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9.3.7.   Gross Floor Area (GFA)
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)
9.3.8.   Height
   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.
Figure 9.3.8: Building Height
(Ord. 2020-36, passed 12-2-2019)
9.3.9.   Lot Coverage
   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)
9.3.10.   Slope and Elevation
   A.   Slope. The degree of deviation of the ground surface from a flat, horizontal elevation, usually expressed in percent or degrees of deviation from horizontal.
   B.   Base Flood Elevation (BFE). A determination of the water surface elevations of the base flood as published in the flood insurance study. When the BFE has not been provided for land within the FHO, it may be obtained from engineering studies available from a federal, State, or other source using FEMA approved engineering methodologies. This elevation establishes the Regulatory Flood Protection Elevation.
   C.   Finished Grade. The established grade following grading, excavation, or other land-disturbing activity.
   D.   Natural Grade. The level of the ground elevation prior to the commencement of development or land disturbing activity (see Figure 9.3.10: Grade Determination).
   E.   Regulatory Flood Protection Elevation. The minimum height allowable for lowest structural member comprising habitable space within a building. This is a height equivalent to two linear feet in elevation above the base flood elevation.
Figure 9.3.10: Grade Determination
(Ord. 2020-36, passed 12-2-2019)
9.3.11.   Parking Space Computation
   A.   Rounding. When computation of the number of required parking spaces results in a fraction, the fraction shall be rounded downwards to the previous whole number.
   B.   Multiple and Mixed Uses. Unless otherwise approved, development containing more than one principal use shall provide off-street parking in an amount equal to the total requirements of all individual uses, unless the Planning Director determines that a lower standard would be adequate because of differences in peak operating hours.
   C.   Seat Based Standards. Where the minimum number of off-street parking spaces is based on the number of seats, all computations shall be based on the number of seats provided, including outdoor and waiting areas.
   D.   Employee Based Standards. When the minimum number of off-street parking spaces is based on the number of employees, the computations shall be based on the number of employees on the largest shift.
   E.   Floor-Area Based Standards. Here the minimum number of off-street parking spaces is based on square feet of floor area, all computations shall be based on gross floor area. The square footage shall include outdoor use area.
   F.   Parking Space and Access Aisle Dimensions. Figure 9.3.11.F, Parking Space and Access Aisle Dimensions, sets out the minimum off-street parking space dimensions and minimum widths of access aisles.
Figure 9.3.11.F: Parking Space and Aisle Dimensions
(Ord. 2020-36, passe d 12-2-2019; Ord. 2025-11, passe d 10-7-2024)
9.3.12.   Landscaping
   A.   Determining Tree Size at Time of Planting.
      1.   Trees under Four Inches in Caliper. Minimum size at time of planting shall be determined by taking a measurement of the girth or circumference of the tree trunk, in inches, at a height of six inches above the bole, or the location where tree trunk meets the soil it is planted in.
      2.   Trees over Four, but less than Twelve Inches, in Caliper. Minimum size at time of planting shall be determined by taking a measurement of the girth or circumference of the tree trunk, in inches, at a height of 12 inches above the bole, or the location where tree trunk meets the soil it is planted in.
Figure 9.3.12: Plant Size Determination
   B.   Determining Tree Size of Existing Trees.
      1.   Existing tree size shall be determined by taking a measurement of the girth or circumference of the tree trunk, in inches, at a height of four-and-one-half feet above the bole, or the location where tree trunk meets the soil it is planted in.
      2.   In the case of a multi-stemmed tree, the cumulative DBH shall be the square root of the sum of all the individual stem diameters squared. As an alternative, the tree's basal area is the sum of the diameters of all tree stems.
   C.   Rounding. When computation of the amount of landscaping material to be provided results in a fraction, the minimum number of shrubs or trees to be provided shall be rounded upwards to the next highest whole number.
   D.   Calculation of Required Landscaping Yard or Area Distances.
      1.   In cases where a driveway, sidewalk, or greenway trail intersects a required landscaping area or yard, the width of these features shall be subtracted from the yard or area distance.
      2.   In cases where an easement that prohibits the placement of landscaping material intersects a required landscaping yard or area, the width of the easement shall not be subtracted from the required yard or area distance. Required plant material shall be located outside the easement but within the required landscaping area or yard.
(Ord. 2020-36, passed 12-2-2019)
9.3.13.   Signage Measurement
   A.   Sign Area Determination.
      1.   The surface area of a sign is computed as including the entire area within a parallelogram, triangle, circle, semi-circle, or other regular geometric figure, including all of the elements of the display, including incidental or changeable copy signage, frames, display of identification or licensing officially required by any governmental body, and structural elements.
      2.   The supporting structure for a projecting sign shall not be included within the calculation of the surface area of a sign.
      3.   In the case of signs mounted back-to-back, only one side of the sign is to be included in the calculation of sign face area. Otherwise, the surface area of each sign is to be separately computed.
      4.   When two identical sign faces are placed back to back so that both faces cannot be viewed from any point at the same time, and when such sign faces are part of the same sign structure and are not more than 42 inches apart, the sign area shall be computed by the measurement of one of the faces.
      5.   For multi-faced signs, the sign area shall be computed by including all sign faces visible from any one point.
      6.   In the case of cylindrical signs, signs in the shape of cubes, or other signs, which are substantially three-dimensional with respect to their display surfaces, the entire display surface or surfaces, is included in computations of area.
      7.   Embellishments such as display portions of signs extending outside the general display area, incidental signage, changeable copy, or supplemental signage affixed to or included on a sign or sign support structure shall be computed as part of the total surface area of the sign.
      8.   If a sign is attached to an entrance wall or fence, only that portion of that wall or fence on which the sign face or letters are placed shall be calculated in the sign area.
Figure 9.3.13.A: Sign Face Area Determination
   B.   Sign Height Determination.
      1.   Sign height shall be computed as the distance from the base of the sign at the finished grade or from the nearest adjacent street grade to which the sign is oriented and on which the lot has frontage, whichever is higher, to the top of the highest component of the sign.
      2.   Finished grade shall be the grade after construction, exclusive of any filling, berming, mounding, or excavating solely for the purpose of locating the sign.
Figure 9.3.13.B: Sign Height Determination
   C.   Wall Area (For the Purposes of Sign Area Measurement). For the purposes of determining allowable sign area, a wall is the vertical exterior surface of a building, the area of which shall be determined as follows:
      1.   The area of all parallel vertical surfaces along a single building elevation regardless of offsets shall be counted as one wall.
      2.   The front of each unit of a multiple tenant commercial building shall be counted as a separate wall.
      3.   The area of an angled wall surface shall be counted as part of whichever adjoining wall surface it is most parallel with.
      4.   A 45-degree angled wall may be counted as part of the area of either adjoining wall, but not as a part of both.
Figure 9.3.13.C: Wall Sign Determination
(Ord. 2020-36, passed 12-2-2019)
9.3.14.   Exterior Lighting
   A.   Measured at the Lot Line. Light level measurements shall be made at the lot line of the land upon which light to be measured is being generated. If measurement on private property is not possible or practical, light level measurements may be made at the boundary of the public street right-of-way that adjoins the land.
   B.   Measured at Finished Grade. Measurements shall be made at finished grade (ground level), with the light-registering portion of the meter held parallel to the ground pointing up. The meter shall have cosine and color correction and have an accuracy tolerance of no greater than plus or minus five percent.
   C.   Measurement Device. Measurements shall be taken with a light meter that has been calibrated within two years.
Figure 9.3.14: Lighting Measurement
(Ord.2020-36, passed 12-2-2019)
9.3.15.   Fence and Wall Height
   A.   Measurement Location.
      1.   In cases where a fence or wall is located within a required setback or required yard, fence height shall be determined along the grade of the adjacent lot or street.
      2.   In cases where a fence or wall is located outside a required setback or yard, the height shall be determined based on the finished grade.
      3.   In cases where a fence or wall is placed on a berm, the maximum fence or wall height shall include the height of the berm, as measured from the toe of the slope.
      4.   Fence height shall be measured at the highest point above grade (not including columns or fence posts) on the portion of the fence nearest an abutting or adjacent lot or street right-of-way.
   B.   Column and Post Height. Columns or posts shall not exceed a height 18 inches above the built height of the fence.
   C.   Railings Not Included. Safety railings required by the North Carolina Building Code shall not be included in wall height measurements.
Figure 9.3.15: Fence and Wall Height Determination
(Ord. 2020-36, passed 12-2-2019)
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