Basement Floors and FAR


I did a little googling and a search here, but the post on converting exterior space to interior piqued my interest, as I hope to someday do a little enclosing myself on my own home. The question I have is about FAR. Technically my house is listed as a 2 story home. However, the basement level is converted to the sleeping floor of my ‘owner’s duplex’. This level has windows and exterior doors, but is accessed by descending 2 runs of 4 steps each that lead to a door under my main stoop. My question is- does this floor count toward my FAR? The top of the windows for that level cap at street level. If it does, my FAR is over the 1.25 allowable at 1.4, but if it doesn’t, then I am under at .8. Can someone help me shed some light on this?

Categories: Zoning
By hooky | 02/25/2011 1:45 PM | Comment

Unused Easement Space


There is a 4′ wide pc of land between my property and the neighbors. Many years ago there used to be an easement between our blocks, but it was closed off and one of the residents on the neighboring block bought most of the parcel as an odd lot. She doesn’t own the 4′ space behind me however.

It’s filled with old wood and butts up against the retaining wall of the neighboring property- which is just an empty lot save an abandoned structure that ends at the retaining wall.

Okay- all that said, do you think if I casually (so as not to be conspicuous, of course!) opened up my fence and cleared out some of the wood and planted that anyone would object? I know the 4′ was probably at one time a right of way for utilities, but no one has access, so really what’s the use in growing more weeds there?

I was thinking of just putting up a stretch of bamboo fence (totally temporary and removable) and then planting some roses or shrubs. Just something to get rid of all the weeds and ferral cat poo. Ya think I should go for it, or be worried about the DOB or my neighbors?

Categories: DOB
By hooky | 04/19/2010 4:28 PM | Comment