when the housing is owned or operated by the college or university. In these instances, residential land uses are considered as an accessory to the college or university principal use.
(Ord. 2020-36, passed 12-2-2019)
Gross floor area (GFA) shall be defined as the sum in square feet of all floors of the building measured from the exterior face of the exterior walls. The gross floor area shall include or exclude areas as indicated below:
A. Areas Included in Gross Floor Area.
1. All enclosed habitable space.
2. Elevators, hallways, and stairwells on stories containing habitable space.
B. Areas Excluded from Gross Floor Area.
1. Unenclosed porches or decks.
2. Off-street parking areas, including the elevators, hallways, mechanical equipment, and stairwells on stories containing off-street parking.
3. Utility services areas devoted to the electric service, the potable water service, the wastewater system, the telephone service, the cable service, or to a backup generator.
4. Mechanical areas and uninhabited enclosed spaces on tops of roofs not intended for general storage.
(Ord. 2020-36, passed 12-2-2019)
A. Measurement. Building height shall be measured from the finished or established grade elevation following any land disturbing activities.
B. Maximum Height. Building height is the vertical distance from a point established as the mean elevation of the finished grade along the front facade of a building to any of the following points (see Figure 9.3.8: Building Height):
1. The highest point of a flat roof (excluding coping or parapet walls shorter than five feet above the roof deck);
2. The deck line of a mansard roof;
3. The mid-point of the roof between the ridge and the eaves for a gable, hip, or gambrel roof; or
4. To the highest point of a dome, shed, or cricket-style roof.
C. Story. A building story is the portion of a building where all rooms share the same floor and ceiling level.
1. A crawlspace or basement with an average ceiling height of less than seven feet is not considered as a story.
2. An attic with an average ceiling height of less than six feet is not considered a story.
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(Ord. 2020-36, passed 12-2-2019)
A. Lot coverage is the percentage of a lot or development site that is covered by impervious, or built-upon area.
B. Built-upon area includes buildings, structures, pavement, and site features that are impervious or partially impervious to rain or stormwater runoff.
C. The following features are not considered impervious, and as a result are not included within the built-upon area:
1. A slatted deck or walkway;
2. The water area of a swimming pool;
3. A surface covered by number 57 stone, as designated by the American Society for Testing and Materials, laid at least four inches thick over a geotextile fabric;
4. A trail as defined in Section 143B-139.4 of the North Carolina General Statutes that is either unpaved or paved as long as the pavement is porous with a hydraulic conductivity greater than 0.001 centimeters per second (1.41 inches per hour); or
5. Landscaping material, including, but not limited to, gravel, mulch, sand, and vegetation, placed on areas that receive pedestrian or bicycle traffic or on portions of driveways and parking areas that will not be compacted by the weight of a vehicle, such as the area between sections of pavement that support the weight of a vehicle.
(Ord. 2020-36, passed 12-2-2019)
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