Building Codes, Subdivision Regulations, & FAR Flashcards
These are based on health and safety standards and control design, construction, and materials used in construction.
Protect public health and safety.
Building Codes
These control the manner in which blocks of land over a certain size may be converted into bulidign lots.
Subdivision Regulations
This is the fist step of the MAJOR subdivision process.
Shows…
1. Site features (topography, floodplain, etc.)
2. Lot dimensions/layout
3. Street rights-of-way
4. Type/dimensions of streets
5. Type, size, and placement of utilties
Preliminary Plat
This is the second step of the MAJOR subdivision process.
Shows a precice surveyed drawing.
Final Plat
Specifiy which uses are allowed and what can be constructed in each zone.
Zoning
This is the ratio of the amount of floor area on a parcel to the amount of land area of the parcel.
Calculations are used to determine floor space in relation to the given lot size.
FAR = 3 if a 3 story building completely covers a parcel of land (3:1)
*Gross Leasable Area (GLA) is a measure of floor space used to estimate the number of parking spaces required (depends on use).
Floor Area Ratio (FAR)
This is granted bc of hte specific phsycial characteristics of a particular property.
May alter the allowable use of the parcel or deviation from dimensional standards.
BZA deals with site-specific mmodifications of local zoning regulations.
Variance
AKA “special use permit”
Allows land uses in zones where the use isn’t currently allowed.
Conditional Use Permit
This is zone that allows a community’s functional converns to cut across existing zoning designations.
Apply over existing zoning districts.
Additional standards (on top of existing zoning’s standards).
Ex. Dowtntown, historic, or floodplain _______ zones.
Overlay Zone
Districts that are described in a zoning ordinance but have no not necessarily been included in the zoning map.
Implements concepts like the PUD or cluster development.
Lays out conditions that must be met before the land can be zoned this.
Zone is added to official zoning map after Governing Body approval.
“Floats” until it’s attached to (and approved for) a specific piece of land.
Floating Zone
Built environment most important.
Use is important but form is more important.
Design based REGULATIONS, not GUIDELINES.
Community vision that translates to a form.
Meant to be visual, easy to understand, cut through “red tape” and clearly achieve community’s vision.
Form Based Code
Form-Based Code Standards notes
Composed of Building Form standards and Public Space standards mapped to an overall regulating plan.
Building Form standards regulate setbacks, window area, height (relative to street width), and entrances (location/accessibilty), parking, etc.
Public Space standards regulate how streets interconnect and function (beyond indidvidual streets).
Not all form-based codes are transect codes.
Divided into TRANSECTS (urban to rural)
T1 = natural zone
T2 = rural zone
T3 = sub-urban zone
T4 = general urban zone
T5 = urban center zone
T6 = urban core zone
T7 = special district
SmartCode = transect- and form-based code. Adopted by many many cities. Ex. Miami, FL., and Denver, CO.
This alternative to convetional zoning regualtes development by setting desired goals (ex. no negative impact on the watershed).
Provides flexibility.
Tends NOT to incliude restricting specific uses on a property, but permits uses that meet a specific set of standards.
Difficult to administer; not used widely. Someone has to figure out what the performance measures are and if development is achieving the designed performance.
Focuses on the ends rather than the means.
Performance Zoning
Nonconformities notes
- Rezone to minimize nonconformities.
- Sanction “benign” nonconformities.
- Phase out detrimental nonconformities.
Urban Design Notes
Implement urban design guidelines via design boards.
Can be historic, aesthetic, etc. Can do discretionary review; however they MUST have standards - can’t be fully discretion.
Must be basis (adopted comp. plan or defined design standards) for decisions.
