IMPORTANT TERMS/PROJECT DEVELOPMENT Setback/building line —requirement to construct building a specified number of feet (setback) from the right-of-way line or other landmark. This is to ensure conformity with adjacent buildings and/or provide clear visibility for pedestrians and/or motorists. Right-of-way line —area designated for a public street or alley that is dedicated for traffic, public use, utilities, etc. Public entities own this area and the general public has a right to use it. As a result, no improvements are generally allowed to be constructed on rights-of-way. Building-related terms: Footprint —the space/area included within the perimeter of a slab, wall, or exterior of a structure. It is the shape or outline of the primary building slab or foundation as it will be constructed on the site. Envelope —the total outside perimeter of a structure, including footprints and any exterior patios, mallways, landscaping, etc. Facade —the exterior, usually the main entrance of a structure; approval of facades may be required as a part of the preservation of a historically important building or because of unique architecture, etc. Bulk —a three-dimensional space within which height, width, footprint, and number of structures/elevations/shapes are viewed in total relative to the land area upon which it will sit to determine land use intensity. This is then evaluated by planners relative to other structures in the area to assess the potential for congestion, noise, etc., for the entire area. Building codes —refer to required materials and methods used to construct improvements within a jurisdiction. Adherence to these codes is enforced by inspections before a certificate of occupancy (CO) is issued. Permit —document executed by the director of planning authorizing the construction, restoration, alteration, repair, etc., of a structure and acknowledging that it conforms to requirements under the applicable zoning ordinance. Floor-to-area ratio (FAR) —one of the more important tools used by city planners to control size and activity (use) desired within a geographic area. It is usually calculated as gross building area divided by square footage of land area. For example, an FAR of 3- to -1 would, for one acre of land (43,560 sq. ft.), provide that a structure with a gross building area of 130,680 sq. ft. may be developed (3* 43,560= 130,680). Obviously, the greater the FAR allowed for a site, the larger the project that may be constructed on that site, and vice versa. Height restrictions —used to limit the vertical height of a structure to be constructed. Usually imposed by a zoning ordinance; however, also subject to FAA aircraft approach/landing requirements and FCC communication tower regulations. Suburban locations usually have lower restrictions than central business districts (CBDs), which usually allow both greater heights and FARs. Allowable use —user activities permitted in a zoning classification, such as florist, travel agency, insurance agency, etc. Usually based on SIC code classifications. Impact fees —charged by public entities to cover added public sector expenses expected to be caused by a development, such as added traffic control, transportation issues, drainage, etc. Incentive zoning —used by city planners to accomplish community goals simultaneously with private sector development. Examples include the public sector granting a developer additional FAR, height, density, etc., if a development includes multifamily housing or a public park. Inclusionary zoning —that part of a zoning ordinance that requires that a specified type of development be included in order to obtain a permit for that site. An example would be the requirement that low-income housing units be included in a multifamily housing development in order for a permit to be granted. Minimum lot size —per zoning classification. Examples include light industrial (usually no minimum), medium industrial (5 acres), heavy industrial (10 acres), single family residential (1/4 acre per lots), and multifamily (20 units to the acre, i.e., 240 units requires 12 acres). This is used to assure some separation between large-scale developments. Parking ratio —required number of parking spaces per square feet of gross building space or per number of apartment units. (e.g., one parking space per 1,000 sq. ft. of office space, or 1.5 spaces per apartment unit). Different ratios may apply to underground or elevated parking garages, surface parking, and shared parking (day-night) with other structures. Site plans —drawing done to scale depicting the placement relative to right-of-way lines and setbacks of structures, circulation, parking, buffers, major landscaping, etc., on a site. Elevations/renderings —may first be conceptual or preliminary, then working, then final drawings of the improvements (buildings, etc.) to be constructed on a site. Will usually accompany the site plan as a part of presentation materials used for permitting, zoning, and financings. Traffic counts —number of vehicle trips per hour past a specific site. Studies may be performed to ascertain the current traffic volume and the likely increase to be caused by a development. This study may be required as a part of an application for a permit, rezoning, or assessing impact fees by public entities. Encroachment —occurs when the construction of improvements extends over a property line on to an adjacent property. Property tax abatements —forgiveness of taxes for a specified number of years, which is used by city planners to attract development to certain locations. Examples would include property tax reductions for a hotel if constructed near a public convention center, sports facility, etc. Special sales tax districts —special sales tax imposed on retail activities in an area which is dedicated to be used to finance public improvements/streets, etc., in that area, or dedicated to pay interest on public bonds issued to construct facilities in the affected district. Land-to-value ratio —calculated as dollar value of land to total project value (including land) anticipated upon completion of project. Used as a benchmark to evaluate whether the ratio of land acquisition price relative to total project value is comparable to that of other projects in the market. Buffer/berm —construction of landscape/slope required to shield or block access, view, or noise from an adjacent property which may be a very different and/or nonconforming use. Density transfer or transfer of development rights (TDR) —allowed in some jurisdictions whereby one property owner can sell/transfer to another all or part of the development rights for his property, including allowable building height, density, and FAR, allowed under current zoning. This enables the acquiring entity more height and/or density for its development than what would otherwise be possible. Mixed use development —usually a combination of office, retail, and/or hotel in a project; may also include recreation, sports facilities, etc. Inverse condemnation —results of a development that affect the value of nearby/adjoining land uses. Examples: building an airport, dam, power stations, etc., in an area that affects property values to a greater/lesser degree but may or may not require condemnation of the entire area via eminent domain. Cumulative zoning —used in many jurisdictions to automatically allow lower density development than the maximum allowed under current zoning. For example, the most dense, noisy, etc., land use is usually heavy industrial zoning. Under cumulative zoning, land owners in an area zoned heavy industrial may develop less intrusive buildings, such as distribution centers, warehouses, etc., within the heavy industrial classification. Other examples would allow single family units (lower density) to be built within a multifamily zoning classification (higher density). However, more intrusive uses are not allowed in a less intrusive zoning classification (e.g., no multifamily development within an area zoned for a single family). Stacking plan —a floor-by-floor template or layout used to diagram how much space will be available for lease per floor in a building and to track the location and quantity of space currently leased to tenants.