For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning. The word “shall” is always mandatory and not merely directory.
ALLEY. A public thoroughfare or service right-of-way not more than 30 feet wide and not less than 20 feet wide at the rear or side lines of property and affording only a secondary means of access to abutting property.
BLOCK.
(1) Includes the property having frontage on the one side of a street and lying between the two nearest intersecting streets or between the nearest street and railroad right-of-way, unsubdivided acreage, river or live stream or between any of the foregoing and any other barrier to the continuity of development.
(2) In case of a cul-de-sac street, a BLOCK shall include the property on one side of the street lying between the one intercepting street and the extension of the centerline of the cul-de-sac street through the property facing the turn-around at the closed end of the street.
BOARD. The Township Board of the Charter Township of Plymouth.
BUILDING LINE or SETBACK LINE. A line parallel to a street right-of-way line, shore of a lake, edge of a stream or river bank established on a parcel of land or on a lot for the purpose of prohibiting construction of a building between the line and a right-of-way, other public area or the shore of a lake or the edge of a stream or river bank.
CLERK. The Township Clerk of the Charter Township of Plymouth.
COMMISSION. The Planning Commission of the Charter Township of Plymouth.
COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT PLAN. The Comprehensive Plan shall mean the Comprehensive Plan for the Charter Township of Plymouth as adopted by the Township Planning Commission.
CROSS-WALKWAY (PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY). Right-of-way dedicated to public use which crosses a block to facilitate pedestrian access to adjacent streets and properties.
EASEMENT. A specific area of land over which liberty, privilege or advantage is granted by the owner to the public, a corporation or some other particular person or part of the public for specific uses and purposes and which shall be designated as a “public” or “private” easement, depending on the nature of the user.
FLOODPLAIN. The area of land adjoining the channel of a river, stream, watercourse, lake or other similar body of water which will be inundated by a flood which can reasonably be expected for that region.
GREENBELTS. A strip or parcel of land, privately restricted or publicly dedicated as open space located between incompatible uses for the purpose of protecting and enhancing the residential environment.
IMPROVEMENTS. Any structure incident to servicing or furnishing facilities for a subdivision such as grading, street surfacing, curbs and gutters, driveway approaches, sidewalks, crosswalks, watermains and lines, sanitary sewers, storm sewers, culverts, bridges, utilities, lagoons, slips, waterways, lakes, bays, canals and other appropriate items with appurtenant construction.
INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT. A planned industrial area designed specifically for industrial use providing screened buffers, wider streets and turning movement and safety lane roadway improvements, where necessary.
LAND DIVISION ACT OF SUBDIVISION CONTROL ACT. Public Act 288 of 1967, being M.C.L.A. §§ 560.101 et seq.
LOT. A measured portion of a parcel or tract of land which is described and fixed in a recorded plat.
(1) LOT DEPTH. The horizontal distance between the front and rear lot lines, measured along the median between the side lot lines.
(2) LOT WIDTH. The horizontal distance between the side lot lines measured on a line perpendicular to the lot depth line and passing through the intersection of the lot depth line and the building setback line.
OPEN SPACE, COMMON. Open space or recreational use set aside for the use of the owners of lots participating in a unit development of residential lots; the space may include private recreational facilities such as golf courses or swimming pools, historic building sites, parks, parkway areas, ornamental parks, extensive areas with tree cover, low land along streams or areas of rough terrain which have natural features worthy of scenic preservation.
OUTLOT. When included within the boundary of a recorded plat means a lot set aside for purposes other than building site, park or other land dedicated to public use or reserved to private use.
PARCEL or TRACT. A continuous area or acreage of land which can be described as provided for in the Subdivision Control Act.
PARKING SPACE. An area surfaced by use of either bituminous, oil aggregate, stabilized gravel or equivalent, enclosed or unenclosed, not less than ten feet wide by 20 feet long for each auto or motor vehicle together with a surfaced driveway connecting the parking space with a street or alley and permitting ingress and egress of a motor vehicle.
PLANNING COMMISSION ACT. Public Act 33 of 2008, being M.C.L.A. §§ 125.3811 et seq., as amended, which is made a part hereof by this reference.
PLANNED RESIDENTIAL UNIT DEVELOPMENT. A plan designed to guide the development of housing subdivisions which incorporate privately owned, open, common areas and provide for the creation of means of maintaining the common properties.
PLAT. A map or chart of a subdivision of land.
(1) FINAL PLAT. A map of all or a part of a subdivision providing substantial conformance to the final preliminary plat of the subdivision prepared in conformance with the requirements of the Subdivision Control Act and this chapter and made up in final form ready for approval and recording by the County Register of Deeds.
(2) FINAL PRELIMINARY PLAT. A map showing the salient features of a proposed subdivision of land submitted to an approving authority for purposes of preliminary consideration.
(3) TENTATIVE PRELIMINARY PLAT. An informal map or sketch drawn to scale indicating the proposed layout of the subdivision showing the existing features of the site and its surroundings.
PROPRIETOR, SUBDIVIDER or DEVELOPER. A natural person, firm, association, partnership, corporation or combination of any of them which may hold any recorded or unrecorded ownership interest in land. The PROPRIETOR is also commonly referred to as the owner.
PUBLIC RESERVATION. A portion of a subdivision which is set aside for public use and made available for public use and acquisition.
PUBLIC UTILITY. Any person, firm, corporation, municipal department, board or commission duly authorized to furnish and furnishing to the public under federal, state or municipal regulations electricity, gas, steam, communications, telegraph, transportation or water.
REPLAT. The process of changing of the map or plat which changes the boundaries of a recorded subdivision plat or part thereof. The legal dividing of an outlot within a recorded subdivision plat without changing the exterior boundaries of the outlot is not a REPLAT.
RIGHT-OF-WAY. Land reserved, used or to be used for a street, alley, walkway or other public purposes.
STREET. A way for vehicular traffic, whether designated as a street, highway, thoroughfare, parkway, expressway, freeway, road, avenue, boulevard, land, place or however otherwise designated. A STREET includes the land between the street lines, whether improved or unimproved, and may comprise pavements, shoulders, gutters, sidewalks, parking areas and lawns.
(1) ARTERIAL STREET. Those streets of considerable continuity which are used or may be used primarily for fast or heavy traffic.
(2) CONNECTOR STREET. Those streets used to carry traffic from minor streets to arterial streets, including principal entrance streets to large residential developments.
(3) CUL-DE-SAC. A minor street of short length having one end terminated by a vehicular turnaround and not extended into adjoining property.
(4) FREEWAY. Those streets designed for high speed, high volume through traffic, with completely controlled access, no grade crossings and no private driveway connections.
(5) MARGINAL ACCESS STREET. A minor street which is parallel and adjacent to arterial streets and which provides access to abutting properties and protection from through traffic and not carrying through traffic.
(6) MINOR STREET. A street which is intended primarily for access to abutting properties.
(7) PARKWAY. A street designed for noncommercial, pleasure oriented traffic moving at moderate speeds between and through scenic areas and parks.
(8) STREET WIDTH. The shortest distance between the lines delineating the right-of-way of streets.
SUBDIVIDE or SUBDIVISION. The partitioning or dividing of a parcel or tract of land by the proprietor thereof or by his or her heirs, executors, administrators, legal representatives, successors or assigns for the purpose of sale or lease for more than one year or of building development where the act of division creates five or more parcels of land each of which is ten acres or less in area or five or more parcels of land each of which is ten acres or less in area are created by successive divisions within a period of ten years.
SUBDIVISION CONTROL ACT or LAND DIVISION ACT. Public Act 288 of 1967, being M.C.L.A. §§ 560.101 et seq.
ZONING ORDINANCE. The zoning ordinance of the Charter Township of Plymouth.
(Prior Code, § XII-6.06)