The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:
Area of environmental concern (AEC) means an area identified by the state Coastal Resources Commission as environmentally fragile and economically important where uncontrolled or incompatible development could result in irreversible damage.
Built-upon area means that portion of an individual development project that is covered by impervious or partially impervious cover includingbuildings, pavement, compacted soil including coquina and marl, recreation facilities, gravel roadsand parking areas, etc. Wood slatted decks and the water area of a swimming pool are not considered to be built-upon area.
CAMA means the Coastal Area Management Act which was adopted by North Carolina in 1974. The Act established a comprehensive regional resource management program for the state's 20-county coastal area. The management program that has evolved since 1974 in North Carolina has land use planning, regulatory, land acquisition, and policy development components.
CAMA major development permit means the permit required by the Coastal Resources Commission for developments that infringe on areas of environmental concern.
Coastal wetland means any salt marsh or other marsh subject to regular or occasional flooding by tides, including wind tides, whether or not the tide waters reach the marshland areas through natural or artificial watercourses, provided this shall not include hurricane or tropical storm tides. Coastal wetlands contain some, but not necessarily all, of ten indigenous wetland plant species. Included in this definition of coastal wetlands is such contiguous land as the Secretary of the Department of Environment Quality (DEQ) reasonably deems necessary to affect any such order in carrying out the purposes of the regulations. (G.S. 113-230(a)).
Development means any land disturbing activity which increases the amount of built-upon area or which otherwise decreases the infiltration of precipitation into the soil.
Erosion means the wearing away of land surface by the action of wind, water, gravity, or any combination thereof.
Erosion and sediment control plan means a plan required by the Division of Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources in which developers must describe the sedimentation and erosion control devices they will use for land disturbing activities that disturb one acre or greater.
Estuarine shoreline means a non-ocean shoreline connected to estuarine waters which are especially vulnerable to erosion, flooding, and other adverse effects of wind, water and gravity. Estuarine shorelines extend from the mean high water level in areas of tidal influence or normal water level in areas without tidal influence along the estuaries, sounds, bays, and brackish waters for a distance of 75 feet landward unless otherwise set by the Coastal Resources Commission.
Estuarine waters means all the water of the Atlantic Ocean within the boundary of the state and all the waters of the bays, sounds, rivers, and tributaries thereto seaward of the dividing line between coastal fishing waters, as set forth in the most recent official published agreement adopted by the Wildlife Resources Commission and the DEQ.
Existing development means any land which has been utilized for a land disturbing activity as of the effective date of Ord. No. 2016-1202.
Groundwater means the subsurface water that occurs beneath the water table in soils and geologic formations that are fully saturated.
Infiltration system means a stormwater treatment system designed to allow runoff to pass or move (infiltrate) into the soil.
Land disturbing activity means any use of the land by any person in residential, industrial, educational, institutional or commercial development, highway and road construction and maintenance that results in a change in the natural cover or topography and that may cause or contribute to sedimentation.
New development means any land which is utilized for a land disturbing activity after the effective date of Ord. No. 2016-1202, and includes any rebuilding or other development that increases the built-upon area of an existing development.
NCAC means North Carolina Administrative Code.
North Carolina Coastal Resources Commission means the state policy-making organization with responsibility for the coastal region.
Ocean hazard area means an area where there exists a substantial possibility of excessive erosion and shoreline fluctuation. The seaward limit of this boundary is the mean low water line.
Redevelopment means any rebuilding activity which has no net increase in built-upon area or which provides equal or greater stormwater control than the previous development.
Sedimentation means the deposition of solid material, both mineral and organic, that has been transported from its site of origin by wind, water, or gravity.
State certification means one or more of the following documents: a CAMA permit application and accompanying CAMA permit from the Division of Coastal Management, a stormwater certification or permit, as required, from the Division of Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources, and/or an erosion and sediment control plan that has been approved by the Division of Energy, Mineral, and Land Resources.
Stormwater means the flow of water which results from precipitation and which occurs immediately following rainfall or a snowmelt.
Surface waters means rivers, streams, creeks, channels, lakes, reservoirs, ponds, drainage systems, springs, wetlands, wells, the Intracoastal Waterway, the Atlantic Ocean, and other bodies of surface or subsurface water, natural or artificial, lying within or forming part of the boundaries of the village. This term excludes privately owned ponds which have no entry or exit of water to or from waters of public domain.
Vegetative filter means an area of natural or planted vegetation through which stormwater flows in a diffuse manner so that runoff does not become channelized and which provides for control of stormwater runoff through infiltration of runoff and filtering of pollutants. The defined length of the filter shall be provided for the direction of stormwater flow.
Wet detention pond means a structure that provides for storage and treatment of runoff and includes a permanent pool of water.
(Ord. of 5-20-2000, § 3; Ord. No. 2016-1202, 12-16-2016)
Cross References: generally, § 1-2.