For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION. The officer as appointed by the City Council to administer these regulations and to assist administratively other boards and commissions. If no such officer shall be appointed, the City Administrator shall also serve as ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT.
APPLICANT. The owner of land proposed to be subdivided or his or her representative. Consent shall be required from the legal owner of the premises.
BLOCK. A tract of land bounded by streets, or by a combination of streets and public parks, cemeteries, railroad rights-of-way or shorelines of waterways.
BOND. Any form of security including a cash deposit, surety bond, collateral, property or instrument of credit in an amount and form satisfactory to the City Council. All BONDS shall be approved by the City Council wherever a bond is required by these regulations.
BUILDING. Any structure built for the support, shelter or enclosure of persons, animals, chattels or movable property of any kind and includes any structures.
BUILDING OFFICIAL. The person designated by the City Administrator to enforce the building codes. If no such officer shall be appointed, the City Administrator shall also serve as the BUILDING OFFICIAL.
CITY. The City of Clifton, Texas.
COMMISSION or PLANNING COMMISSION. The Planning and Zoning Commission of the city.
CONSTRUCTION PLAN. The maps or drawings accompanying a subdivision plat and showing the specific location and design of improvements to be installed in the subdivision in accordance with the requirements of the Commission as a condition of the approval of the plat.
COUNCIL. The City Council of the City of Clifton.
DOUBLE FRONT LOT. A lot other than a corner lot with frontage on two streets.
EASEMENT. Authorization by a property owner for the use by another and for a specified purpose of any designated part of his or her property.
FINAL PLAT. The map or plan or record of a subdivision and any accompanying material, as described in these regulations.
FRONTAGE. The side of a lot abutting on a street or way and ordinarily regarded as the front of the lot, considered to be the width of the lot, but it shall not be considered as the ordinary side of a corner lot.
GENERAL PLAN and COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. The officially adopted plan for the physical development of the city, including any unit or part of such plan or parts thereof.
HEALTH DEPARTMENT and HEALTH OFFICER. The county agency or person administering the health regulations regulating septic systems within the corporate limits and the county.
IMPROVEMENTS. Building structures or additions thereto, grading, street surfacing, sidewalks, crosswalks, culverts, bridges, water and sanitary and storm sewer lines, other utilities and other required features.
INDIVIDUAL SEWAGE DISPOSAL SYSTEM. A septic tank, seepage tile sewage disposal system or any other approved sewage treatment device.
LOT. An undivided tract or parcel of land which is, or in the future may be, offered for sale, conveyance, transfer or improvement, which is designated as a distinct and separate tract or parcel, and which is or will be identified by a number or symbol on a plat which has or may be filed for record.
LOT, CORNER. A lot situated at the intersection of two streets, the interior angle of such intersection not exceeding 155 degrees.
LOT, SPLIT. Any division of land into two or more parcels for the purpose whether immediate or future of transfer of ownership and which does constitute subdivision, as herein defined as a minor subdivision.
MAJOR DEVELOPMENT. Any development which is neither minor, nor staged, as those terms are herein defined.
MINOR DEVELOPMENT.
(1) The creation of a plat:
(a) Involving four or fewer lots;
(b) Each of which fronts on an existing public road or street;
(c) Encompassing all of applicant’s contiguous property;
(d) Not requiring variance of the regulations of the city governing the development; and
(e) Not requiring the creation or extension of any street, road, utility or other municipal facilities.
(2) See Tex. Local Government Code § 212.0065.
OPEN SPACE. Land which may be dedicated for general use by the public including parks, recreation areas, bicycle paths, walking paths, community or public building sites and other lands.
PLAT. A map of a lot, tract or parcel of land or a map of a subdivision of lands into lots, streets, alleys, easements or other parts of land or dedications of parts of land to public uses. A subdivider shall cause to be prepared a PLAT by a registered surveyor or registered engineer in accordance with this chapter.
PRELIMINARY PLAT. The initial drawing or drawings, described in these regulations, indicating the proposed manner or layout of the subdivision to be submitted to the Planning and Zoning Commission.
PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR. Defined in the city’s Policy Manual.
REGISTERED ENGINEER. An engineer properly licensed and registered in the state.
REGISTERED LAND SURVEYOR. A land surveyor properly licensed and registered in the state.
REPLAT. Whether the application is for a major development, staged development or minor development, provisions for REPLATS in § 158.41(A) of this chapter shall apply if the application shall mean a change in a map of an approved or recorded subdivision plat if such change affects:
(1) Any street layout on such map;
(2) Areas reserved thereon for public use;
(3) Any lot line by relocation, addition or deletion; or
(4) If it affects any map or plat legally recorded prior to the adoption of any regulations controlling subdivisions.
RIGHT-OF-WAY. A strip of land dedicated and occupied or intended to be occupied by a street, crosswalk, railroad, road, electric transmission line, oil or gas pipeline, water main, sanitary or storm sewer main or for other special use.
SCREENING. A strip of ground densely planted with shrubs or trees at least four feet high at the time of planting or an opaque wall or barrier at least six feet high.
SETBACK. The distance between a building and the street line nearest thereto.
SHALL, MAY. The word “shall” is always mandatory. The word “may” is merely directory.
STAGED DEVELOPMENT. A development which does not qualify as a minor development and where a developer, owning one or more tracts of contiguous property, who intends to develop the property in stages or units and/or to presently develop only a part of it under a final plat covering only that portion of his or her property to be immediately developed, leaving the balance of it for later development under one or more other final plats. An applicant who owns a tract of land and is only securing a final plat on a portion of it is engaged in STAGED DEVELOPMENT.
STREETS. A way for vehicular traffic whether designated as a street, highway, thoroughfare, parkway, road, avenue, boulevard, lane, place or however otherwise designated.
STREETS, ALLEYS. Minor ways which are used primarily for vehicular service access to the back or side of properties otherwise abutting on a street.
STREETS, COLLECTOR. Those which carry traffic from minor streets to the major system of arterial streets and highways, including the principal entrance street of a residential development and streets for circulation within such a development.
STREETS, CUL-DE-SAC. A minor street with only one outlet and having an appropriate terminal for the safe and convenient reversal of traffic movement.
STREETS, MAJOR THOROUGHFARES OR ARTERIAL STREETS. Principal traffic arteries more or less continuous across the city, which are intended to connect remote parts of the city and which are used primarily for fast or heavy volume traffic and shall include, but not be limited to, each street designated as a major street on the thoroughfare plan.
STREETS, MINOR. Those which are used primarily for access to the abutting residential properties and which are intended to serve traffic within a limited residential district.
SUBDIVIDER and DEVELOPER. Synonymous and used interchangeably, and shall include any person, partnership, firm, association or corporation who or which owns the property and any officer, agent, employee, servant and trustee thereof who does or participates in the doing of any act toward the subdivision of land within the intent, scope and purview of this chapter. The singular shall include the plural and the plural shall include the singular.
SUBDIVISION.
(1) The division of any lot, tract or parcel of land into two or more parts, lots or sites, for the purpose, whether immediate or future, of sale or division of ownership.
(2) This definition also includes the resubdivision of land or lots, which are a part of a previously recorded subdivision.
(3) The definition shall also include the division of a lot or tract of land into two or more parts for the purpose of laying out lots, streets, utility easements, parks or public use or any addition to any lot or tract of land within the city limits or within the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction.
THOROUGHFARE PLAN. The official plan of highways, primary and secondary thoroughfares, parkways and other major streets, including collector streets, adopted by the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council.
V.T.C.A. Vernon’s Texas Codes Annotated.
(2012 Code, § 77-1)