Statement on Bill 44 before the Zoning Committee of the City Council on Downtown Heights, on July 27, 1993
We have testified several times on the matter of downtown heights. We would like to summarize our major concerns:
- Our analysis of Bill 44 CD-l, found the increase in required public open space would range from at most 4% to 7% of the lot area. If the stories above 350 feet were smaller than lower stories, the open space increase would be even less.
- We suggested that, instead, 1.5% of the lot area be required public open space for each story above 350 feet height -- in addition, of course to the standard bonus requirements. This would increase open space by 7.5% at 400 feet height and 15% at 450 feet to totals respectively, of 42.5% and 50%.
- We suggested that the building area (footprint) of historic structures be counted as equivalent to public open space, but would now like to propose that this be done to a limit of 10% -- at most 15% -of the total lot area.
- We opposed exempting the floor area of the historic structure from the FAR as we note have been done in the new CD-2; giving interior civic space a floor area bonus; and counting required yards as open space. All these would serve to decrease the open space required rather than increasing it.
- We support retaining the present maximum floor area ratio of 7.5, as provided in the bill, with no exceptions.
- We call your attention to the table attached to our testimony of July 14. If the LUO's definition of public open space as excluding required yards is disregarded and the amendment providing that they may be included in BMX-4 is applied, then the words "plus yards" in our 350-foot computations would have to be changed to "including yards".
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June-July 1993
October 1993
