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Planning Board discusses state-required change to floor-area rules; holds vote for September
Summary
The board reviewed a state-mandated change that would exclude unfinished basements from gross floor-area calculations used to trigger special-use review for large houses, and agreed to continue the item to September for more study and possible local adjustments.
The New Shoreham Planning Board on Aug. 13 discussed a proposed amendment to local zoning definitions to comply with a state change that excludes unfinished basements from floor-area ratio calculations. Planning staff said the town solicitor advised that unfinished basements be removed from living-area calculations used to determine when residential structures exceed thresholds that trigger special-use review.
Peter, planning staff, told the board that the change would remove unfinished basements from the calculation of living floor area and gross area for the purposes of ordinance thresholds. Board members discussed implications for recent applications and asked whether the town might adjust other numerical thresholds in response; one member noted a prior application that had been affected by the floor-area calculation.
Members agreed to defer final action to the September meeting to give staff time to prepare a staff report and to allow board members to consider whether other thresholds should be adjusted to reflect the state-required definition change.
No final vote on the amendment was taken at the Aug. 13 meeting; staff will return with a report and a proposed motion in September.
