A Needham zoning working group on Dec. 20 moved closer to recommending a lot‑size‑tailored approach to lot coverage and floor‑area ratio (FAR), favoring a sliding formula over a stepped tier system while leaving precise numbers to be finalized for Planning Board review. Speaker 1 opened that portion of the meeting by saying the group needed to “work through those questions that are outstanding about how we're gonna manage the attic” and to finalize the coverage and FAR equations.

Members discussed whether to cap house size on lots larger than 15,000 square feet or to continue to use special permits with site‑specific conditions. Several participants argued site context — frontage, setbacks and neighborhood scale — makes hard numeric caps problematic. Speaker 6 described a formula approach that would interpolate coverage between benchmark points (for example, 25% at 7,500 sq ft and 17% at 15,000 sq ft) and recommended publishing a calculator so property owners could enter a lot size and receive a tailored coverage percentage.

The group reviewed spreadsheets and charts showing how different coverage numbers and FAR options would translate into allowable first, second and third‑floor square footage on sample lots (7,500; 10,000; 12,500; 15,000). Speaker 5 walked through an example showing a 10,000‑sq‑ft lot under the draft rules would allow roughly 4,400 sq ft of FAR in one proposed option and noted how first‑floor footprint, second‑floor percentage and attic treatment interact.

Participants debated whether to preserve the current tiering for smaller lots and use a slope above that threshold, or to implement two slopes to handle very small and mid‑size lots separately. The group agreed to test alternate numeric scenarios and 'massage' the equations before converting the agreed framework into zoning text. They planned to package charts, draft bylaw language and modeling for the Planning Board and public review rather than finalizing any legal text at the working session.

No formal motions or votes were recorded in the transcript. The working group set next steps: run alternate spreadsheets, prepare diagrams and examples for a Planning Board packet, and return with a refined draft of the coverage/FAR equations.