12-1-4: DEFINITIONS:
For the purpose of these regulations, certain terms used herein are defined as follows:
ADVERSE IMPACT: As a result of development, any significant increase in peak flow rate or aerial extent of floodwater coverage, a measurable decrease in floodplain storage volume, increased velocities and an increase in flood elevation for any frequency storm up to and including the 100-year (1 percent) event.
ALLEY: A minor right of way dedicated to public use, which gives a secondary means of vehicular access to the back or side of properties otherwise abutting a street, and which may be used for public utility purposes.
APPLICANT: A person, partnership, corporation, or public agency requesting permission to engage in construction.
APPURTENANCES: Structures, devices, and appliances, other than pipe or conduit, which are an integral part of a stormwater drainage system, such as manholes, stormwater inlets, drop structures, detention storage facilities, etc.
AS BUILT PLANS: A set of detailed documents to be submitted to the engineering department upon final completion of public improvements specifying how the public improvements required on the final plat were actually constructed.
BACKWATER: The water retarded above a dam, bridge, or culvert or backed up into a tributary by a flood in the main stream. In this title, "backwater" is also defined as the rise in the floodwater surface due to the restrictions created by the construction of a bridge, culvert, or other flood control structure.
BENCH MARK: A permanent reference mark or point established for use by surveyors in measuring differences in elevations.
BERM: A horizontal strip or shelf built into an embankment or cut, to break the continuity of an otherwise long slope, usually for the purpose of reducing erosion, improving stability, or to increase the thickness or width of cross section of an embankment.
BLOCK: A parcel of land, intended to be used for urban purposes, which is entirely surrounded by public streets, highways, railroad rights of way, public walks, parks or greenstrips, rural land or drainage channels or a combination thereof.
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS: The board of commissioners of the city of Ponca City, Oklahoma.
BOND, SURETY PERFORMANCE: Any form of security including a cash deposit, surety bond, collateral, property, or instrument of credit in the amount and form satisfactory to the board of commissioners.
BRIDGE: A hydraulic structure that is constructed with abutments and superstructures which are typically concrete, steel, or other materials. Bridges are generally constructed with earth or rock inverts. Since the superstructures are not an integral part of the abutments and could therefore potentially move, the hydraulic criteria for bridges are different than for culverts.
BUILDING LINE OR SETBACK LINE: A line or lines designating area outside of which buildings may not be erected.
BYPASS FLOW: The quantity of water which continues past an inlet.
CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY: Official certification that a premises conforms to provisions of the regulations, ordinances, and codes of the city of Ponca City and, thus, may be used or occupied.
CERTIFICATE OF SURVEY: An instrument, prepared by a registered land surveyor, licensed to practice in Oklahoma, describing the location and boundaries of a tract or parcel of land.
CHANNEL: A natural or artificial watercourse of perceptible extent which periodically or continuously contains moving water, or which forms a connecting link between two (2) bodies of water. It has a definite bed and banks which serve to confine the water. Also see "watercourse".
COEFFICIENT OF ROUGHNESS "N": A factor in the Manning formula, for computing the average velocity of flow of water in a watercourse or conduit, which represents the effect of roughness of the confining material of the watercourse or conduit upon the energy losses in the flowing water.
CONSTRUCTION: Any alteration of land for the purpose of achieving its development or changed use, including particularly any preparation for, building of, or erection of a drainage structure.
CONSTRUCTION PLANS: Drawings depicting the construction details of the city approved drainage facilities required for development.
CRITICAL FACILITIES: A. Structures or facilities that produce, use, or store highly volatile, flammable, explosive, toxic and/or water reactive materials;
   B.   Hospitals, nursing homes, and housing likely to contain occupants who may not be sufficiently mobile to avoid death or injury during a flood;
   C.   Police stations, fire stations, vehicle and equipment storage facilities, and emergency operations centers that are needed for flood response activities before, during, and after a flood; or
   D.   Public and private utility facilities that are vital to maintaining or restoring normal services to flooded areas before, during and after a flood.
CROSS FLOW: Flow across the traffic lanes of a street, as distinguished from sheet flow of water falling on the pavement surface.
DEVELOPER: Any person, persons, corporation, or other entity who in his or her own behalf, or as an agent of another, engages in development, subdivision, construction of structures, or alteration of land in preparation therefor.
DEVELOPMENT: Any manmade change to improved or unimproved real estate, including, but not limited to, buildings or other structures, mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, berming, diking, excavating, or drilling operations.
DRAINAGE: A general term applied to the removal of surface or subsurface water from a given area. The term is commonly applied herein to surface water.
DRAINAGE AREA: The geographical area drained by a river and its tributaries; an area characterized by all runoff being conveyed to the same outlet.
DRAINAGE FACILITIES: Any drainage and/or flood control structure including, but not limited to, storm inlets, storm sewers, manholes, junction boxes, outlet structures, channels, erosion control structures and devices, culverts, bridges, dams and retention reservoirs.
DRAINAGE SYSTEM: The surface and subsurface system for the removal of water from the land, including both the natural elements of streams, marshes, swales, and ponds whether of an intermittent or continuous nature, and the manmade element which includes culverts, ditches, channels, retention facilities, detention facilities, gutters, streets, and storm sewer systems.
DRAINAGEWAY: A route or watercourse along which water moves or may move to drain an area.
DRIPLINE: The periphery of the area underneath a tree which would be encompassed by perpendicular lines dropped from the farthest edges of the crown of the tree.
EASEMENT: A grant by the property owner to the public, a corporation, or persons, of the use of an area of land for specific purposes.
EROSION: Wearing away of the lands by running water and waves, abrasion and transportation.
ESCROW FUNDS: A deposit of cash with the city or approved bank or other financial institution in lieu of amount required on a performance or maintenance bond.
FLOODPLAIN REGULATIONS: The codes, ordinances, and other regulations relating to the use of land and construction in the floodplain. The term encompasses zoning ordinances, subdivision regulations, building and housing codes, encroachment line statutes, open area regulations, and other similar methods of control affecting the use and development of the areas. (See title 10, chapter 10, "Flood Damage Prevention", of this code.)
FREEBOARD: The vertical distance between the normal maximum level of the surface of the water in a channel, bridge, culvert or dam, etc., and the top of the channel, bridge, culvert or dam.
FROUDE NUMBER: A flow parameter, which is a measure of the extent to which gravitational action affects the flow, computed as F = V/(gD)0.5, where V is the velocity (ft/sec), g is the gravitational constant (32.2 ft/sec2) and D is the flow depth (feet). A Froude number greater than one indicates supercritical flow and a value less than one indicates subcritical flow.
GRADE: The slope of a road, street, or other public way, specified in percentage terms of vertical to horizontal measurements; or the average elevation at ground level of the buildable site, i.e., the area conforming to all zoning setback requirements of a lot, tract or parcel of land.
IMPERVIOUS: A term applied to a material through which water cannot pass, or through which water passes with great difficulty. Surfaces of concrete, asphalt and roofing are considered impervious.
IMPROVEMENT PLANS: The maps or drawings accompanying a subdivision plat and showing the proposed location and design of improvements to be installed in the subdivision in accordance with the provisions of the regulations, ordinances, and codes of the city of Ponca City.
INTENSITY DURATION FREQUENCY (IDF) CURVE: A graphed curve that expresses the intensity of a rainfall event during certain duration and the frequency of occurrence. The IDF curves are used with the rational method of hydrology.
LANDSCAPE OPEN SPACE: That area within the boundaries of a given lot which is devoted to and consists of plant material, including, but not limited to, grass, trees, shrubs, flowers, vines and other ground cover, native plant materials, planters, brick, stone, natural forms, water forms, aggregate and other landscape features, but not including the use of smooth concrete or asphalt; provided, however, that the use of brick, stone, aggregate, or other inorganic materials shall not predominate over the use of organic plant material.
LANDSCAPE SCREENING: Screening is the use of landscaping (other than grass on flat terrain), or the use of landscaping along with berms, walls, or decorative fences, that at least partially and periodically obstruct the view from the street, in a continuous manner, of vehicular use areas, parking lots and their parked cars, and detention ponds.
LETTER OF CREDIT: A letter from a bank or other reputable creditor that guarantees to the board of commissioners that, upon the city's request, funds will be provided to the city to complete specified improvements within a required time period.
LOT: A subdivision of a block or other parcel intended as a unit for the transfer of ownership or for development.
LOT, CORNER: A lot located at the intersection of and abutting on two (2) or more streets.
LOT, DOUBLE FRONTAGE: A lot which runs through a block from street to street and which has frontage on two (2) or more streets.
LOT LINE ADJUSTMENT: A relocation of lot lines of two (2) or more lots included in a plat filed of record, for the purpose of making necessary adjustments to building sites.
LOT OF RECORD: A lot which is a part of an approved plat or metes and bounds subdivision, the map of which has been recorded in the office of the appropriate county clerk.
LOT, REVERSE FRONTAGE: A corner lot of such size and shape that a building erected on it might logically be designed to face either adjoining street, thus causing the building to rear on the side line of any abutting lot.
MANHOLE: A structure used in storm sewer line construction or an access hole usually with a flush cover, through which a person may pass to gain access to an underground or enclosed structure or storm sewer line.
MASTER PLAN: The official public document adopted by the board of commissioners as a policy guide for the future physical development of Ponca City.
NATURAL STATE: The cover and topography of land before any development.
PLANNING COMMISSION: The city planning commission of the city of Ponca City.
PLAT, FINAL: A map of a land subdivision prepared on a form suitable for filing in the office of the county clerk with necessary affidavits, dedications and acceptances, and with complete bearings and dimensions of all lines defining lots and blocks, streets, alleys, public areas and other dimensions of land.
PLAT, PRELIMINARY: A map or maps of a proposed land subdivision meeting the requirements herein enumerated and showing the character and proposed layout of the tract in sufficient detail to indicate the suitability of the proposed subdivision to be submitted to the planning commission for consideration and approval.
PLAT, SKETCH: A sketch or informal plan prepared prior to preparation of the preliminary plat showing in general the proposed design of the subdivision including the street layout, lots, blocks, and the nature of improvements to be reviewed during the preapplication review process.
PREAPPLICATION REVIEW: An initial and informal review of a subdivision or development proposal between the developer and the technical review committee prior to formal submission of the preliminary plat.
PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT: Any drainage ditch, roadway, parkway, sidewalk, pedestrianway, tree, lawn, off street parking area, lot improvements, or other facility for which the local government may ultimately assume the responsibility for maintenance and operation, or which may affect an improvement for which local government responsibility is established.
RIGHT OF WAY: A strip of land occupied or intended to be occupied by a street, crosswalk, railroad, road, electric transmission line, oil or gas pipeline, water main, sanitary or storm sewer main, or for another special use. The usage of the term "right of way" for land platting purposes shall mean that every right of way shall be dedicated to the public, and shown on a final plat to be separate and distinct from the lots or parcels adjoining such right of way, and not included within the dimensions or areas of such lots or parcels.
RIPRAP: Broken stones or boulders placed compactly or irregularly on dams, levees, ditches, dikes, channels, etc., for protection of earth surfaces against erosion.
RUNOFF COEFFICIENT: A decimal number used in the rational formula which defines the runoff characteristics of the drainage area under consideration.
SCOUR: The erosive action of running water in streams or channels in excavating and carrying away material from the bed and banks.
SCREENING: Decorative fencing, walk, evergreen vegetation or landscaped earth berms not to exceed six feet (6') nor be less than four feet (4') in height; maintained for the purpose of concealing from view the property or structure behind such fence, evergreen vegetation, or berm which is sought to be screened from the abutting property.
SEDIMENT: Material of soil and rock origin transported, carried, or deposited by water.
SETBACK: The distance required, as set forth in title 11 of this code, between structures and a lot line measured perpendicularly in a horizontal plane extending across the complete length of said line or lines.
SITE DEVELOPMENT PLAN: A plan drawn at a scale of not less than one inch equals one hundred feet (1" = 100'), which shows the topographic characteristics of the site at a contour interval of not less than two feet (2'); the location and dimensions of buildings, yards, courts, landscape, pedestrian and vehicular circulation and parking, fences and screening; service areas and service courts, and other features; the use of each building and area; the height of buildings; adjacent streets, alleys, utility, drainage, and other easements; and the relationship of the development to adjacent areas which it may affect.
SPILLWAY: A passageway in or about a dam or other hydraulic structures, for the escape of excess water.
STILLING BASIN: A basin or reservoir installed in a storm drainage system to retard velocity, causing sedimentation and providing storage for deposited solids.
STORM SEWER: A continuous closed conduit for conducting stormwater that has been collected by inlets or collected by other means. A storm sewer system is a system of inlets, pipes, manholes, junctions, outlets, and other appurtenant structures designed to collect and convey storm runoff to a defined drainageway.
STORMWATER DETENTION: A temporary storage of a determined quantity of stormwater runoff for a specified period of time with a release rate that is either fixed or variable, the purpose being to attenuate the peak of the inflow hydrograph.
STORMWATER MASTER PLAN: The citywide Ponca City stormwater master plan as adopted by the city commission.
STORMWATER POLLUTION: The result of rainwater or snowmelt that picks up pollutants and sediments as it runs off roads, highways, parking lots, lawns, agricultural lands, septic systems, and other land use activities that can generate pollutants.
STREET: Any public or private right of way which affords the primary means of access to abutting property.
Collector Street: A street which collects traffic from "local streets" as herein defined and serves to move traffic on the most direct route from residential neighborhoods, commercial, and industrial areas to the major street system or to a community facility such as a neighborhood shopping center, park, recreation area, or school. A collector street differs from a major street in that facilities on the collector system may penetrate residential neighborhoods, distributing traffic from the major streets through the area to the ultimate destination.
Cul-De-Sac Street: A local street having one end open to vehicular traffic and having one closed end terminated by a turnaround.
Frontage Or Service Street: A street auxiliary to and located adjacent to a major street for service to abutting properties and access to adjacent areas and for allowing control of access to the major street.
Local Street: A major street which collects and distributes traffic between parcels of land and collector or arterial streets, with the principal purpose to provide access to abutting property. A local street offers the lowest level of mobility; and service to through traffic movement is deliberately discouraged.
Primary Or Principal Arterial Street: A major street and/or highway intended to move through traffic to and from major centers of activity such as central business districts, regional shopping centers, and major industrial areas. These streets should serve as a corridor system for the highest traffic volumes, the longest trip design and the major portion of all travel. For this class of facilities, the concept of service to abutting land should be subordinate to the provision of travel service to major traffic movements and any such service should be purely incidental to its primary functional responsibility.
Secondary Arterial Street: A major street which should interconnect with and augment the primary arterial system and provide service to trips of moderate length at a somewhat lower level of travel mobility than the higher system. This class of facilities places more emphasis on land accessibility and distributes traffic to smaller geographic areas than the major activity centers identified with the primary arterial streets.
STREET FLOW: The total flow of storm runoff in a street, usually being the sum of the gutter flows on each side of the street. Also the total flow where there are not curbs and gutters.
STREET YARD: The area of a lot which lies between the street right of way line and the actual front wall line of the building, as such building wall line extends from the outward corners of the building, parallel to the street, until such imaginary extensions of such front building wall line intersect the side property lines. In determining the actual building wall of the building for the purposes of this definition, steps and unenclosed porches shall be excluded, but such building wall line shall follow and include the irregular indentions of the building. A front building wall is a building wall fronting on a street.
On corner lots, the street yard shall consist of all the area of such lot between all abutting street right of way lines and their corresponding actual front building wall lines, as such lines are imaginarily extended in the manner provided above.
When there are multiple buildings on a lot, the street yard shall consist of all the area of the lot between the street right of way line and an imaginary line beginning at one side of the property line, running parallel to the street, connecting to the frontmost corner of the building wall fronting the street and nearest such side property line, then following and connecting the frontmost walls of all buildings fronting on the street, and then extending to the other side property line, running parallel to the street. If a building has a rounded front, the front building wall corners shall be the points closest to the side boundaries. Isolated buildings (e.g., fast food restaurants in a shopping center, photo processing dropoffs, bank drive-throughs, gas stations, etc.) shall not be considered in delineating the street yard.
On land used only for parking purposes or only as a commercial or private parking lot, the street yard shall consist of the area between the street right of way line and the back property line.
SUBDIVIDER (DEVELOPER): Any person, firm, partnership, corporation, or other entity acting as a unit, subdividing or proposing to subdivide land as herein defined.
SUBDIVISION: Any division, redivision, or delineation of land into two (2) or more lots, parcels, tracts, or sites, any one of which when divided has an area of five (5) acres or less for the purpose of transfer of ownership or urban development; or any division of land involving the vacation or dedication of right of way or alignment of an existing or proposed street or highway or any public utility easement, or the resubdivision of land heretofore divided into lots, sites, or parcels. The term, when appropriate to the context, also shall relate to the process of subdividing or to the land or area subdivided.
SUBDIVISION, MINOR: Any subdivision, resubdivision, alteration reorganization or division of land, which shall contain not more than three (3) lots and further shall not adversely affect the development of the remainder of the parcel or adjoining property and shall not be in conflict with any provision or portion of title 11 of this code.
TECHNICAL REVIEW PROCESS: An administrative procedure which provides technical review services to the planning commission in the administration of these regulations.
TECHNICAL REVIEW REPORT: An official document summarizing the findings of the departments, agencies, and commissions participating in the technical review process. (Ord. 6123, 6-28-2010)