For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ADMINISTRATOR. The director of the County Building and Zoning Department in his or her role as the chief administrator of these regulations, or his or her duly authorized representative.
ALLEY. A public access way which affords a secondary means of vehicular access to the site or rear of premises that front on a nearby street.
AMENDMENT. A change in the provisions of these regulations enacted by the County Board in accordance with state law and the procedures set forth herein.
AREA, GROSS. The entire area within the lot lines of the property proposed for subdivision development, including any areas to be dedicated or reserved for street and alley rights-of-way and for public uses.
AREA, NET. The entire area within the boundary lines of the tract proposed for subdivision, less the area to be dedicated for street and alley rights-of-way or other public purposes.
AREA SERVICE HIGHWAY. Any road which connects and provides direct access to major traffic generators; provides secondary service to small communities; provides access to abutting property; or has an estimated ADT at full development of the subdivision of greater than 5,000 vehicles.
BUILDING AND ZONING COMMITTEE. The Building and Zoning Committee of the County Board.
CATCHBASIN. See INLET.
CENTERLINE OFFSET. The distance between the centerlines of two roughly parallel streets, measured along the third street with which both parallel streets intersect.
COLLECTOR STREET. A street which carries or is proposed to carry intermediate (ADT 1,000 to 5,000) volumes of traffic from land access streets to arterial streets or area service highways.
COUNTY. Madison County, Illinois.
COUNTY BOARD. The County Board of Madison County, Illinois.
COUNTY ENGINEER. Generally, the County Engineer; but in certain instances, another licensed professional engineer designated by the County Board to perform specified professional engineering services for the county.
CROSS-SLOPE. The degree of inclination measured across a right-of-way rather than in the direction traffic moves on the right-of-way.
CURB AND GUTTER, INTEGRAL. The rim forming the edge of a street plus the channel for leading off surface water, constructed of poured concrete as a single facility.
CUL-DE-SAC. A short street having only one outlet for vehicular traffic, and having the other end permanently terminated by a turn around for vehicles; the term may also be used to refer solely to the turnaround.
DEDICATE. To transfer the ownership of a right-of-way, parcel of land or improvement to the county or other public entity without compensation.
DENSITY, GROSS. The total number of dwelling units divided by the total project area.
DENSITY, NET. The total number of dwelling units divided by the total amount of residential acreage, not including the area for street and alley rights-of-way public uses.
DEVELOP. To erect any structure or to install any improvements on a tract of land, or to undertake any activity, such as grading, in preparation therefor.
DISTRICT, ZONING. A portion of the territory of the county wherein certain uniform requirements or various combinations thereof apply to structures, lots and uses under the terms of the zoning code, Chapter 93.
DRAINAGEWAY. A watercourse, gully, dry stream, creek or ditch which naturally carries stormwater runoff, or which is fed by street or building gutters or by stormwater sewers.
EASEMENT. A right to use another person’s property, but only for a limited and specifically named purpose.
FRONTAGE. The lineal extent of the front (street side) of a lot.
FRONTAGE ROAD. A minor street roughly paralleling an arterial street or highway, used for access to abutting lots.
GONE ON RECORD. Officially adopted by the legislative body of a municipality, township, county, state or other governmental entity; or officially adopted by a department of the state (e.g., IDOT). Generally, materials which are on record may be found in the office of the Recorder of Deeds, but certain other matters such as state regulations or municipal ordinances which cannot be found in the Recorder of Deeds office shall nonetheless be deemed on record.
GRADE. The degree of inclination of the site or right-of-way, expressed as a percentage. Synonym for SLOPE.
IMPROVEMENTS. Site grading of any street, curb and gutter, sidewalk, drainage ditch, sewer, catchbasin, newly-planted tree, off-street parking area or other facility necessary for the general use of property owners in a subdivision.
IMPROVEMENTS PLANS. The engineering plans showing types of materials and construction details for the facilities to be installed in, or in conjunction with, a subdivision.
INLET. A receptacle, located where a street gutter opens into a stormwater sewer, designed to retain matter that would not readily pass through the sewer, and to allow stormwater runoff to enter the sewer.
INTERSECTION. The point at which two or more public rights-of-way (generally streets) meet.
LAND ACCESS STREET. A street serving limited (ADT less than 1,000) amounts of residential traffic, and used for access to abutting property.
LOT. A parcel of land intended to be separately owned, rented, developed or otherwise used as a unit.
LOT AREA. The area of a horizontal plane bounded by the front, side and rear lines of a lot.
LOT, CORNER. A lot having at least two adjacent sides that abut for their full length upon streets. Both side lines shall be deemed front lot lines.
LOT OF RECORD. An area of land designated as a lot on a plat of a subdivision recorded with the Recorder of Deeds of Madison County, Illinois, in accordance with state law.
LOT, THROUGH. A lot having a pair of approximately parallel lot lines that abut two approximately parallel streets. Both lot lines shall be deemed front lot lines.
MAINTENANCE BOND. A surety bond, posted by the developer and approved by the county, guaranteeing the satisfactory condition of installed improvements for a specified time period following their dedication.
MAPS AND PLATS DEPARTMENT. The Maps and Plats Division of the Supervisor of Assessments of Madison County, Illinois.
MARGINAL ACCESS STREET. See FRONTAGE ROAD.
METES AND BOUNDS DESCRIPTION. A description of real property not by reference to a lot or block shown on a recorded subdivision plat, but in terms of a known point, and the bearings and distances of the lines forming the boundaries of the property.
OWNER. A person having sufficient proprietary interest in the land sought to be subdivided to commence and maintain proceedings to subdivide the same under these regulations.
PERCOLATION TEST. A subsurface soil test at a depth of a proposed seepage system or similar component of a sewage disposal system to determine the water absorption capability of the soil.
PERFORMANCE BOND. A surety bond, posted by the developer and approved by the county, guaranteeing the satisfactory installation of required improvements within, or in conjunction with, a subdivision.
PLAT, FINAL. The final survey and engineering maps, drawings and supporting material indicating the subdivider’s plan of the subdivision which, if approved, may be filed with the County Recorder of Deeds.
PLAT, PRELIMINARY. The preliminary survey and engineering maps, drawings and supportive material indicating the proposed layout of a subdivision.
PRIVATE LANE. A privately owned and maintained access easement intended to be used to access not more than four recorded dwelling units and meets minimum standards proscribed within § 92.023.
RESERVE. To set aside a parcel of land in anticipation of its acquisition by the county or other government entity for public purposes.
RESERVE CURVE. A curve in a street heading in approximately the opposite direction from the curve immediately preceding it so as to form an S-shape.
RESERVE STRIP. A narrow strip of land between a public street and adjacent lots which is designated on a recorded subdivision plat or property deed as land over which vehicular travel is not permitted.
RIGHT-OF-WAY, PUBLIC. A strip of land which the owner or subdivider has dedicated to the county or other unit of government for streets, alleys and other public improvements.
SETBACK LINE. A line that is roughly parallel to the front, side or rear lot line establishing the minimum space to be provided as the front, side or rear yard.
SEWERAGE SYSTEM, PRIVATE CENTRAL. A sewer system including collection and treatment facilities established by the developer to serve a new subdivision in an outlying area.
SIDEWALK. A pedestrian way constructed in compliance with the standards of these regulations, generally abutting or near the curb line of the street.
SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT. The Madison County Soil and Water Conservation District.
STOP ORDER. An order used by the Administrator to halt work in progress that is in violation of these regulations.
STREET. A public or private way for motor vehicle travel. The term STREET includes a highway, thoroughfare, parkway, throughway, road, pike, avenue, boulevard, lane, place, drive, court and similar designations, but excludes an alley or a way for pedestrian use only.
STRUCTURE. Anything constructed or erected on the ground, or attached to something having a fixed location on the ground. All buildings are STRUCTURES, but not all STRUCTURES are buildings.
STUB STREET. A street that is temporarily terminated, but that is planned for future continuation.
SUBDIVIDER. Any person dividing or proposing to divide land in a manner that constitutes a subdivision as defined herein.
SUBDIVISION. Any division of land into two or more lots, except as provided otherwise in the list of exceptions set forth in the Plat Act, being 765 ILCS 205/0.1 et seq. The term SUBDIVISION includes resubdivisions.
SUBDIVISION, MINOR. A division of land into two but not more than four lots, all of which front upon an existing street, and not involving any new streets, other rights-of-way, improvements or other provisions for public areas and facilities.
TOPOGRAPHY. The relief features or surface configuration of an area of land.
VACATE. To terminate the legal existence of a right-of-way or subdivision, and to so note on the final plat recorded with the Recorder of Deeds.
VARIANCE, SUBDIVISION. A relaxation in the strict application of the design and improvement standards set forth in these regulations.
(1993 Code, § 92.07) (Ord. passed 10-17-1956; Ord. passed 10-18-1978; Ord. passed 9-18-2002; Ord. 2002-14, passed - -2002; Ord. 2012-05, passed 6-20-2012; Ord. 2024-01, passed 3-5-2024)