Real Estate Addicts

Patrick Mahoney of Boston Zoning Strategies offers REA listeners a diversity of experience as a zoning attorney, local developer and former building official. We begin by clarifying and explaining the nuances of some commonly misunderstood zoning terms such as building height, number of stories & FAR. We discus the difference between a story and a “mezzanine”, how to measure grade if the property is built on a hill & when a basement contributes as a “story” on a building? We also dive into the notion of “grandfather status” and when a non-conforming feature can actually be considered “exiting to remain” (hint: statue of limitations).