Pittsburgh Zoning Districts - GT Floor Area Bonus
By Kathleen Oldrey
Introduction
The GT (Golden Triangle) zoning district is unique among zoning districts in the City of Pittsburgh with its inclined planes to determine heights limits, open space requirements, transfers, and bonuses. In this post, we’ll continue our deep dive into GT provisions beyond the standard use and density regulations by exploring the options for floor area bonuses.
FAR Overview
Each of the five subdistricts in the GT has a set maximum floor area ratio (FAR). To calculate the floor area ratio in general, the proposed project’s gross floor area (the combined area of all floors of the structure) is divided by the total lot area; the resulting figure can then be compared to the district’s maximum FAR to determine compliance.
For example, a 12-story building where each floor has an area of 2,000 square feet would have a gross floor area of 24,000 square feet. If this building was situated on a lot with a total area of 5,000 square feet, the FAR would be 4.8. This FAR would be compliant with the maximum permitted FAR in the GT-D subdistrict, which is 7.5, but would exceed the maximum permitted FAR in the LNC, which is 2:1 (or 0.5).
Note: FARs can be expressed as a numerical result of the calculation (e.g., 7.5) or as a ratio (e.g. 2:1), and both methods are represented in Pittsburgh’s zoning code. In cases where it is listed as a ratio, to convert it into a decimal, treat the ratio as a fraction (e.g., 2:1 = 2/1), then divide (e.g., 2/1 = 0.5).
The GT FAR Bonus
There are three methods by which a project can be permitted to build bonus floor area and exceed the maximum FAR:
by exceeding the subdistrict’s Urban Open Space requirement,
by providing an on-site transportation facility, or
by offering ground floor retail.
How to Exceed the Urban Open Space Requirement
Code section 910.01.C.4(a)(1) describes the requirements for receiving an FAR bonus for exceeding the Urban Office Space requirement for projects in the GT-A, GT-B, GT-C, and GT-E; code section 910.01.C.4(a)(2) describes these requirements for projects in the GT-D. These sections are dense and may be challenging to interpret.
To our best understanding, in the GT-A, GT-B, GT-C, and GT-E subdistricts, an area of urban open space must be provided that’s equal to:
(20% of the development site’s lot area) x (total proposed floor area of the site/maximum floor area permitted on the site)
For example, on a lot with an area of 20,000 square feet in the GT-A, the maximum permitted floor area would be 260,000 square feet. If a project had a proposed floor area of 300,00 square feet, the calculation would be as follows:
(0.2 x 20,000) x (300,000/260,000) = 4,615 square feet
The amount of urban open space that would need to be provided to permit a project with 300,000 square feet in the GT-A subdistrict is 4,615 square feet.
In the GT-D, an area of urban open space must be provided that’s equal to:
(60% of the development site’s lot area) x (total proposed floor area of the site/maximum floor area permitted on the site)
For example, on a lot with an area of 20,000 square feet in the GT-D, the maximum permitted floor area would be 150,000 square feet. If a project had a proposed floor area of 200,000 square feet, the calculation would be as follows:
(0.6 x 20,000) x (200,000/150,000) = 16,000 square feet
The amount of urban open space that would need to be provided to permit a project with 200,000 square feet in the GT-D subdistrict is 16,000 square feet.
How to Provide an On-site Transportation Facility
To receive an FAR bonus for transportation facilities, the provided transportation facility must meet several criteria. First, the code stipulates that the facility must be “designed and developed as an integral part of the total development project and not as mere connections” (Code section 910.01.C.4(b)(1)); the code does not provide quantitative measures to distinguish between facilities that are considered integral parts of the project and those that are considered mere connections. The facility is required to be able to handle peak traffic flows at a minimum of 4,000 individuals on a weekday, and these travelers must be able to board and disembark at boarding areas that are either partly or totally separate from the public right-of-way. Finally, a commitment is required for the transportation facility to be a permanent feature of the development. If these criteria are met, the project is permitted to exceed the maximum FAR by 20 percent.
How to Offer Ground Floor Retail
If a quantity of ground floor retail is provided, the project can receive that same floor area as a bonus elsewhere in the project. In order to receive this bonus, the public must be able to access the ground floor retail either from a public right-of-way or from an Urban Open Space. It must also be obvious that the ground floor retail is present. To that end, the code requires that at least 75 percent of walls surrounding the retail use be glazed, which promotes the use’s visibility. Finally, it must be determined by city staff that the proposed retail use “strengthens retail patterns in the downtown”; like the requirement for transportation facilities to be more significant than connections, this requirement does not have a stated quantitative component.
Conclusion
The options for Floor Area Bonuses outlined in Section 910.01.C.4 and described above are another way that the GT zoning district affords some flexibility in project design; for more information about other options in this zoning district, see our deep dive on density and intensity transfers in the GT.
Parts of this section of the code are dense and difficult to parse. If you have to read it multiple times in order to work out what it means and how it applies to your project, you aren’t alone - you probably had to read it fewer times than we did in writing this post. If zoning wasn’t challenging, we wouldn’t have this blog dedicated to helping it be more accessible. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, and if some parts of code are a struggle, don’t let it get you down.
