Hello Eliot, I am having a difficult time understanding the language of NPDp2. If I understand correctly, for a project of 9.5 net acres, a total of 7 dwelling units/acre are required to meet the prereq? Or so I subtract the area of streets and sidewalks? Parks and public space?
Also, the plans I have show FAR calculations for our commercial structures being 2:1. Does that indicate an FAR of .5, or of 2?
Thanks in advance!
Eliot Allen
LEED AP-ND, PrincipalCriterion Planners
LEEDuser Expert
303 thumbs up
August 21, 2013 - 7:45 pm
Colin, start with the site's total gross acreage, and subtract existing and proposed public rights-of-way and other areas that are non-buildable because of local regulations and ND prerequisites. Non-buildable areas also include any local code-required set-asides like park land (but note that park land or open space that is voluntarily set-aside is considered buildable in the density calculation even if it's not constructed upon). When all non-buildable land is removed, the remaining buildable acreage is allocated to residential and/or non-residential buildings (land for mixed-use buildings is pro rated to the residential and non-res land categories according to the res and non-res floor area shares in the buildings). Once you have the total buildable residential acres, divide total dwellings by the acres to see if 7 DU/acre is achieved; and divide total non-res building sq ft by total buildable non-res land sq ft to see if 0.5 FAR is achieved. Note that higher density thresholds apply to portions of sites that are served by high-frequency transit. If by chance one of the components doesn't achieve its threshold, check out the prerequisite's last paragraph for a work-around. And regarding your plan's expression of FAR as a 2:1 ratio, that sounds like a FAR of 2.0, not 0.5.
Eliot
Colin Day
Sustainable Building Associate, LEED GAThe Institute for the Built Environment
August 21, 2013 - 7:54 pm
Eliot, thank you so much for such a detailed and, as always, prompt response! I look forward to wrapping my head around these ratios.