The bill amends Section 45-24-33 of the General Laws in Chapter 45-24 entitled "Zoning Ordinances." The amendment introduces a change to the standard provisions that zoning ordinances may address, specifically concerning the calculation of floor area ratios (FAR). The new legal language inserted into the current law mandates that zoning ordinances must exclude any portion of a basement, as defined in § 45-24.3-5, from the calculation of FAR. This change is aimed at modifying how the usable space within buildings is determined for zoning purposes.

The explanation provided by the Legislative Council clarifies that the purpose of the act is to remove basement areas from the consideration of floor area ratios in relation to zoning ordinance provisions. The bill does not include any deletions from the current law. The act is set to take effect immediately upon passage, indicating that the change to the exclusion of basement areas in FAR calculations would be implemented without delay.

Statutes affected:
3148: 45-24-33