FAR recommendation

In my comment to the Planning Commission on April 23rd, I highlighted this discontinuity in the FAR. Lots under 10k sqft get more space than in the state’s Model Code (Model Code line is not shown above, but it’s a 1.6 FAR that does not give bonus space for 2400 sqft of ADUs), and then between 10k and about 16k sqft, there’s a dip, because the FAR multiplier becomes 1.5 instead of 0.9.

This scenario assumes that two of the six homes on a lot would have internal AADUs to benefit from the bonus square footage, but there is no requirement that these be rented out separately. Once you get to the R-1 category, each of the houses in a six home development would be allowed to be over 5000 sqft, which means they’ll be unaffordable by definition. In these very large homes, it’s not unusual for them to have a wet bar, so we’ll get a little future proofing in case people want to rent it out separately later, but having the AADU probably won’t affect the housing supply right away.

My suggestion is to create a flat home size for lots between 10k and 15k square feet, and then a more gradual increase of 0.2 FAR for all lot area above 15k sqft.

Note: There is also a line showing some of the smaller minimum lot areas for LL-1, LL-2, etc, but these apply to affordable housing only.