For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning. Words in the present tense include the future and vice-versa; words in the singular number include the plural number and vice-versa; the word “building” includes the word “structure” and vice-versa; and the word “shall” is mandatory and not directory.
ACCESSORY USE. A use which is incidental to the main use of the premises.
ALLEY. A public thoroughfare, which affords only secondary means of vehicular access to abutting property, and less than 30 feet in width.
BASEMENT. A story partly underground, but having more than one-half of its clean height below ground level which unless subdivided into rooms and used for tenant purposes, shall not be included as a story for the purpose of height measurements.
BLOCK. Property having frontage on one side of a street and lying between the two nearest intersecting or intercepting streets, or nearest intersecting or intercepting street and railroad right-of-way, waterway or other barrier. When intersecting or intercepting streets and railroad right-of-way, waterway or other barriers do not exist, the unit of 660 feet shall be used and may begin at a quarter section line and terminate each 660 feet unless intersected by a street.
BOARD. The Board of Zoning Appeals of the city.
BOARDING HOUSE. A building not open to transients, where lodging and/or meals are provided for compensation for three or more, but not over 30 persons regularly; a LODGING HOUSE.
BUILDING. A structure having a roof supported by columns or walls, for the shelter, support, enclosure or protection of persons, animals, chattels or property. When separated by party walls, without openings through such walls, each portion of such a BUILDING shall be considered a separate structure.
BUILDING, ACCESSORY. A subordinate building, or a portion of a main building, which is located on the lot of the main building, the use of which is incidental to that of the main building but such ACCESSORY BUILDING shall not be used as a separate family dwelling.
BUILDING AREA. The maximum horizontal projected area of the principal and accessory building, excluding open steps or terraces, unenclosed porches not exceeding one story in height, or architectural appurtenances projecting not more than two feet.
BUILDING, FRONT LINE OF. The line of that face of the building nearest the front lot line.
BUILDING, HEIGHT OF. The vertical distance measured from the lot ground level to the highest point of the roof for a flat roof; to the deck line of a mansard roof; and to the mean height between eaves and ridges for gable, hip and gambrel roofs
BUILDING, PRINCIPAL. A building in which is conducted the main or principal use of the lot on which said building is situated. Where a substantial part of the wall of an accessory building is a part of the wall of the principal building or where an accessory building is attached to the main building in a substantial manner by a roof; such accessory building shall be counted as a part of the PRINCIPAL BUILDING.
BUSINESS. The engaging in the purchase, sale, barter or exchange of goods, wares, merchandise or services, the maintenance or operation of offices or recreational and amusement enterprises for profit.
CAMP, PUBLIC. Any area or tract of land used or designed to accommodate two or more automobile house trailers, or two or more camping parties, including cabins, tents or other camping outfits.
COMMERCIAL. See BUSINESS.
DISTRICT. A section of the city or the jurisdictional area for which uniform regulating governing the use, height, area, size and intensity of use of buildings and land, and open spaces about buildings, are herein established.
FAMILY. A group of one or more persons occupying a building and living as a single housekeeping unit. No unrelated group living as a single housekeeping unit shall consist of more than six person, as distinguished from a group occupying a lodging house or hotel.
GARAGE, PRIVATE. An accessory building with capacity for not more than three motor vehicles for storage only, not more than one of which may be a commercial vehicle of not more than three tons capacity; provided, however, that a garage designed to house one motor vehicle for each family housed in an apartment shall be classed as a PRIVATE GARAGE.
GARAGE, PUBLIC. Any building or premises, except those defined herein as a private garage, used for the storage of cars or motor vehicles, or where such vehicles are equipped for operation, repaired or kept for remuneration, hire or sale.
GROUND FLOOR AREA. The square foot area of a residential building within its largest outside dimensions computed, on a horizontal plane at the ground level, exclusive of open porches, breezeways, terraces, garages, exterior and interior stairways.
HOME OCCUPATION. An occupation, carried on by a member of the family residing on the premises, in conjunction with which no commodity is sold or stock in trade is kept on the premises; no person is employed other than a member of said family; and no sign, other than a name plate, not exceeding one square foot in area, is displayed, and no change in the external appearance of the building shall be caused thereby, and that no accessory building shall be used for such HOME OCCUPATION. Barber shops and beauty shops shall not be construed as HOME OCCUPATIONS.
HOTEL. A building in which lodging is provided and offered to the public for compensation, and which is open to transient guests, in contradiction to a boarding or lodging house.
JUNK YARD, INCLUDING AUTOMOBILE WRECKING. A lot or part thereof used for the storage, keeping or abandonment of metallic and non-metallic materials, including scrap metal and/or vehicles, machinery and/or parts thereof.
JURISDICTIONAL AREA. For planning and zoning, the area incorporated within the City of Clinton, Indiana, and the contiguous unincorporated territory shown on a map filed by the Clinton City Plan Commission with the Recorder of Vermillion County, Indiana.
KENNEL. Any lot or premises on which four or more dogs, at least four months of age are kept.
LODGE or CLUB. An association of persons for some common purpose, but not including a group organized primarily or which is actually engaged to render a service which is customarily carried on as a business.
LOT. A parcel of land occupied or intended for occupancy by a use permitted in this chapter, including one principal building and its accessory buildings, and the open space required by this chapter, and having its principal frontage on a street, or an officially designated and approved place.
LOT, CORNER. A lot abutting upon two or more streets at their intersection.
LOT COVERAGE. The percentage of the lot area covered by the building area.
LOT, DEPTH OF. The mean horizontal distance between the front line and rear line of the lot, measured in the general direction of the side lot lines.
LOT, GROUND LEVEL.
(1) For buildings having walls adjoining one street only, the elevation of the ground at the center of the wall adjoining the street.
(2) For buildings having walls adjoining more than one street, the average of the elevation of the ground at the center of all walls adjoining the streets.
(3) For buildings having no wall adjoining the street, the average level of the ground adjacent to the exterior walls of the building.
(4) Any wall approximately parallel to and not more than five feet from a street is to be considered as adjoining the street.
LOT, INTERIOR. A lot other than a corner lot or through lot.
LOT LINE, FRONT. In the case of an interior lot, a line separating the lot from the street or place; and in the case of a corner lot a line separating the narrowest street frontage of the lot from the street, except in cases where deed restrictions in effect specify another line as the FRONT LOT LINE.
LOT LINE, REAR. A lot line which is opposite and most distance from the front lot line and, in the case of an irregular or triangular shaped lot, a line ten feet in length within the lot, parallel to and at the maximum distance from the front lot line.
LOT LINE, SIDE. Any lot boundary line not a front lot line or a rear lot line.
LOT, THROUGH. A lot having frontage on two streets at opposite ends of the lot.
LOT, WIDTH OF. The distance between the side lot lines at the front building line of a building measured at right angles to the depth of the lot.
MOBILE HOME COURT. Any area or tract of land used or designed to accommodate two or more mobile homes for non-transient use meeting the standards established by the State Board of Health for such park or court.
MOTEL. A building or group of buildings, in which lodging is provided and offered to the public for compensation, and catering primarily to the public traveling by motor vehicle.
NONCONFORMING USE. A building or premises which does not conform in its use or otherwise with all of the regulations of the district, in which such building or premises is located.
PARKING LOT. A parcel of land devoted to unenclosed parking space for five or more motor vehicles for compensation or otherwise.
PLACE. An open unoccupied space other than a street or alley, permanently reserved for use as the principal means of access to abutting property.
PROFESSIONAL OFFICE. When conducted in a residential district, a PROFESSIONAL OFFICE shall be incidental to the residential occupation; shall be conducted by a member of the resident family entirely within a residential building and accessory building and shall include only the offices of doctors or practitioners, ministers, architects, landscape architects, professional engineers, lawyers, authors, musicians and other recognized professional occupations occasionally conducted within residences.
SANITARIUM. A private hospital, whether or not such facility is operated for profit.
STORY. The portion of a building, included between the surface of any floor other than the basement and the surface of the floor next above it. If there is no floor above it, then the space between such floor and the ceiling next above it shall be the STORY.
STORY, HALF. The portion of a building under a sloping gable, hip or gambrel roof, the wall plates on at least two opposite exterior walls of which are not more than three feet above the floor level of such HALF STORY.
STREET. A public thoroughfare 30 feet or more in width between property lines, which affords principal means of vehicular access to abutting property.
STRUCTURAL ALTERATION. Any change in the supporting members of a building such as bearing walls or partitions, columns, beams or girders or any substantial change in the exterior walls or the roof, excepting such alteration as may be required for the safety of the building.
STRUCTURE. Anything constructed or erected, the use of which requires more or less permanent location on the ground or which is attached to something permanently located on the ground.
TOURIST HOME. A dwelling in which overnight accommodations for not more than ten transient guests is offered for compensation.
VEHICLE PARKING SPACES. The area required for parking one automobile, which in this chapter is held to be an area nine feet wide and 20 feet long plus 70 square feet of maneuver area for each vehicle parking space making a total of 250 square feet.
VISION CLEARANCE ON CORNER LOTS. A triangular space at the street corner of a corner lot, free from any kind of obstruction to vision between the height of three and one-half and 12 feet above established grade determined, by a diagonal line connecting two points measured equidistant from the corner along each property line.
YARD, FRONT. Horizontal space measured at 90 degrees with the property line, between the front line of the principal building and the property line of the street upon which the building faces, unoccupied other than by steps, walks, terraces and open, unroofed, unenclosed porches; or architectural appurtenances projecting not more than 24 inches from the building.
YARD, REAR. Horizontal space measured at 90 degrees to the rear lot line, between the rear of the principal building and the rear line of the lot, unoccupied other than by vehicle parking space, architectural appurtenances or accessory buildings which do not occupy more than 30% of the required rear yard.
YARD, SIDE. Horizontal space measured at 90 degrees to the side lot line between the side of a building and the adjacent side line of the lot, unoccupied other than by architectural appurtenances projecting not more than 24 inches or open or lattice-enclosed fire escapes or fire proof outside stairways, projecting not over four feet.
ZONE. Same as DISTRICT.
(Ord. passed - -)