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ORONO CODE EXCERPTS- SEC. 78-1 DEFINITIONS <br /> -REGARDING BUILDING HEIGHT <br /> Basemenf ineans that portion of a building that is partly or completely below the existing <br /> ground level.A basement shall be considered as a story for purposes of determining the number of <br /> stories in a building,when the finished surface of the floor above the basement is more than six feet <br /> above the existing ground level for more than 50 percent of the basement's perimeter.The perimeter <br /> � of the basement does not include portions of the house or garage that do not have a lower level but <br /> are merely"unexcavated". Artificially raising the grade adjacent to the foundation of a structure (by <br /> filling or by a combination of filling and retaining walls) above the surrounding natural terrain shall not <br /> be allowed as a method for converting a defined story to a defined basement, regardless of any <br /> other benefits to the property of such action. Finished grade that increases more than one foot from <br /> existing ground level shall be considered as artificially raising the grade. However, artificially raising <br /> the grade when such action merely restores a previously excavated site to its original natural grade <br /> may used as a method for converting a defined story to a defined basement. <br /> �.:�� <br /> , Basement, walkout, means a basement having an entrance at grade level. <br /> ;-�:�z. <br /> Building height means the vertical distance between the highest adjoining ground level at the <br /> building or ten feet above the lowest ground level,whichever is lower, and the top of the comice of a <br /> � - flat roof, or the deck line of a mansard roof, or the uppermost point on a round or other arch-type <br /> roof, or the median height of the highest gable of a pitched or hipped roof.Topographic changes <br /> which elevate the adjoining ground level above the existing terrain shall not be considered in <br /> determining building height. For a pitched or hipped roof situation, regardless whether the highest <br /> living space in a building is a half-story or full story, if the highest living space contains windows <br /> (excluding skylights)the upper measuring point for defining building height shall be the median <br /> height of the top of the highest window and the highest peak of the roof. <br /> Existing ground level means the elevation of the grade at the base of an existing structure, <br /> ' measured at points abutting the foundation wall, or the existing grade of a vacant lot. <br /> Half story means the uppermost floor of a building in which (i)the intersection of the exterior <br /> wall and the roof is not more than three feet above the floor elevation, and (ii) not more than 60 <br /> percent of the floor area within the exterior walls of the uppermost floor exceeds five feet in height as <br /> measured from the floor to the rafters. Floors exceeding these parameters shall be deemed a full <br /> story. <br /> Sfory means that portion of a building included befinreen the upper surFace of a floor and the <br /> upper surface of the floor or roof next above. It is measured as the vertical distance from top to top <br /> of two successive tiers of beams or finished floor surFaces and, for the topmost story,from the top of <br /> the floor finish to the top of the ceiling joists or,where there is not a ceiling, to the top of the roof <br /> rafters.A story that meets the definition of a"basement"shall be considered as a basement and not <br /> as a story for purposes of determining the number of stories in a building. <br />