We have prepared a worksheet as a way to understand the FAR measurement vs. the current standard of Residences/Acre used throughout Deschutes County. The FAR measure, as the worksheet shows, allows for a far greater amount of both actual residences as well as actual residential square feet. (Link to FAR vs. Residences/Acre Analysis)
It uses similar assumptions to the worksheet prepared by Mark Smuland of SilverStar but has what we believe to be more realistic residence sizes (based upon SilverStar testimony as well as comparable condominium complexes both in Sunriver and Deschutes County). It also has a view, Option B, based upon the Deschutes County Planning Commission residences/acre factor that was part of their condition for approval of the initial text amendment (we took the 500 units for 26.5 acres and calculated the residences/acre amount as Commissioner Kelly Smith did at the January hearing). The final option presented, Option C, shows the comparison with the current Text Amendment language incorporated into the calculation for the Net Sellable Residential Area (the two previous options used the calculations as presented by Mark Smuland but are not in-line with current text language regarding the treatment of parking and the minimum commercial space).The items that are most notable are that in every case the allowed residential under the FAR measurement, based on a 1.0 amount, is greater - and in most cases over 20% greater - than that allowed under a units/acre measure. That includes not only actual residences but also the residential square footage amounts. Also the new Text Amendment language only requires 150 sq. ft. of commercial space for each residence. This allows for a far greater reduction in commercial space than even the previous 85,000 sq. ft. minimum requirement allowed. Using SilverStar's previously testified to average residence size of 1,100 sq. ft. that would allow for 436 residential units, 62 more than allowed by the 22 unit/acre measure, and would only require 65,378 sq. ft. of commercial space.
This is a fundamental and significant change to the Text Amendment. It allows far greater latitude to the developer and limits many of the restrictions and limits that the units/acre measure provides. It does provide a better measure of the total impact of a development, but the requested amount of 1.0 is far too high for Sunriver. Even the LEED for Neighborhood Development certification used in new high density neighborhoods that SilverStar has often referred to as a model only requires units per acre of 7 or a FAR of 0.5 - far less than the current Text Amendment language allows (The LEED standards measure residential at units/acre, as Decshutes Couty has always done, and uses FAR for commercial measurement purposes). Link to LEED ND Rating System.