Needham Planning Board debates how to measure floor‑area ratio for homes and commercial buildings

Natasha Spada, chair of the Needham Planning Board, opened a March 18 discussion with Joe Prondak, project building commender, about how the town measures floor‑area ratio.

The dispute centers on two bylaws that define floor area and gross floor area differently and on whether interior open spaces such as atria, open stairwells or “open to below” second‑floor overlooks should count toward FAR. "The definition of FAR says, that we measure to the exterior faces of the walls," Prondak told the board, summarizing the core textual language under debate.

Nut graf: The difference matters for both residential large‑house reviews and commercial projects because counting an open second floor as an additional floor increases calculated FAR and can trigger limits…