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Melanie Curtis From: Melanie Curtis Sent: Thursday, December 27, 2012 10:54 AM To: 'Gustafson, Sven'; kathryn@alexanderdesigngroup.com Subject: RE: 20121210 2789 Pheasant Rd -2012-01206 Kathy It appears this will be a three story house as the lowest level appears to be a defined'�story"and not a"basement". Without a First Floor Elevation shown on the survey I used the TFE and added 2'for trusses— if this is not correct please provide first floor elevation. This results in the 949.2'contour being used for the basement determination (6' is subtracted from the first floor elevation...). The lowest floor is therefore not a basement. If your intent was for the upper level to meet the half-story definition I will need more detail —cross sections, wall heights, etc. The half-story definition is below. Thanks - Melanie Basement means that portion of a building that is partly or completely below the existing ground level. A basement shall be considered as a story for purposes of determining the number of stories in a building, when the finished surFace of the floor above the basement is more than six feet above the existing ground level for more than 50 percent of the basement's perimeter. The perimeter of the basement does not include portions of the house or garage that do not have a lower level but are merely "unexcavated". Artificially raising the grade adjacent to the foundation of a structure (by filling or by a combination of filling and retaining walls) above the surrounding natural terrain shall not be allowed as a method for converting a defined story to a defined basement, regardless of any other benefits to the property of such action. Finished grade that increases more than one foot from existing ground level shall be considered as artificially raising the grade. However, artificially raising the grade when such action merely restores a previously excavated site to its original natural grade may used as a method for converting a defined story to a defined basement. Building height means the vertical distance between the highest adjoining ground level at the building or ten feet above the lowest ground level, whichever is lower, and the top of the cornice of a flat roof, or the deck line of a mansard roof, or the uppermost point on a round or other arch-type roof, or the median height of the highest gable of a pitched or hipped roof. Topographic changes which elevate the adjoining ground level above the existing terrain shall not be considered in determining building height. For a pitched or hipped roof situation, regardless whether the highest living space in a building is a half-story or full story, if the highest living space contains windows (excluding skylights) the upper measur ing point for defining building height shall be the median height of the top of the highest window and the highest peak of the roof. Story means that portion of a building included between the upper surface of a floor and the upper surface of the floor or roof next above. It is measured as the vertical distance from top to top of two successive tiers of beams or finished floor surfaces and, for the topmost story, from the top of the floor finish to the top of the ceiling joists or, where there is not a ceiling, to the top of the roof rafters. A story that meets the definition of a "basement" shall be considered as a basement and not as a story for purposes of determining the number of stories in a building. Half story means the uppermost floor of a building in which (i) the intersection of the exterior wall and the roof is not more than three feet above the floor elevation, and (ii) not more than 60 percent of the floor area within the exterior walls of the uppermost floor exceeds five feet in height as measured from the floor to the rafters. Floors exceeding these parameters shall be deemed a full story. Melanie Curtis � 952.249.4627 � mcurtis@ci.orono.mn.us 1