For the purpose of this ordinance, certain terms and words are defined as follows:
1. "Abut" - to border upon a parcel of land, sharing all or part of a common property line with the parcel of land.
2. "Block" - a tract of land consisting of one or more lots, as identified on the plat, and bounded by plat boundaries, public ways, outlots, parks or bodies of water.
3. "Buildable Area" - a contiguous portion of a lot that is suitable for the location of a primary structure and that excludes all existing and proposed easements, setbacks for structures, ordinary high water levels, wetlands, floodplains, the neck portion of any neck or flag lot, steep slopes that are unbuildable under the zoning ordinance, and other unbuildable areas. Certain easements may be included in the buildable area at the discretion of the city if their inclusion is consistent with the intent of the zoning ordinance and of this ordinance.
4. "Chord" - a straight line connecting two points on a curve.
5. "Comprehensive plan" - the comprehensive municipal plan, as defined in Minnesota Statutes section 462.352, in effect at the time of final action on an application, except as otherwise required by Minnesota Statutes section 462.357.
6. "Cul-de-sac" - a street with a single means of ingress and egress and having a turnaround at its end for a safe and convenient reversal of traffic.
7. "Cul-de-sac bulb" - the turnaround at the end of a cul-de-sac.
8. "Easement" - an interest in land granted by a property owner that entitles the easement holder to a specified use of the land.
9. "Lot" - a tract or parcel of land which is part or all of a block and is identified on a plat.
10. "Pedestrian way" - a public or private right-of-way designated for pedestrian use.
11. "Plat" - a drawing done by a licensed land surveyor that details the location and boundaries of public rights-of-way, public easements, lots and blocks.
12. "Plat, final" - a plat of a subdivision that includes all information required by state law and this ordinance, which plat will be recorded in the county land records.
13. "Plat, preliminary" - a proposed plat showing all information required by this ordinance.
14. "Right-of-way" - an area of land dedicated on a plat or by legal document or by operation of law that is intended to be used for location of streets, pedestrian ways, railroads, or utility purposes.
15. "Street" - a vehicular way located within a right-of-way, further designated as local, collector, minor arterial, principal arterial or private.
16. "Street, collector" - a street so designated in the comprehensive plan that is designed to provide access from local streets to arterial streets.
17. "Street, local" - a street so designated in the comprehensive plan that is designed to provide access to adjacent properties and neighborhoods. All streets not designated as collector or arterial streets are local streets.
18. "Street, minor arterial" - a street so designated in the comprehensive plan that is designed for mobility rather than access and connects land uses that generate a large number of vehicle trips.
19. "Street, principal arterial" - a street so designated in the comprehensive plan that is designed to provide high-speed mobility between the Twin Cities and other locations outside of the metropolitan area.
20. "Street, private" - a street that is not owned or maintained by a government body.
21. "Street width" - the shortest distance generally measured between the face of parallel curbs.
22. "Subdivision" - the separation of an area, parcel, or tract of land under single ownership into two or more parcels, as defined in Minnesota Statutes section 462.352. Subdivision includes the division of any land previously combined for tax purposes.
23. "Water course" - a flowing body of water including, rivers, creeks streams, or public ditches.