FLOOR AREA

FLOOR AREA is the sum of the gross areas of the several floors of a BUILDING or BUILDINGS, measured from the exterior faces of exterior walls or from the center lines of walls separating two BUILDINGS. In particular, FLOOR AREA includes:

(a) BASEMENT space, except as specifically excluded in this definition;

(b) elevator shafts or stairwells at each floor;

(c) floor space in penthouses;

(d) attic space (whether or not a floor has been laid) providing structural headroom of five feet or more in R2A, R2X, R3, R4 or R5 Districts and eight feet or more in other districts;

(e) floor space in gallerias, interior balconies, mezzanines or bridges;

(f) floor space in open or roofed terraces, bridges, breeze ways or porches, if more than 50 percent of the perimeter of such terrace, breeze way, or porch is enclosed, and provided that a parapet not higher than 3 feet, 8 inches, or a railing not less than 50 percent open and not higher than 4 feet, 6 inches, shall not constitute an enclosure;

(g) any other floor space used for dwelling purposes, no matter where located within a BUILDING, when not specifically excluded;

(h) floor space in ACCESSORY BUILDINGS, except for floor space used for ACCESSORY off-street parking;

(i) floor space used for ACCESSORY off-street parking spaces provided in any STORY after June 30, 1989:

(1) within DETACHED or SEMI-DETACHED SINGLE- or TWO-FAMILY RESIDENCES in R2A, R2X, R3, R4 or R5 Districts, except that:

(i) in R2A Districts, FLOOR AREA within such RESIDENCES shall include only floor space in excess of 300 square feet for one such space; and

(ii) in R3, R4A and R4-1 Districts in LOWER DENSITY GROWTH MANAGEMENT AREAS, FLOOR AREA within such RESIDENCES shall include only floor space in excess of 300 square feet for one such space and in excess of 500 square feet for two such spaces;

(2) within RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS DEVELOPED or ENLARGED pursuant to the optional regulations applicable in a ”predominantly built-up area”;

(3) in excess of 100 square feet per required space in individual garages within other RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS (ATTACHED RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS, rowhouses or multiple dwellings) in R3-2, R4 or R5 Districts, except that in R3-2 Districts within LOWER DENSITY GROWTH MANAGEMENT AREAS, FLOOR AREA shall only include floor space in excess of 300 square feet for one such space and in excess of 500 square feet for two such spaces. However, all of the floor space within any STORY in individual garages shall be considered FLOOR AREA where, subsequent to June 7, 1989, the level of any YARD except that portion of a YARD in front of a garage on the ZONING LOT is lowered below the lower of:

(i) CURB LEVEL; or

(ii) grade existing on June 7, 1989; (4) within a GROUP PARKING FACILITY with five or more required spaces ACCESSORY to RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS in R3, R4 or R5 Districts that is located in a space with a ceiling height that is more than six feet above the BASE PLANE, or, if the BASE PLANE is a sloping BASE PLANE, six feet above the STREET WALL LINE LEVEL used to establish such BASE PLANE. On THROUGH LOTS with sloping BASE PLANES, the STREET WALL LINE LEVEL closest to a STREET shall be used to determine whether such space is FLOOR AREA;

(5) which is located more than 23 feet above CURB LEVEL in any other BUILDING;

(6) which is unenclosed and covered by a RESIDENTIAL building or other structure” for at least 50 percent of such ACCESSORY off-street parking space in R2A, R2X, R3, R4 and R5 Districts. Where such ACCESSORY off-street parking space is covered by a RESIDENTIAL BUILDING other than a SINGLE- or TWO-FAMILY DETACHED or SEMI-DETACHED RESIDENCE in R3-2, R4 or R5 Districts, and not DEVELOPED pursuant to the optional regulations applicable in a “predominantly built-up area”, such FLOOR AREA shall include only that portion of the ACCESSORY off-street parking space in excess of 100 square feet per required space;

(j) floor space used for ACCESSORY off-street loading berths in excess of 200 percent of the amount required by the applicable district regulations;

(k) floor space within an existing BUILDING which is or becomes unused or inaccessible;

(l) floor space which has been eliminated from the volume of an existing BUILDING in conjunction with the DEVELOPMENT of a new BUILDING or in the case of a major “enlargement” of another BUILDING on the same ZONING LOT;

(m) floor space used for mechanical equipment that exceeds 50 square feet for the first DWELLING UNIT, an additional 30 square feet for the second DWELLING UNIT, and an additional 10 square feet for each additional DWELLING UNIT in R2X, R3, R4 or R5 Districts. For the purposes of calculating floor space used for mechanical equipment, BUILDING SEGMENTS on a single ZONING LOT may be considered to be separate BUILDINGS; and

(n) floor space in exterior balconies if more than 67 percent of the perimeter of such balcony is enclosed and provided that a parapet not higher than 3 feet, 8 inches, or a railing not less than 50 percent open and not higher than 4 feet, 6 inches, shall not constitute an enclosure;

(o) any other floor space not specifically excluded.


However, the FLOOR AREA of a BUILDING shall not include:

(1) CELLAR space, except where such space is used for dwelling purposes. CELLAR space used for retailing shall be included for the purpose of calculating requirements for ACCESSORY off-street parking spaces and ACCESSORY off-street loading berths;

(2) elevator or stair bulkheads, ACCESSORY water tanks, or cooling towers, except that such exclusions shall not apply in R2A Districts;

(3) uncovered steps;

(4) attic space (whether or not a floor has been laid) providing structural headroom of less than five feet in R2A, R2X, R3, R4 or R5 Districts and less than eight feet in other districts;

(5) floor space in open or roofed terraces, bridges, breeze ways or porches, provided that not more than 50 percent of the perimeter of such terrace, breeze way, or porch is enclosed, and provided that a parapet not higher than 3 feet, 8 inches, or a railing not less than 50 percent open and not higher than 4 feet, 6 inches, shall not constitute an enclosure;

(6) floor space used for ACCESSORY off-street parking spaces provided in any STORY:

(i) up to 200 square feet per required space existing on June 30, 1989, within RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS in R3, R4 or R5 Districts, and up to 300 square feet for one required space in R2A Districts. However, for DETACHED or SEMI-DETACHED SINGLE- or TWO-FAMILY residences” in R3, R4A and R4-1 Districts within LOWER DENSITY GROWTH MANAGEMENT AREAS, FLOOR AREA shall not include up to 300 square feet for one required space and up to 500 square feet for two required spaces;

(ii) up to 100 square feet per required space in individual garages in ATTACHED RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS, rowhouses or multiple dwellings in R3, R4, or R5 Districts, except that in R3-2 Districts within LOWER DENSITY GROWTH MANAGEMENT AREAS, up to 300 square feet for one such space and up to 500 square feet for two such spaces, except for:

(1) RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS DEVELOPED or ENLARGED regulations applicable in a “predominantly builtup area”; or

(2) RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS where, subsequent to June 7, 1989, the level of any YARD, except that portion of a YARD in front of a garage on the ZONING LOT is lowered below the lower of CURB LEVEL or grade existing on June 7, 1989;

(iii) within an ATTACHED RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS, BUILDING SEGMENT or multiple dwelling in R3-2, R4, or R5 Districts if such floor space is within a GROUP PARKING FACILITY with five or more required spaces that is located in a space with a ceiling height not more than six feet above the BASE PLANE, or, if the BASE PLANE is a sloping BASE PLANE, not more than six feet above the STREET WALL LINE LEVEL used to establish such BASE PLANE. On THROUGH LOTS with sloping BASE PLANES, the STREET WALL LINE LEVEL closest to a STREET shall be used to determine whether such space is FLOOR AREA;

(iv) located not more than 23 feet above CURB LEVEL, in any other BUILDING, except where such floor space used for ACCESSORY parking is contained within a PUBLIC PARKING GARAGE;

(v) in R3-2, R4, and R5 Districts, up to 100 square feet per required space which is unenclosed and covered by a RESIDENTIAL BUILDING other than a SINGLE- or TWO-FAMILY DETACHED or SEMI-DETACHED RESIDENCE for at least 50 percent of such ACCESSORY off-street parking space, except where such RESIDENCES are DEVELOPED or ENLARGED pursuant to the optional regulations applicable in a “predominantly built-up area”;

(7) floor space used for ACCESSORY off-street loading berths, up to 200 percent of the amount required by the applicable district regulation;

(8) floor space used for mechanical equipment, except that such exclusion shall not apply in R2A Districts, and in R2X, R3, R4, or R5 Districts, such exclusion shall be limited to 50 square feet for the first DWELLING UNIT, an additional 30 square feet for the second DWELLING UNIT and an additional 10 square feet for each additional DWELLING UNIT. For the purposes of calculating floor space used for mechanical equipment, BUILDING SEGMENTS on a single ZONING LOT may be considered to be separate BUILDINGS;

(9) except in R2A, R2X, R3, R4 and R5 Districts, the lowest STORY (whether a BASEMENT or otherwise) of a RESIDENTIAL BUILDING, provided that:

(i) such BUILDING contains not more than two STORIES above such STORY;

(ii) such STORY and the STORY immediately above it are portions of the same DWELLING UNIT;

(iii) such STORY is used as a furnace room, utility room, auxiliary recreation room, or for other purposes for which BASEMENTS are customarily used; and

(iv) such STORY has at least one-half its height below the level of the ground along at least one side of such BUILDING, or such STORY contains a garage.

(10) floor space in exterior balconies provided that not more than 67 percent of the perimeter of such balcony is enclosed and provided that a parapet not higher than 3 feet, 8 inches, or a railing not less than 50 percent open and not higher than 4 feet, 6 inches, shall not constitute an enclosure.