To FAR or not to FAR

 

How much density is too much on land zoned for commercial use?

The concept of floor area ratio (FAR) has gotten a good bit of attention lately. Floor area ratio is a mathematical formula used to determine how many square feet can be developed in proportion to the lot on which it is built. A 3,000 square foot single story building would have a lower FAR than a two story 3,0000 square foot building. It is calculated by dividing the gross floor area by the size of the lot. In Goochland, FAR currently applies only to land zoned for commercial and industrial use only.

Earlier this year, land use attorney Kerry Hutcherson filed an application to amend the county zoning ordinance dealing with FAR to enable owners of the commercial property adjoining Parkside Village, in the northeastern corner of the county, to subdivide and perhaps sell portions of it at some future time.

At their June 4 meeting, Goochland supervisors approved the ordinance amendment proposed by Hutcherson at their evening session and referred to the planning commission an ordinance amendment to examine removing the FAR requirement in Business neighborhood, business general, commercial interchange, and industrial zoning categories.

At issue is how a FAR approved a master plan development with different uses—office, self -store warehouse, retail— would apply if those uses change or a portion of the master plan is sold to a different owner. The larger question is does Goochland really need to specifically address FAR in its zoning rules.

Economic Development Director Sara Worley, during a discussion about referring the FAR to the planning commission, said that Goochland is in a very competitive market for economic development with neighboring counties who do not have FAR requirements in their zoning rules for commercial, business, or industrial districts.

Assistant Director of Community Development Ray Cash said that Goochland zoning ordinances have complementary rules to address density volume, including setbacks, buffers, landscape requirements, and limitations on building height.  The number of parking spaces required also affects the amount of a parcel that can be developed. The FAR, Cash contended, is not a standalone regulation. FAR is a standalone restriction, said Cash, which can restrict or encourage density on a parcel, a sort of “belt and suspenders” approach.

Hutcherson contended that the proposed amendment to the FAR would not eliminate it but provide additional flexibility to proffered master or conceptual plans, through the zoning process. He said that the intent of the amendment is to provide flexibility and certainty about what could be built on a particular parcel. Regardless of how a master plan is subdivided, the gross FAR must remain unchanged. This is enforced by staff approval of any change in use.  The gross FAR will be the same regardless of who owns the property or what uses exist in different parts of the master plan. If the FAR of one parcel increases, it must be lowered in other parcels to preserve the overall FAR that applied when the master plan was approved.

He refuted the notion that removal of the FAR requirement would allow “anything” to be built on parcels that might be subdivided from a master plan. Hutcherson contended that it is sometimes helpful for a developer to be able to sell a part of a project after initial development. Projects with anchor tenants, often national chains that occupy most of the space, prefer to own rather than lease their property. Being able to subdivide and sell other lots within the project, including out parcels, makes securing financing easier. Commercial lenders, said Hutcherson, require defined lots to be used as collateral.

One speaker contended that FAR is a useful tool in preserving the county’s rural character. The setbacks and buffers can be diminished on adjacent projects. Greater FARs can result in more floors that accommodate more employees. Maximum FARs, he contended, preserve rural character because they result in smaller buildings and more open space.

Goochland County is rewriting some of its ordinances, including those dealing with subdivision of land; erosion and sediment control and stormwater management; and floodplain zoning. The goal is to bring local laws into alignment with state statutes and reflect actual practices.

 Most residents pay little or no attention to zoning or land use matters until they see a bulldozer in their neighborhood, by which time it is too late. Every time the county comprehensive land use plan https://www.goochlandva.us/250/2035-Comprehensive-Plan is “revisited” or amended, only a handful of people attend meetings to explain proposed changes, or even pay attention.

A small group of citizens, many of whom spent a great deal of time expressing viewpoints on details of the failed Centerville small area plan initiative, remain engaged in the process of amending local land use laws. This group hopes to educate citizens about the zoning process and avert unintended consequences of changes in land use laws.