§ 15.5-1.4. Definitions.  


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  • For the purpose of this chapter, certain words and terms used herein shall be interpreted or defined as follows:

    Adequate: Standards or specifications as promulgated by the recognized American National Standards Institute and other national standards producing organizations, except where such standards conflict with the established county or state standards or specifications.

    Agent: The representative of the board of supervisors of Gloucester County who has been appointed to serve as the agent of the board to administer the provisions of this chapter.

    Agriculture: The science of cultivating the soil, producing crops, and raising livestock and in varying degrees the preparation of these products for man's use and their disposal by marketing.

    Alley: A permanent service way providing a secondary means of access to abutting properties.

    Alterations: Changes, improvements, and replacement of parts in buildings or structures not affecting the piers and foundation walls of such buildings or structures.

    Board: The board of supervisors of Gloucester County, Virginia.

    Building, accessory: A subordinate structure customarily incidental to and located upon the same lot occupied by the main structure.

    Building area: The portion of the site on which a structure or improvements may be erected.

    Building, main: The principal structure on a lot or the structure housing the principal use on the lot.

    Building official: The legally designated building official of Gloucester County, or his authorized representative, under the Uniform Statewide Building Code, as amended.

    Commission: The planning commission of Gloucester County, Virginia.

    Comprehensive plan: Any plan or part thereof officially adopted pursuant to Virginia law for the physical development of the County of Gloucester, Virginia, showing the long-range proposals for the general development of the county and including, but not necessarily limited to:

    (1)

    A land use plan designating areas for various types of public and private development and uses;

    (2)

    A major thoroughfare and transportation plan as may be approved designating a comprehensive system of transportation facilities;

    (3)

    A community facilities plan designating a comprehensive system of community facilities such as parks and recreational areas, schools, public buildings, community centers, waterworks, sewage disposal, refuse disposal, and the like.

    Cul-de-sac: A street with only one outlet and having an appropriate turnaround for a safe and convenient reverse traffic movement.

    Dedication: The intentional appropriation of land to some public use by the subdivider.

    Developer: An owner of property being developed whether or not represented by a representative.

    Director of public works: An engineer licensed by the Commonwealth of Virginia and legally designated as the director of public works of Gloucester County.

    Dwelling unit: A single unit providing complete, independent living facilities for one or more persons including permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking, and sanitation.

    Dwelling, single-family: A detached building designed for or occupied by one family.

    Dwelling, two-family: A building designed for or intended to be occupied by not over two (2) families, living independently of each other. This shall include both duplex (one dwelling above another) and semi-detached two (2) dwelling units having a common vertical party wall.

    Easement: A grant by a property owner of the use of land for a specific purpose or purposes.

    Engineer, land surveyor or architect: A professional engineer, land surveyor, or architect licensed by the Commonwealth of Virginia, properly certified for the design work.

    Erosion and sediment control plan: A plan which shall show in detail the methods and techniques to be utilized in the control of erosion and sedimentation as prescribed in Chapter 7.5 of the Code of Gloucester, Virginia.

    Greenbelt: A strip of land planted with an evergreen hedge or dense planting of evergreen shrubs in healthy condition.

    Governing body: The board of supervisors of Gloucester County, Virginia.

    Horticulture: The science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, shrubs, or ornamental plants.

    Jurisdiction: The area or territory subject to the legislative control of the governing body.

    Owner: Owner shall mean one or more persons, jointly or severally in whom is vested all or part of the legal title to the property, or all or part of the beneficial ownership and right to present use and enjoyment of the premises, and the term includes a mortgagee in possession.

    Person: A person shall include every natural person, firm, trustee, partnership, corporation, or association.

    Plat: Includes the terms map, plan, plot, replat or replot; a map or plan of a tract or parcel of land which is to be or which has been subdivided. When used as a verb, "plat" is synonymous with "subdivide."

    Property: Any tract, lot, parcel, or several of the same collected together for the purpose of subdividing.

    Resident engineer: The resident engineer of the state department of highways and transportation assigned to the County of Gloucester or his authorized representative.

    Silviculture: A branch of forestry dealing with the development and care of forests.

    Site plan: A plan delineating the overall scheme of development of a tract of land, including but not limited to grading, engineering design, construction details, and survey data for existing and proposed improvements.

    (1)

    Preliminary site plan: A general plan prepared in conformity with this chapter which meets all applicable requirements, regulations, and restrictions of this chapter.

    (2)

    Final site plan: A specific plan and related construction specifications for the construction of all proposed physical improvements conforming with all applicable requirements, regulations, and restrictions of this chapter.

    Street: The principal means of access within the property and to abutting properties. The word street shall be synonymous with "road."

    Street or alley, public use of: The unrestricted use of a specified area or right-of-way for ingress or egress to two (2) or more abutting properties.

    Street, major: A through street or road that carries a large volume of through traffic, or anticipated traffic exceeding four hundred (400) vehicles per day.

    Street, other: A street that used primarily as a means of public access within the property and to the abutting properties with anticipated traffic of less than four hundred (400) vehicles per day.

    Street, right-of-way: The total width of the strip of land, dedicated or reserved for public travel, including roadway, curbs, gutters, swales, sidewalks, and planting strips.

    Street, service drive: A public right-of-way generally parallel and contiguous to a major highway, primarily designed to promote safety by eliminating promiscuous ingress and egress to the right-of-way by providing safe and orderly points of access to the highway.

    Structure: Anything which is built or constructed; an assembly of materials or any piece of work artificially built up or composed of parts joined together in some definite manner.

    Tree: Unless the context in which the word is used indicates otherwise, the word "tree" shall be defined as any self-supporting woody plant which usually produces one main trunk measuring no less than two (2) inches in diameter at least six (6) inches above the ground level.

    (Ord. of 11-20-84)

(Ord. of 11-20-84)