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<br />Planning & Zoning Commission <br />April 17, 2008 <br />Maximum Height Restrictions <br />Zoning Ordinance Amendment <br />Page 2 of 4 <br /> <br />. Single Family Special Lot- 35 feet <br />. Duplexes--------------------- 45 feet <br />. Single Family Converted-- 35 feet <br />. T ownhomes/Quads--------- 45 feet <br />. rvfultifamily------------------ 45 feet <br />. rvfanufactured Housing ---- 25 feet <br /> <br />CommerciallIndustrial <br />· Neighborhood Commercial-------N/A <br />· General Commercial--------------- NI A <br />· Business Industrial-----------------NI A <br />· Light Industrial---------------------NI A <br />. Heavy Industrial--------------------N/A <br /> <br />NOTE: Shipping Containers are governed by a separate ordinance <br />which establishes the maximum stacking to be four (4) containers <br />regardless of height. <br /> <br />Analvsis: <br /> <br />Definition: <br />· The vertical distance of a building measured from the average elevation of the <br />finished grade within twenty feet of the structure to the highest point of the roof. <br />or <br />· An average between the peak of the roof and the base of the roof. <br /> <br />Building heights usually exclude penthouses containing mechanical equipment such as <br />air conditioning or elevator equipment and church spires, water towers, radio antennas, <br />etc. The provision for measuring the finished lot grade within 20 feet of the structure is to <br />prevent the deliberately building up of a portion of the site on which the building will sit <br />in order to permit an additional story to be constructed. <br /> <br />The La Porte Fire Department has equipment that can reach up to 100' in elevation. A <br />rule of thumb used by the fire department when employing this equipment is 7 stories or <br />70 feet (10 feet per story) given that positioning of the equipment when fighting a fire <br />will not be ideal. Fire protection regulations for this situation mandated a total sprinkler <br />system including the attic. All similar buildings attaining this height would require this <br />protection. Coordination with the fire department shows that as long as the building has a <br />sprinkler system, this reduces their concern. In addition, Surveys of surrounding cities <br />shows that a majority do not regulate a maximum height. <br />