In this chapter, unless the context requires otherwise:
(1) “A” DISTRICT means the agricultural district established under this chapter.
(2) “A(A)” DISTRICT means the agricultural district established under Chapter 51A.
(2.1) ACCESSORY STRUCTURE means a structure located on the same lot as the main building that is subordinate in floor area, location, and purpose to the main building and used for a permitted accessory use.
(3) ACCESSORY USES means those uses defined in Section 51-4.217.
(4) AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT means the A district established under this chapter.
(5) AIRPORT HAZARD means any structure, tree, sign, vehicle, or use of land which obstructs the airspace required for the flight of aircraft in landing or taking off at an airport, or is otherwise hazardous to the landing or taking off of aircraft.
(6) ALLEY means a right-of-way which provides secondary access to adjacent property.
(7) BASEMENT means any level of a building where more than one half of the vertical distance between floor and ceiling is below grade.
(7.1) BATHROOM means any room used for personal hygiene and containing a shower or bathtub, or containing a toilet and sink.
(8) BEDROOM means any room in a dwelling unit other than a kitchen, dining room, living room, bathroom, or closet. Additional dining rooms and living rooms, and all dens, game rooms, sunrooms, and other similar rooms are considered bedrooms.
(8.1) BICYCLE PARKING means Class I bicycle parking and Class II bicycle parking.
(9) BLOCK means: an area bounded by streets on all sides.
(9.1) BLOCKFACE means:
(A) the distance along one side of a street between the two nearest intersecting streets;
(B) where a street deadends, the distance along one side of a street between the nearest intersecting street and the end of the deadend street; or
(C) where a street centerline contains a change of direction 90 degrees or more, the distance along one side of a street between either the nearest intersecting street or the deadend and the point determining the angle of the change of direction.
(10) BOARD means the board of adjustment.
(10.1) BREEZEWAY means an unenclosed passage connecting two buildings or portions of a building.
(11) BUILDING means a structure for the support or shelter of any use or occupancy.
(12) BUILDING LINE means a line marking the minimum distance a building may be erected from a street, alley, or lot line. (Also called the “setback line.”)
(13) BUILDING OFFICIAL means the person designated by the city manager as the building official of the city or the building official’s authorized representative.
(14) BUILDING SITE means property that meets the requirements of Section 51-4.601.
(15) “CA-1” DISTRICT means the CA-1 district established under this chapter.
(16) “CA-1(A)” DISTRICT means the CA-1(A) district established under Chapter 51A.
(17) “CA-2” DISTRICT means the CA-2 district established under this chapter.
(18) “CA-2(A)” DISTRICT means the CA-2(A) district established under Chapter 51A.
(19) CENTER LINE means a line running midway between the bounding right-of-way lines of a street or alley. Where the bounding right-of-way lines are irregular, the center line shall be determined by the director of public works and transportation.
(20) CENTRAL AREA DISTRICTS means the CA-1 and CA-2 districts established under this chapter.
(21) CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT means the area of the city within Woodall Rodgers Freeway, Central Expressway (elevated bypass), R. L. Thorton Freeway, and Stemmons Freeway.
(22) “CH” DISTRICT means the clustered housing (CH) district established under Chapter 51A.
(23) CITY COUNCIL means the governing body of the city.
(23.1) CLASS I BICYCLE PARKING means unenclosed parking spaces intended for bicycles where one or both wheels and the frame of a bicycle can be secured to a rack with a user-supplied lock.
(23.2) CLASS II BICYCLE PARKING means enclosed parking spaces intended for bicycles within a building or structure designed for increased security from theft and vandalism, such as locked bicycle storage rooms, bicycle check-in systems, and bicycle lockers.
(24) COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS means the NS, SC, GR, LC, and HC districts established under this chapter.
(25) COMMISSION or CITY PLAN COMMISSION means the city plan and zoning commission.
(26) COVERAGE means the percentage of lot area covered by a roof, floor, or other structure, except that roof eaves up to 24 inches and other ordinary building projections up to 12 inches are excluded.
(27) “CR” DISTRICT means the community retail (CR) district established under Chapter 51A.
(28) “CS” DISTRICT means the commercial service (CS) district established under Chapter 51A.
(29) “D” District means the duplex district established under this chapter.
(30) “D(A)” DISTRICT means the duplex district established under Chapter 51A.
(31) DENSITY means the ratio of dwelling units to lot area.
(32) DEPARTMENT means department of development services. The department of development services was formerly named the department of sustainable development and construction, the department of planning and development, the department of urban design, and the city plan department. Any reference to these departments is a reference to the department of development services.
(33) DIRECTOR means the director of the department of development services or his representative.
(34) DUPLEX DISTRICT means the D district established under this chapter.
(35) DWELLING UNIT means one or more rooms designed to be a single housekeeping unit to accommodate one family and containing one or more kitchens, one or more bathrooms, and one or more bedrooms.
(36) EAVES means the lowest border of a roof, including any overhang.
(36.1) EXACTION means, for purposes of Section 51-1.109 and Texas Local Government Code Section 212.904, dedications, fees, or construction costs for municipal infrastructure additions or improvements that the city requires a developer to bear a portion of as a condition for approval of a property development project.
(37) FAMILY means a family as defined in Section 51A-2.102, “Definitions,” of Article II, “Interpretations and Definitions,” of CHAPTER 51A of the Dallas City Code, as that paragraph exists today and as it may be amended in the future.
(38) FENCE means a structure that provides a physical barrier.
(39) FLOOR AREA means the total square feet of floor space in a building measured to the outside faces of exterior walls or to the omitted wall lines, whichever produces the larger area, excluding the following:
(A) Area used solely for off-street parking.
(B) Area between an omitted wall line and the structural wall when the area is used solely for foot or vehicular traffic or landscaping.
(C) Area of a private balcony that is not accessible to the public and does not provide a means of ingress or egress.
(D) Area of a breezeway or an unenclosed stairway located within the first three stories, excluding any basement, of a residential use.
(40) FLOOR AREA RATIO means the ratio of floor area to lot area.
(41) FRONTAGE means the length of property along one side of a street between property or lease boundary lines.
(42) FRONT YARD means that portion of a lot which abuts a street and extends across the width of the lot between the street and the setback line.
(43) “GO” DISTRICTS means the general office (GO) matrix districts established under this chapter.
(44) “GO(A)” DISTRICT means the general office [GO(A)] district established under Chapter 51A.
(45) GRADE means the average of the finished ground surface elevations measured at the highest and lowest exterior corners of a structure. For purposes of this definition, FINISHED GROUND SURFACE ELEVATION means the ground surface elevation of the building site before any construction or as altered in accordance with grading plans approved by the building official. Finished ground surface elevation does not include:
(A) fill material not necessary to make the site developable;
(B) berms; or
(C) landscape features.
(46) HEIGHT means the vertical distance measured from grade to:
(A) for a structure with a gable, hip, or gambrel roof, the midpoint of the vertical dimension between the lowest eaves and the highest ridge of the structure;
(B) for a structure with a dome roof, the midpoint of the vertical dimension of the dome; and
(C) for any other structure, the highest point of the structure.
(47) HISTORIC LANDMARK means any building, land, area, or district of historical, architectural, archaeological, or cultural importance or value, which the city council determines shall be protected, enhanced, and preserved in the interest of the culture, prosperity, education, and welfare of the people.
(48) HUD-CODE MANUFACTURED HOME means a structure, constructed on or after June 15, 1976, according to the rules of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, transportable in one or more sections, which, in the traveling mode, is eight body feet or more in width or 40 body feet or more in length, or when erected on site, is 320 or more square feet, and which is built on a permanent chassis and designed to be used as a dwelling with or without a permanent foundation when connected to the required utilities, and includes the plumbing, heating, air-conditioning, and electrical systems.
(49) INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS means I-1, I-2, and I-3 districts.
(50) INNER COURT means an open space bounded on all sides by the walls of a building.
(51) INSTITUTIONAL USES means community service uses, religious uses, educational uses, and medical uses except the medical clinic, medical or scientific laboratory, optical shop, medical appliance fitting and sales, and ambulance service uses.
(52) INTERIOR LOT LINE means a lot line not adjacent to a street or alley.
(53) KITCHEN means any room or area used for cooking or preparing food and containing one or more ovens, stoves, hot plates, or microwave ovens; one or more refrigerators; and one or more sinks. This definition does not include outdoor cooking facilities.
(54) LANDING AREA means the area of an airport used for the landing, takeoff, or taxiing of aircraft.
(55) LANDSCAPE AUTHORITY means:
(A) a landscape architect licensed or registered by the state; or
(B) a professional horticulturist or nurseryman.
(56) LEGAL HEIGHT means the maximum building height allowed under Federal Aviation Administration regulations or any other ordinance or regulation in effect, whichever is most restrictive.
(56.1) “LI” DISTRICT means the light industrial district established under Chapter 51A.
(57) LIMITED USE means a use restricted under Section 51-4.218.
(58) “LO” DISTRICTS means the limited office (LO) matrix districts established under this chapter.
(59) “LO-1” DISTRICT means the LO-1 district established under Chapter 51A.
(60) “LO-2” DISTRICT means the LO-2 district established under Chapter 51A.
(60.1) “LO-3” DISTRICT means the LO-3 district established under Chapter 51A.
(60.2) “LO(A)” DISTRICT means the LO-1, LO-2, and LO-3 districts established under Chapter 51A.
(60.3) LODGING USE means any use listed in Section 51-4.216.1.
(61) LOT means a building site that fronts on a public or private street, except that in the case of a planned development district, the building site may front on an access easement, and in the case of a shared access development, the building site may front on a shared access area.
(62) LOT AREA means the total square feet contained within lot lines.
(63) LOT DEPTH means the average distance between the front and rear lot lines.
(64) LOT LINE means a property line bounding a lot, excluding any street or alley dedicated in fee simple.
(65) LOT WIDTH means the distance between side lot lines measured along the front setback line.
(66) MAIN BUILDING means a building on a lot intended for occupancy by the main use.
(67.1) MAJOR THOROUGHFARE means a street designated as a principal or minor arterial in the city’s thoroughfare plan.
(67.2) MANUFACTURED HOME means a structure transportable in one or more sections, which is built on a permanent chassis, and which is designed for use with or without a permanent foundation when connected to the required utilities. In this chapter, the term “manufactured home” includes, but is not limited to, HUD-code manufactured homes and mobile homes.
(67.3) MANUFACTURED HOME DISTRICT means the MH district established under this chapter.
(68) “MF” DISTRICTS means the MF-1, MF-2, MF-3, and MF-4 districts established under this chapter (also called multiple-family districts).
(69) “MF(A)” DISTRICT means the MF-1(A), MF-2(A), MF-3(A), MF-4(A) districts established under Chapter 51A.
(70) “MH” DISTRICT means the manufactured home [MH] district established under this chapter.
(71) “MH(A)” DISTRICT means the manufactured home [MH(A)] district established under Chapter 51A.
(71.1) MINOR STREET means a street not designated in the city’s thoroughfare plan.
(72) “MO” DISTRICTS means the mid-range office (MO) matrix districts established under this chapter.
(72.1) “MO(A)” DISTRICTS means the MO-1 and MO-2 districts under Chapter 51A.
(73) “MO-1” DISTRICT means the MO-1 district established under Chapter 51A.
(74) “MO-2” DISTRICT means the MO-2 district established under Chapter 51A.
(74.1) MOBILE HOME means a structure that was constructed before June 15, 1976, transportable in one or more sections, which, in the traveling mode, is eight body feet or more in width or 40 body feet or more in length, or, when erected on site, is 320 or more square feet, and which is built on a permanent chassis and designed to be used as a dwelling with or without a permanent foundation when connected to the required utilities, and includes the plumbing, heating, air-conditioning, and electrical systems.
(75) MOBILITY AND STREET SERVICES means public works or transportation. Any reference to mobility and street services is a reference to public works or transportation.
(76) MULTIPLE-FAMILY DISTRICTS means the MF-1, MF-2, MF-3, and MF-4 districts established under this chapter (also called “MF” districts).
(77) “NO” DISTRICTS means the neighborhood office (NO) matrix districts established under this chapter.
(78) “NO(A)” DISTRICT means the NO(A) district established under Chapter 51A.
(79) NONCONFORMING STRUCTURE means a structure which does not conform to the regulations (other than the use regulations) of this chapter, but which was lawfully constructed under the regulations in force at the time of construction.
(80) NONCONFORMING USE means a use that does not conform to the use regulations of this chapter, but was lawfully established under the regulations in force at the beginning of operation and has been in regular use since that time.
(81) NONRESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS means the O-1, O-2, NO, LO, MO, GO, NS, GR, LC, HC, CA-1, CA-2, I-1, I-2, and I-3 districts established under this chapter.
(82) NONRESIDENTIAL USE means any use listed in Sections 51-4.202 through 51-4.216.1.
(83) “NS” DISTRICT means the neighborhood service (NS) district established under this chapter.
(84) “NS(A)” DISTRICT means the neighborhood service [NS(A)] district established under Chapter 51A.
(85) OCCUPANCY means the purpose for which a building or land is used.
(86) OFFICE DISTRICTS means the O-1, O-2, NO, LO, MO, and GO districts established under this chapter.
(86.1) OFF-STREET PARKING means parking spaces provided for a motor vehicle that are not located on a public right-of-way or private street. Off-street parking does not include bicycle parking spaces.
(87) OMITTED WALL LINE means a line on the ground determined by a vertical plane from:
(A) the overhang or outermost projection of a structure; or
(B) the outer edge of the roof of a structure without walls; or
(C) two feet inside the eave line of a structure with roof eaves.
(88) OPEN SPACE means an area that is unobstructed to the sky and contains no structures except for ordinary projections of cornices and eaves.
(89) OPENINGS FOR LIGHT OR AIR means any windows, window walls, or glass panels in an exterior wall of a building, excluding doors used for access.
(90) OUTER COURT means an open space bounded on all sides except one by the walls of a building, and opening upon a street, alley, or a permanent open space.
(91) OUTSIDE DISPLAY means the placement of a commodity outside for a period of time less than 24 hours.
(92) “P” DISTRICT means the parking (P) district established under this chapter.
(93) “P(A)” DISTRICT means the parking [P(A)] district established under Chapter 51A.
(94) PARKING means the standing of a vehicle, whether occupied or not. Parking does not include the temporary standing of a vehicle when commodities or passengers are being loaded or unloaded.
(95) PARKING BAY WIDTH means the width of one or two rows of parking stalls and the access aisle between them.
(96) PARKING DISTRICT means the P district established under this chapter.
(97) PARTY WALL means a wall built on an interior lot line used as a common support for buildings on both lots.
(98) PERSON means any individual, firm, partnership, corporation, association, or political subdivision.
(99) PRIVATE STREET means a private street as defined in Section 51-4.217.
(100) QUASI-PUBLIC AGENCY means an institution obtaining more than 51 percent of its funds from tax revenue.
(101) “R” DISTRICTS means the R-1ac, R-1/2ac, R-16, R-13, R-10, R-7.5, and R-5 districts established under this chapter (also called “single-family districts”).
(102) “R(A)” DISTRICTS means the R-1ac(A), R-1/2ac(A), R-16(A), R-13(A), R-10(A), R-7.5(A), and R-5(A) districts established under Chapter 51A.
(103) REAR YARD means that portion of a lot between two side lot lines that does not abut a street and that extends across the width of the lot between the rear setback line and the rear lot line.
(104) RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS means the R-1, R-1/2, R-16, R-13, R-10, R-7.5, R-5, TH-1, TH-2, TH-3, TH-4, D, MF-1, MF-2, MF-3, MF-4, MH, and A districts established under this chapter.
(104.1) RESIDENTIAL USE means any use listed in Section 51-4.201.
(105) RIDGE means the line of intersection at the top between the opposite slopes or sides of a roof.
(106) RIGHT-OF-WAY means an area dedicated to public use for pedestrian and vehicular movement.
(107) RIGHT-OF-WAY LINE means the dividing line between a right-of-way and an adjacent lot.
(108) “RR” DISTRICT means the regional retail (RR) district established under Chapter 51A.
(109) SCREENING means a structure that provides a visual barrier.
(109.1) SECONDARY THROUGHFARE means a street designated as a community or residential collector in the city’s thoroughfare plan.
(110) SETBACK LINE means a line marking the minimum distance a building may be erected from a street, alley, or lot line. (Also called the “building line.”)
(110.1) SHARED ACCESS DEVELOPMENT means a development that meets all of the requirements of Section 51A-4.411 of the Dallas City Code, as that section exists today and as it may be amended in the future.
(111) SIDE YARD means:
(A) that portion of a lot extending from the front setback line to the rear setback line between the side setback line and the side lot line; or
(B) that portion of a lot which is between a lot line and a setback line but is not a front or rear yard.
(112) SINGLE-FAMILY DISTRICTS means the R-1ac, R-1/2ac, R-16, R-13, R-10, R-7.5, and R-5 districts established under this chapter (also called “R” districts).
(113) SITE AREA means that portion of a building site occupied by a use and not covered by a building or structure. For purposes of determining required off-street parking, site area does not include that area occupied by off-street parking, landscaped areas, and open space not used for storage or sales.
(114) STACK OR STACKING SPACE means a space for one motor vehicle to line up in while waiting to enter or use a parking lot, garage, drive-in, or drive-through facility.
(115) STORY means:
(A) that portion of a building between any two successive floors or between the top floor and the ceiling above it; and
(B) as a measurement term, a maximum vertical distance of 12 feet between any two successive floors or between the top floor and the ceiling above it.
(116) STREET means a right-of-way which provides primary access to adjacent property.
(116.1) STREET SERVICES means public works. Any reference to street services is a reference to public works.
(117) STRUCTURE means that which is built or constructed, an edifice or building of any kind, or any piece of work artificially built up or composed of parts joined together in some definite manner.
(118) SUP means “specific use permit” (See Section 51-4.219).
(119) “TH” DISTRICTS means the TH-1, TH-2, TH-3, and TH-4 districts established under this chapter (also called “townhouse districts”).
(120) “TH(A)” DISTRICTS means the TH-1(A), TH-2(A), and TH-3(A) districts established under Chapter 51A.
(121) TOWNHOUSE DISTRICTS means the TH-1, TH-2, TH-3, and TH-4 districts established under this chapter.
(122) TRANSIENT STAND means a site for the placing and use of a manufactured home, recreational vehicle, or tent.
(123) ZONING DISTRICT means a classification assigned to a particular area of the city within which zoning regulations are uniform.
(124) ZONING DISTRICT MAP means the official map upon which the zoning districts of the city are delineated. (Ord. Nos. 16805; 17226; 17393; 17654; 18481; 18849; 19455; 19786; 20272; 20360; 20361; 20383; 20673; 21186; 24731; 24843; 25977; 26140; 26530; 27334, 27404; 28072; 28073; 29128; 30239; 30654; 30932; 32002)