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8 <br /> These numbers are representative of construction occurring on one-acre lots since <br /> they include homes built on larger lots, e.g., a 1,950 square foot home on a ten- <br /> acre lot. When focusing on one-story homes constructed on one-acre lots, the <br /> average floor area calculated is 2,200 square feet. <br /> Using this floor area in association with a one-acre lot, impervious surface <br /> calculations were made to determine if a "typical "home such as this could <br /> comply with a 12% impervious surface ratio. The attached calculation sheet <br /> indicates that compliance is possible even when the driveway, 1/2 of the roadway <br /> and a storage building, porch and sidewalk are included. <br /> The State mandate requires a minimum lot size of two acres (Critical Areas) or <br /> one acre (outside of Critical Areas) if the respective impervious surface <br /> requirements of 6% or 12% are not met. The Orange County Zoning Ordinance <br /> currently requires a 40,000 square floor minimum lot size outside of Critical <br /> Areas. The minimum lot size as currently defined by Orange County excludes <br /> any road right-of-way. In order to also comply with the State mandate, it is <br /> proposed that the minimum lot size requirements be expanded to require that the <br /> gross lot area (which includes the road right-of-way) be at least 1.0 acre (43,560 <br /> square feet). <br /> RECOMMENDATION - The Planning Staff recommends that the revised sliding <br /> scale be used to determine the impervious surface ratio for all existing lots and <br /> new lots (except for new lots in the ULW). The overall effect of the revised <br /> sliding scale would be to meet the State mandate through lot size restrictions, <br /> while also maintaining a limit on impervious surface. <br /> PLANNING BOARD COMMENTS <br /> The only issue where the Planning Board action differed from the staff recommendation involved <br /> the sliding scale for impervious surface. The Planning Board was concerned that the sliding <br /> scale proposed by the Planning Staff allows fewer square feet of impervious surface in some <br /> cases as lot size increases. For example, 13,231 square feet of impervious surface would be <br /> allowed on a 4.5-acre lot, but only 11,761 square feet would be allowed on 6.0 acre lot. The <br /> PlanninG Board proposed alternatives sliding scales to address the decrease in square footage <br /> on lots from 4.5 to 6.0 acres. <br /> Differences Between Sliding Scales <br /> 0.5- to 4.5-acre Lots - The Planning Staff "Revised Scale" and the Planning Board "Adjusted <br /> Scales" are identical for lot sizes up to 4.5 acres. <br /> 4 <br />