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Los Gatos planners debate whether to count below‑grade square footage toward FAR; no immediate code change
Summary
On Oct. 12 the Planning Commission heard extensive public comment and a staff history on below‑grade square footage rules (the "in lieu of visible mass" language), with commissioners split on whether the town should clarify or amend the code; staff and the attorney said formal changes would require council direction and additional process.
The Los Gatos Planning Commission spent much of its Oct. 12 meeting reviewing the town’s approach to below‑grade square footage — sometimes called "cellars" or "sellers" in older documents — and whether the current rules are producing unintended increases in house size and cost.
Planner Mullen reviewed the policy history: a seller policy adopted in 2002 was rescinded and its language incorporated into the town code in 2017. Mullen explained the town’s current approach allows below‑grade square footage to be exempt from FAR when it is located within the building footprint and meets specific criteria; a separate draft provision that would have counted an entire cellar if any portion exceeded 4 feet of exposure was not incorporated into the adopted ordinance after community feedback.
Architects and building‑industry speakers told the commission the ordinance has generally worked well.…
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