Affordable/Workforce Housing: Affordable Housing is housing for persons in households earning 30 to 80 percent of the area median income (AMI), while Workforce Housing is housing for persons in households earning 80 to 120 percent of the AMI.
Blue Line Stream: Any stream shown as a solid or broken blue line on 7.5 Minute Series quadrangle maps prepared by the U.S. Department of the Interior Geological Survey (USGS).
Buffer: A portion of property designated to mitigate impacts between land uses or transportation routes, or to protect water features from pollutants.
Front Buffer: A zone of specified distance between a specified land use and a roadway fronting the land use.
Perimeter Buffer: A zone of specified distance surrounding a specified land use.
Planted Buffer: A zone of specified distance between a specified land use and other properties, streets, streams, or other geographic area in which plants are installed.
Stream Buffer: A natural or vegetated area adjacent to water courses through which stormwater runoff flows in a diffuse manner so that the runoff does not become channeled and which provides for the infiltration of pollutants.
Ungraded Buffer: That portion of a lot set aside for open space and or visual screening purposes. Any such ungraded buffer shall not be graded or otherwise disturbed, and shall be left in a natural state or supplemented with additional plantings, if specified. No storage, structures, or other non-growing items may be placed in the buffer.
Caliper: The diameter of a tree trunk measured 6 inches above the ground on trees with calipers of 4 inches or less and measured 12 inches above the ground for trees between 4 and 12 inches caliper. For trees larger than 12 inches caliper, see Diameter at Breast Height.
Clearing: Removing trees and stumps and all woody debris and other vegetation from an area of land.
Commercial: Of or pertaining to trade or production which deals with the exchange of goods and/or services from producer to final consumer, including but not limited to entertainment, mercantile trade, finance, real estate, and all other commercial services, including tourism.
Diameter at Breast Height (DBH): Diameter at Breast Height is used for measuring all trees greater than twelve inches caliper. The DBH of a tree is the total diameter in inches of a tree trunk or trunks measured in inches at a height of 4.5 feet above existing grade (at the base of the tree). If a tree trunk splits at ground level and does not share a common base, then each trunk shall be measured as a separate tree. If a multi-trunk tree splits below the 4.5’ mark, all trunks shall be measured separately and count as one tree.
Dwelling, Multiple-Family: A residential building containing three or more individual dwelling units located on a single lot or parcel of ground, commonly called an apartment house.
Dwelling, Single-Family: A residential building containing only one dwelling unit and not intended to be occupied by more than one family.
Dwelling, Single Family-Attached: Two or more single-family dwelling units, each with its own outside entrance, which are generally joined together by a common party wall or connecting permanent structures such as breezeways, carports, or garages, whether or not such a group is located on a single lot or parcel of ground or on adjoining individual lots. For the purpose of this article, dwellings such as townhouses and condominiums shall be treated as single-family attached dwellings.
Dwelling, Single-Family Detached: A single-family dwelling unit which is entirely surrounded by open space or yards on the same lot. See Dwelling, Zero Lot Line.
Dwelling, Two-family: A residential building containing two individual dwelling units located on a single lot or parcel of ground; a duplex.
Dwelling, Zero Lot Line: A single-family dwelling that has a zero-foot setback from a side and/or rear property line. For purpose of this article, a zero lot line dwelling shall be treated as a single-family detached dwelling.
Floodplain: A relatively flat or low area adjoining a river, stream or watercourse which is subject to partial or complete inundation, or an area subject to unusual and rapid accumulation of runoff of surface areas. These areas are defined as “Special Flood Hazard Areas” in the County Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance No. 4085.
Grading: As defined by SCDHEC, grading means excavating, filling (including hydraulic fill) or stockpiling of earth material, or any combination thereof, including the land in its excavated or filled condition; and which requires a grading permit.
Grading Permit: Written authorization issued by the Public Works Land Development Division to proceed with clearing and grading activities on a site or a portion of a site. The permit may include clearing, clearing and grubbing, grading, and storm drain installation.
Simplified Grading Permit: Land disturbing activity that disturbs less than one acre of land, is not part of a larger common plan of development, does not fall under the NPDES Industrial Stormwater Permit, or does not create a peak flow increase of greater than one cubic foot per second. Development qualifying for a Simplified Grading Permit is exempt from this article.
Hazard Tree: A tree that has defects in its roots, trunk, or branches that make it likely to fall and cause personal injury or property damage.
Heritage or Historic Tree: A tree that is designated by the County to be of notable historical significance, value or interest because of its age, size, or cultural significance. As time and resources allow, a voluntary list of historic and unique specimen (extremely large, old, and/or uncommon) trees may be compiled as a matter of public record. Trees that are listed on the Historic and Specimen Tree List would not be protected from any use its owner may desire. However, if Heritage trees, and /or Specimen trees (defined below), are preserved during land development, they are given double tree density unit credits.
Historical Significance: A tree is considered to be of historical significance if it is associated with important themes or events in the County’s history, such as early settlement or important events, or if it is a rare example of a species.
Impact Permit: Nationwide or individual wetlands/waters impact permit obtained from SCDHEC or USACE.
Impervious Surface: A surface that does not allow water to penetrate as opposed to a pervious surface that does allow water to filter through.
Incentives: Financial or administrative inducements, such as density bonuses and expedited permitting, that encourage and motivate the desired intent of preserving and planting trees and increasing water infiltration and reducing water run-off and soil erosion. Incentives might also be extended to non-profit and community organizations as well as private landowners who would plant additional trees if incentives were available, but do not want to develop their property.
Industrial: Enterprises engaged in any activity that is not otherwise considered to be residential, recreational, or commercial, as defined herein. Such activities include, but are not limited to: processing, manufacturing, compounding, assembling, packaging, treatment or fabrication of materials and products, from processed or previously manufactured materials. Included would be assembling electrical appliances, bottling, foodstuffs, and printing plants, and the manufacturing of paint, oils, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, solvents and other chemicals, and the production of items made of stone, metal, or concrete.
Institutional: All activities related to an established organization, especially one dedicated to education, public service, culture or the general care of the public and public administration.
Invasive species: Non-native or exotic species that tend to growth rapidly and out-compete and displace native species in specific habitats; e.g. kudzu.
Irrigation: To provide dry land with a regular, artificial supply of water for the purpose of supplying sufficient moisture for plant growth.
Jurisdictional Wetlands: An area that meets the definitional requirements for wetland boundaries by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as required by the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C.A. Section 1344, as amended.
Land Development: Any land change, including but not limited to clearing, grubbing, stripping, removal of vegetation, dredging, grading, excavating, transporting and filling of land, construction, paving or the installation of impervious cover.
Land Development Project: A project that results from, or is facilitated by, land development.
Lot: A parcel of land designated by number or other symbol as a part of a legally approved and recorded subdivision or as described by metes and bounds and recorded in the office of the Greenville County Register of Deeds.
New Development: Any development, for which a grading permit is requested after the effective date of the article with the exception of currently existing, platted lots where Planning Commission approval for currently existing site development was obtained prior to the effective date of the ordinance and construction is commenced within two (2) years of Planning Commission approval.
Pervious Surface: A permeable surface that allows water to percolate into the sub-strata of the land.
Public Recreation Project: Uses intended to provide viewing or participation in such activities commonly related to sports and leisure activity.
Retail: Business whose primary purpose is the sale of merchandise to consumers.
Root Protection Zone: The land area around the base of a tree in which disturbances are prohibited to protect the roots of the tree and aid the tree’s survival. Root Protection Zone areas shall be the greater of a) a six foot radius around the tree or b) one foot for every inch of tree diameter measured at a point 4.5 feet above ground. Root zone protection area measurements shall be rounded off to the nearest foot.
SCDHEC: South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control.
Screen: Plant materials and landscape or architectural elements used for the purpose of obscuring views, noise, and light or glare from neighboring properties and, where required, road rights-of-way.
Site Design: A process of intervention involving the location of roadways and other travel structures, dwellings and buildings, utilities, while preserving existing natural and man-made site features. The process encompasses many steps from planning to construction, initial inventory, site assessment, alternative analysis, detailed design, and construction procedures and services.
Site Plan: A plan that outlines the use and development of any tract of land. Features on the plan may include proposed improvements, size of buildings, shape of buildings, location of buildings, location and design of roads and parking areas, refuse areas, and pedestrian and vehicular circulation on the site.
Specimen Tree: Any tree that has been determined by the County to be of high value because of its type, size, age, or other professional criteria. Specimen trees are outstanding and therefore deserving of special protection because of their rarity, appearance, or scientific importance. Different species of trees require different caliper sizes to qualify as specimen trees, but are generally 30 inches or larger. This may be on the basis of outstanding age, size, and aesthetic merit, connection to an important historic event, scientific value, or occurrence in a unique location or context. Specimen trees are awarded double density credits.
Stand (of trees): A contiguous grouping of trees which has been designated for preservation by the property owner or determined to be of value by the County which demonstrates: (a.) a relatively mature even-aged stand; (b.) a stand with purity of species composition or of a rare or unusual nature; (c.) a stand of historical significance; or (d.) a stand with exceptional aesthetic quality.
Stream Bank: The sloping land that contains the stream channel and the normal flows of the stream.
Survey: Drawing illustrating all essential data pertaining to the boundaries of a parcel of land as determined by a SC Registered Land Surveyor.
Tree: Any self-supporting woody perennial plant, whether evergreen or deciduous, of a species which normally reaches a height of ten feet or more at maturity.
Tree, Canopy or Shade: Any single-stem tree of a species which normally reaches a height of 30 feet or more and a crown spread of 20 feet or more at maturity.
Tree, Understory: Any single- or multi-stem tree of a species which normally reaches a mature height of between 10 and 29 feet and a crown spread of less than 20 feet at maturity.
Tree Density Unit: A unit of measurement used to prescribe and calculate required tree coverage on a site. Unit measurements are based upon tree size.
Tree Survey: A tree survey shall include two components: (a) a land survey, completed by a registered land surveyor, as part of a site plan application; (b) a site plan on which all trees intended to be preserved to meet the density requirements of this article shall be identified by species and size by a South Carolina licensed forester, landscape architect or certified arborist. All drawings shall be stamped and sealed.
Tree Warranty: A guarantee of tree vitality for one year from the time of planting.
Undisturbed: Not having been subjected to land or vegetation change, including but not limited to clearing, grubbing, stripping, removal of vegetation, dredging, grading, excavating, transporting and filling of land.
USACE: United States Army Corps of Engineers.
(Ord. 4173, passed 1-22-2008)