Legal Definitions - front foot

The term front foot refers to a specific unit of measurement, which is one linear foot, used to quantify the length of a property's boundary that directly faces or "abuts" a public area. This public area could be a street, a sidewalk, a utility easement, or another public right-of-way.

This measurement is primarily used to calculate a special charge known as a frontage assessment. A frontage assessment is a fee or tax levied by a local government, municipality, or utility company on property owners whose land benefits from specific public improvements. The cost of these improvements (such as new roads, sidewalks, or sewer lines) is then distributed among the benefiting properties based on the length of each property's front foot measurement along the improved public area.

Here are some examples illustrating how the term applies:

• Street Paving Project: Imagine a city decides to repave a residential street and install new curbs and gutters. To fund this improvement, the city might levy a special assessment on all properties bordering that street. The cost for each property owner would be calculated by multiplying the number of front feet their property has along the street by a set rate per front foot. For instance, a house with 75 feet of frontage would pay 75 times the established rate, while a neighbor with 100 feet of frontage would pay 100 times the rate, reflecting their proportional benefit from the street improvement.

• New Sewer Line Installation: Consider a developing suburban area where a new municipal sewer line is being extended down a main road to serve several previously unserved parcels of land. The local utility district might charge a one-time connection fee or a special assessment to the owners of these parcels for the availability of the new sewer service. This charge could be determined by the number of front feet each parcel measures along the road where the sewer line is installed, ensuring that properties with greater access to the new infrastructure contribute proportionally.

• Commercial District Improvement: A downtown business improvement district (BID) is established to fund ongoing maintenance, enhanced street lighting, and decorative landscaping along a main commercial avenue. To cover these costs, the BID might assess an annual fee to the businesses within its boundaries. This fee could be based on the front foot measurement of each commercial property along the avenue. A larger retail store with extensive street frontage would contribute more to the district's budget than a smaller shop with less frontage, reflecting its greater visibility and impact on the public space.