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Committee weighs how to count attics, basements and height in FAR calculations
Summary
Members reviewed definitions for attic, habitable area and half‑story counting and discussed tradeoffs: a simple 5‑foot attic threshold (used by several neighboring towns) is easier to administer but could affect design incentives; the building code’s habitable‑space rules complicate any bylaw wording.
At the Sept. 30 meeting the committee reviewed proposed wording for measuring attic space, the interaction of building‑code “habitable” definitions and what should count toward floor‑area ratio (FAR).
Why it matters: Counting attic and third‑floor area toward FAR changes the effective marketable square footage that can be sold on a lot and affects both visual bulk and developer design choices.
Committee members discussed two primary approaches used by neighboring towns: a simple attic threshold (count attic space above a 5‑foot…
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