(A) For the purposes of this chapter and in order to carry out the provisions contained herein, certain words, terms and phrases are to be interpreted as defined herein.
(B) Words used in the present tense shall include the future tense; the singular number includes the plural, and the plural number includes the singular. The word “lot” includes the word “plot” or “parcel”. The word “shall” is mandatory, and the word “may” is permissive. The phrase “used for” shall include the phrases arranged “for”, “designed for”, “intended for”, “maintained for” and “occupied for”.
(C) The following words, terms and phrases are hereby defined as follows and shall be interpreted as such throughout these regulations. Terms not herein defined shall have the meaning customarily assigned to them.
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER. The person appointed to occupy the office created herein, in which office is vested the chief administrative and enforcement duties as outlined in the attached standards.
ALLEY. A trafficway, dedicated to public use, which affords a secondary means of vehicular access to the back or side of properties otherwise abutting a street.
BLOCK. A tract of land bounded by streets or by a combination of streets, public parks, cemeteries, railroad right-of-way, shorelines of waterways and/or other physical barriers.
BOARD. The Planning and Zoning Commission Board of the City of Eldridge, Iowa. Defined as BOARD for this chapter only.
BUILDING. Any structure designed, built or intended for the shelter, enclosure or protection of persons, animals, chattels or moveable property of any kind.
CITY. The City of Eldridge, Iowa.
CLERK. The City Clerk of the City of Eldridge, Iowa.
COUNCIL. The City Council of the City of Eldridge, Iowa.
CROSSWALK. A trafficway, dedicated to public use, which is reversed across a block to provide pedestrian access to adjacent areas.
CUL-DE-SAC. A local street terminated at one end with a permanent turn-around, the open end being the only means of access to another street.
DESIGN STANDARDS. The Eldridge Design Standards of Public Improvements.
DIRECTOR. The Director of Public Works for the City of Eldridge, Iowa, or a person designated to act in that capacity.
EASEMENT. A grant by a property owner for the use of a strip of land by the general public, a corporation or a certain person or persons for a specific purpose or purposes.
ENGINEER. The City Engineer of Eldridge, Iowa, or person designated to act in that capacity in the review of engineering data as outlined herein where the service of engineer is specifically mentioned.
HALF STREET. A street having width less than required by these and other appropriate regulations.
HIGHWAY. A right-of-way for vehicular traffic which traverses a non-urban area, usually a state or federal numbered route.
INDIVIDUAL SUBSURFACE SEWAGE TREATMENT FACILITY. A sewage disposal system designed to function on an individual lot basis. A septic tank is a type of INDIVIDUAL SUBSURFACE SEWAGE TREATMENT FACILITY.
LAND REMNANT. Any portion of a tract of land which cannot be developed after the tract has been subdivided. Also known as an OUTLOT.
LOT. A parcel of land which is or may be occupied by a building and its accessory buildings or related use, together with such yards or open spaces within the lot lines as may be required by these regulations.
LOT AREA. The total horizontal area included within lot lines.
LOT, CORNER. A lot which has at least two adjacent sides abutting for their full length on a street; provided the interior angle at the intersection of such two sides is less than 135 degrees. A CORNER LOT shall be designated to have two front lot lines and two side lot lines. The two front lot lines shall be the two sides of the lot that abut the street.
LOT, DOUBLE FRONTAGE. A lot having a frontage on two non-intersecting streets as distinguished from a corner lot. The sides of the lot abutting streets shall be considered front yards.
LOT FRONTAGE. The dimension of a lot or portion of a lot abutting on a street excluding the side dimension of a corner lot.
LOT, INTERIOR. A lot other than a corner lot with only one frontage street.
LOT LINE, FRONT. In the case of an interior lot, it is the line separating said lot from the street. In the case of a corner lot or double frontage lot, both lines separating said lot from streets shall be considered FRONT LOT LINES.
LOT LINE, REAR. The lot boundary opposite and most distant from the front lot line. In the case of a pointed or irregular lot, it shall be an imaginary line parallel to and farthest from the front lot line not less than ten feet long and wholly within the lot.
LOT LINE, SIDE. Any lot boundary line that is not a front or rear lot line.
LOT LINES. The lines bounding a lot as defined herein.
LOT, REVERSE FRONTAGE. A double frontage lot which has vehicular access point limited to the back of the lot, rather than having access on its front.
METES AND BOUNDS. The method used to describe a tract of urban land that uses distances and angles, distances and bearings or describes the parcel by reference to physical features of the land and is intended to be used for dwelling or other purposes, so that it can be recorded in the County Recorder’s office, as contrasted with the description of a part of a properly approved and recorded subdivisions plat by the lot and block number.
PLAT, FINAL. The plan of record of a subdivision, together with accompanying material as required in § 10.00 of this chapter.
PLAT, PRELIMINARY. The plan of layout of a proposed subdivision, together with the accompanying material as required in § 6.00 of this chapter.
RESERVE STRIP. A narrow parcel of land between a street adjacent to the property line and the adjacent property, the strip being retained in private ownership to prevent access of neighboring property to an improved and dedicated street.
RIGHT-OF-WAY. A strip of land occupied or intended to be occupied by a road, walkway, crosswalk, railroad or other such use. Every RIGHT-OF-WAY established under this chapter and shown on a final plat is separate and distinct from the lots and parcels adjoining such RIGHT-OF-WAY and not included within the dimension or areas of such lots or parcels.
ROADWAY. The portion of the street which has/is to be improved and is/will be available for vehicular traffic.
SETBACK LINE. The line denoting the distance required to obtain the minimum front, side and rear yards as required by the appropriate zoning regulations.
SEWERAGE SYSTEM, CENTRAL. A type approved by the State Department of Public Health as properly designed to serve one or more subdivisions. A septic tank is not a CENTRAL SEWERAGE SYSTEM.
SIDEWALK. The portion of the street, walkway or crosswalk which is paved and intended for pedestrian use only.
SITE PLAN. The grading and erosion control plan for a subdivision.
STREET. A general term used to describe a public right-of-way which provides a channel for vehicular and pedestrian movement, and may provide for vehicular and pedestrian access to properties adjacent to it, and which may also provide space for the location of utilities (both above and below ground).
STREET, COLLECTOR. A trafficway which carries traffic between sections of the community or which serves as a connector between rural areas and the community.
STREET, EXPRESSWAY. A limited access trafficway connecting two or more communities.
STREET, LOCAL. A trafficway which serves primarily for access to abutting properties.
STREET, MAJOR. A trafficway connecting communities or connecting to limited access trafficways which, in turn, connect to other communities.
STREET, MARGINAL ACCESS. A local street which is parallel to and adjacent to primary streets and highways, and which provides access to abutting properties and protection to local traffic from fast through-moving traffic on the primary streets.
STREET PAVEMENT WIDTH. The horizontal distance of the roadway measured from back of curb to back of curb.
SUBDIVIDER. An individual, partnership, corporation or other legal entity or agent thereof which undertakes the activities covered by these regulations. Inasmuch as the subdivision plan drawings are merely a necessary means to the end of assuring satisfactory development. The term SUBDIVIDER includes “developer”, “owner” or “builder”, even though the persons and their precise interests may vary at different project stages.
SUBDIVISION. The division of land into two or more lots, sites or parcels; or the establishment or dedication of a road, highway, street or alley through a tract of land regardless of area; or the resubdivision, sale or exchange of land previously divided or platted in lots, sites or parcels, where land remnants, additional lots of record or additional zoning lots are created. The sale or exchange of small parcels of land where such sale or exchange does not create land remnants, additional lots of record or additional zoning lots shall not be considered a subdivision or resubdivision of land.