How the ordinance changes the allowed sizes of houses

COME AND VOICE YOUR OPINION.

It is important:

January 20, 6:00 PM, the Planning and Zoning Board will review Ordinance No. 003, 2011 and provide a recommendation to City Council.

On February 1, City Council will vote (2nd reading) on Ordinance No. 003, 2011

FLOOR AREA RATIO (FAR)

The City Council is in the process of voting in an ordinance that changes the allowable size of house or addition that can be built in the Fort Collins East and West side neighborhoods. They have already voted yes for this in the first reading even though most of the Council admitted that they did not fully understand it. The ordinance will change both the definition of “Floor Area Ratio” and the actual numerical ratio for both the N-C-M and N-C-L zones.

The definition of “FLOOR AREA” and “ FLOOR AREA RATIO” FROM THE Fort Collins Land Use Code:

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What the Code presently allows in N-C-L Zone

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This is equal to a FAR of 0.4 or 40% for the N-C-L Zone

What the Code presently allows in N-C-M Zone
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This is equal to a FAR of 0.5 or 50% for the N-C-M Zone

THE NEW FORT COLLINS ORDINANCE

REDUCES THE “FAR” FOR BOTH ZONES TO ----- 0.27 or 27%.

This is a 32.5% reduction for the N-C-L zone and a 46% reduction for the N-C-M zone. These are extreme reductions and set Fort Collins' FAR below any we could find.

WHAT “FAR” DO OTHER CITIES USE

We found “FAR” numbers for several cities that are known as great places to live. They appear on some of the same “LISTS’ that Fort Collins is on.

Austin Texas 0.4 or 2300sf (whatever is larger)

Eugene Oregon 0.5

Cupertino California 0.45

Lake Oswego Oregon Sliding - 0.3 @15,000sf lot to 0.5 @6,000sf lot

Madison Wisconsin 0.5

WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU

The table below demonstrates how this really affects your property.

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• Under the existing regulations, if you have a 7000sf lot in the N-C-M zone you can build up to a 3,500sf home. Under the new ordinance you will only be allowed a 1890sf home. A 46% reduction. Less than the average house built in America. The average size of new homes built in the US is about 2400sf.

• Under the new ordinance any lot smaller than 9000sf (MORE THAN 70% OF THE LOTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS) would NOT be allowed to build an average size house. Shouldn’t we all be allowed at least an average American Dream!

The table below demonstrates how few lots will be allowed an average size house.

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