For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ALLEY. A public right-of-way which affords a secondary means of access to abutting property.
BLOCK. An area of land within a subdivision that is entirely bounded by streets or a combination of streets, exterior boundary lines of the subdivision and/or bodies of water.
BUILDING. Any structure having a roof, which may provide shelter or enclosure of persons or animals, when the structure is divided by partition walls. Without openings, each portion of the BUILDING so separated shall be deemed a separate BUILDING.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. The group of charts, maps and text that make up the comprehensive long range plan of the city.
DESIGN STANDARDS. The specifications to land owners or subdividers for the preparation of plats, both preliminary and final, indicating among other things, the optimum, minimum or maximum dimensions of the items as right-of-way.
EASEMENT. A grant by a property owner for the use of a strip of land for the purpose of constructing and maintaining utilities including, but not limited to, sanitary sewers, water mains, electric lines, telephone lines, storm sewers or storm drainage ways and gas lines.
FINAL PLAT. A drawing or map of a subdivision meeting all the requirements of the city and in forms as required by Wadena County for the purpose of recording.
LOT. A portion of a subdivision or other parcel intended for building development or for transfer of ownership.
LOT OF RECORD. A platted lot or metes and bounds parcel which has been recorded in the Office of the Wadena County Recorder of Deeds prior to adoption of this chapter.
OWNER. Includes the plural as well as the singular, and where appropriate shall include a natural person, partnership, firm, association, public or quasi-public corporation, private corporation or combination of any of them.
PEDESTRIAN WAY. A public or private right-of-way across a block or within a block to provide access, to be used by pedestrians and which may be used for the installation of utility lines.
PERCENTAGE OF GRADE. The rise or fall of a street in feet and tenths of a foot for each 100 feet or horizontal distance measured at the center line of a street.
PLANNING COMMISSION. The Planning Commission of the city.
PRELIMINARY PLAT. A tentative drawing or map of a proposed subdivision meeting the requirements herein enumerated.
PROTECTIVE COVENANTS. Contracts made between private parties as to a manner in which land may be used, with the view to protecting and preserving the physical and economic integrity of any given area.
ROAD. See “Street.”
SKETCH PLAN. An informal plan presented at the pre-application meeting held by the Planning Commission to indicate preliminary lot lines and anticipated street rights-of-way as well as any other information required by the Commission.
STREET. A public right-of-way affording primary access by pedestrians and vehicles to abutting properties, whether designated as a STREET, highway, thoroughfare, parkway, thoroughfare road, avenue, boulevard, lane or however otherwise designated.
(1) COLLECTOR STREETS. Those that carry traffic from minor streets to the major system of thoroughfares and highways, including the principal entrance streets of residential districts, as shown on the comprehensive plan.
(2) CUL-DE-SAC STREETS. A minor street with only one outlet and having an appropriate terminal for the safe and convenient reversal of traffic movements.
(3) MARGINAL ACCESS STREETS. Minor streets which are parallel and adjacent to thoroughfares and highways, which provide access to abutting properties and protection from through traffic.
(4) MINOR STREETS. Those which are used primarily for access to abutting properties.
(5)
THOROUGHFARES or ARTERIAL STREETS. Those used primarily for heavy traffic and serving as any arterial traffic way between the various districts of the community, as shown on the comprehensive plan.
STREET WIDTH. The shortest distance between lines of lots delineating the street right-of-way.
SUBDIVIDER. A person, firm or corporation undertaking the subdivision or re-subdivision of a tract or parcel of land according to the requirements of this chapter.
SUBDIVISION. The division or redivision of a lot, tract or parcel of land by plat, registered land survey or by metes and bounds description, regardless of how it is to be used. The following classes, however, shall be exempt:
(1) The division of land for agricultural purposes into parcels greater than 2½ acres where no new streets, roads or other rights-of-way are involved.
(2) The division of a lot of record for the purpose of attachment to contiguous lots, provided no residual plot is left.
TANGENT. A straight line which is perpendicular to the radius of a curve where a TANGENT meets a curve.
VARIANCE. A modification or variation of the provisions of the chapter where it is determined that by reason of special and unusual circumstances relating to a specific lot, that strict application of the chapter would cause an undue or unnecessary hardship, or that strict conformity with the provisions of this chapter would be unreasonable, impractical or unfeasible under the circumstances.
VERTICAL CURVE. The surface curvature on a street, road or highway center line located between lines of different percentage of grades.
YARD. A required open space on a lot which is unoccupied and unobstructed by a structure from its lowest level to the sky, except as permitted in this chapter. The YARD extends along the lot line at right angles to the lot line to a depth or width specified in the setback regulations for the zoning district in which the lot is located.
ZONING ADMINISTRATOR. The Zoning Administrator of the city.
(Ord. passed 9-20-79)