As shown in Figure LU-4 (see page LU-16) and listed in Table LU-3 (see page LU-17), the General Plan provides the maximum density or intensity for each land use designation. The zoning code further refines these standards and prescribes additional regulations that affect a building’s form, character, and use.
Residential Density
Each residential land use designation includes a range of allowable densities, calculated as the number of dwelling units allowed per net acre (du/ac). The maximum density represents a potential maximum density (number of housing units per acre) that could be achieved if all other requirements are met, including zoning standards in the municipal code.
Nonresidential Intensity
Floor area ratio (FAR) is a measurement used to identify nonresidential land use intensity. The FAR is the ratio of the total gross floor area of all buildings on a lot compared to the total area of that lot.
Higher FARs generally indicate larger buildings and/or more stories, but Figure LU-3 Floor Area Ratio (FAR), illustrates that the size and height of the building can vary a great deal within the same FAR. Note, FAR is also a measure used in mixed-use area buildout as described below.
Mixed Use Density and Intensity
To encourage a dynamic mixture of residential, office, clean industrial, and commercial uses in mixed-use areas (Industrial/Flex, Urban Neighborhood, One Broadway Plaza District Center, and District Center1), when both residential and nonresidential uses are planned the density and intensity standard shall be both floor area ratio and dwelling units per acre, where the cumulative building square footage (residential and non-residential) shall not exceed the maximum floor area ratio and the dwelling units per net acre shall not exceed the (du/ac) specified for the land use designation.
Residential densities identified for Urban Neighborhood and District Center designations apply to residential-only projects (residential-only projects are not permitted in Industrial/Flex or One Broadway Plaza District Center designations). All projects are subject to additional regulations in the zoning development standards, applicable specific plans, and other special zoning tools, which may further limit allowable density or intensity.
Rounding
When calculating the square footage allowed for a proposed development, no upward rounding is permitted in determining the final permitted intensity. Likewise, no upward rounding is permitted in calculating the allowable number of residential units. For example, in a calculation producing a yield of 12.7 units for a given development site, 12 units are permitted.