For the purpose of this chapter the following words and phrases shall have the following meanings ascribed to them respectively.
(A) ALLEY. A minor public right-of-way used primarily for vehicular service access to the rear or side of properties.
(B) BUFFER PLANTING STRIP. A narrow area planted with trees and shrubs for screening purposes.
(C) BUILDING SETBACK LINE. The line indicating the minimum horizontal distance between the property line and buildings, either at the front or side of the lot.
(D) CITY ENGINEER. The person or firm designated by the city council to serve as the city's engineering representative.
(E) CROSSWALKWAY. A public right-of-way, 10 feet or more in width through a block, which provides pedestrian access between streets.
(F) CUL-DE-SAC. A short street having one end open to traffic and being terminated at the other end by a vehicular turn-around.
(G) EASEMENT. A grant by the owner of the use of a strip of land by others for specific purposes.
(H) FINAL PLAT. The final map or drawing on which the subdivision plan is submitted to the plan commission for approval and which, if approved by the plan commission and the city council, will be submitted to the county recorder for recording. The final plat must be prepared by a registered Illinois land surveyor.
(I) IMPROVEMENTS, PUBLIC. Any sanitary sewer, storm sewer, drainage ditch, water main, roadway, parkway strip, sidewalk, planting strip, crosswalkway, off-street parking areas, or other facility for which the city may ultimately assume the responsibility for maintenance and operation.
(J) LOTS. A portion of a subdivision intended as a unit for transfer of ownership or for development.
(K) MAJOR STREET PLAN. A part of the official plan showing the location and dimensions of principal thoroughfares.
(L) OFFICIAL PLAN. The comprehensive plan or any portion thereof made and adopted by the plan commission in accordance with the laws of the state and the ordinances of the city, indicating the general or specific locations recommended for streets, parks, public buildings, zoning districts, and all other public improvements. This chapter is a part of the official plan.
(M) PARKWAY STRIP. A strip of land between the roadway and the sidewalk or sidewalk site.
(N) PLAN COMMISSION. The plan commission of the city.
(O) PLAZA. A tract of land consisting of a group of stores, offices, or where approved, a combination thereof, formed by subdividing a larger tract of land, or by combining a number of smaller tracts or lots. The development of the tract of land for the PLAZA shall conform insofar as practical to the appropriate sections in Chapter 152.
(P) PRELIMINARY LAYOUT. The preliminary map or drawing on which the proposed layout of a subdivision is submitted to the plan commission for consideration and tentative approval.
(Q) ROADWAY. The portion of a street available for vehicular traffic; where curbs are laid, the portion between curbs.
(R) SIDEWALK. The portion of a street or crosswalkway, paved or otherwise surfaced, intended for pedestrian use only.
(S) SIDE YARD. An open, unoccupied space on the same lot with a building located between the building and the side line of the lot, and extending from the street line to the rear yard.
(T) STREET. A public right-of-way having the primary purpose of providing for vehicular and pedestrian access to adjacent properties.
(U) STREET, MAJOR. A street of great continuity, sometimes called an arterial street or highway, which serves, or is intended to serve as a principal trafficway for fast or heavy traffic. Taken together, major streets comprise the basic structure of the street system of the city and surrounding area.
(V) STREET, MARGINAL ACCESS. A street running parallel to, and adjacent to or in the immediate
vicinity of, a major street or highway, and which has as its purpose the relief of the major street or highway from the local service of abutting properties.
(W) STREET, MINOR. A street which serves primarily for access to the abutting properties.
(X) STREET, SECONDARY. A street of considerable continuity, sometimes called a collector street, which serves or is intended to serve as a secondary trafficway and as a feeder between minor streets in a neighborhood and one or more major streets.
(Y) SUBDIVIDER. Any person, group, or corporation acting as a unit, or any agent thereof, dividing or proposing to divide land so as to constitute a subdivision as defined herein.
(Z) SUBDIVISION. A division of any tract or parcel of land into 2 or more lots or other divisions of land for the purpose, whether immediate or future, of transfer of ownership, for building development, or, if a new street is involved, and division of such parcel; provided, however, that the division of land into parcels of more than 5 acres, not involving any change in street lines or public easements, shall not be deemed a SUBDIVISION within the meaning of this chapter. The term includes resubdivision and, where appropriate to the context, shall relate to the process of subdividing or to the land subdivided. Application for a permit to construct 2 or more dwellings on a parcel or tract of land or to construct one or more additional dwellings on a parcel or tract of land where one or more dwellings already exist shall be construed as a building development envisioning future transfer of ownership, and shall be regarded as a subdivision. For the purpose of administration of this chapter, a parcel or tract of land shall be deemed to have the boundaries and dimensions given in the current maps of record of Cook County.
('69 Code, App. B, § 3.1; amend. Ord. O-9-81, passed 4-21-81)