A Town of Needham working group on residential zoning spent its meeting debating how to count attic or third-floor area in floor-area-ratio (FAR) calculations, and advanced a draft that would both tighten base FAR formulas and exclude a 250-square-foot attic allowance from the FAR calculation.

The proposal, presented by Speaker 8, would count any attic floor area with an interior ceiling height of 5 feet or greater, measured to a maximum of 50% of the second-floor area, but would then exclude 250 square feet of attic area from the FAR total as a built-in allowance. "250 square feet of the attic space ... shall be excluded from the floor area ratio calculation," Speaker 8 said while showing example spreadsheets and diagrams to the group.

Why it matters: supporters said the combined approach—reducing the base FAR formula and applying a modest attic deduction—would preserve a two-story option while giving homeowners flexibility to design pitched roofs or modest finished attic space without producing the bulk of wide, low-pitched two-story houses. Builders and architects who met with Speaker 7 said including all attic space in FAR calculations would make third floors rare; Speaker 7 summarized that a modest bonus is what builders described as a practical incentive.

How the rule would work in practice: the working-group presenter ran sample calculations for a 10,000-square-foot lot and showed that, after lowering the starting point of the FAR curve, applying the 250-square-foot deduction can produce similar or slightly higher net "livable" area while lowering the FAR cap. The draft language also keeps an objective interior threshold (5 feet) and a 50% cap tied to the second-floor footprint to avoid large unbounded exclusions.

Dissent and risks: Speaker 1 and others warned that what some call "attic" can be marketed as a fully finished third floor and argued that generous exclusions risk permitting large three-story living space to escape FAR limits. "800 square feet is not an attic," Speaker 1 said, urging caution about broad exceptions. Other participants raised enforcement and workaround concerns (for example, whether defining attics by stair presence would be gamed) and questioned whether the attic allowance might simply be reallocated into larger first- or second-floor footprints; presenters noted lot-coverage and setback limits constrain simple reallocation.

Basement and garage treatment: the group also discussed whether garages in lower levels should count toward FAR and agreed to clarify basement counting language so that basement or garage area is counted only when the 50% rule for the basement is triggered (the draft ties basement counting to the existing 50% test).

Next steps: the working group agreed to send the revised draft language, example spreadsheets, and exhibits to the full committee for review at its Monday meeting (materials to be distributed in supplemental packet). No formal vote was taken; the working group asked for final wording tweaks and said Chris (a drafter) would refine the redline before the larger committee meeting.

Whats next for residents and builders: the committee will receive the working-group materials and decide whether to recommend the language to the planning board. The working group emphasized that the change would remain design-agnostic: the total FAR allowed does not increase, but the drafting would allow a small attic deduction to encourage pitched roofs or modest finished attic space while targeting bulk reduction on the lower floors.

The working group adjourned after assigning language and example updates to staff and agreeing to circulate the materials before Mondays meeting.