For the purposes of this chapter, the words and phrases defined herein shall have the meanings therein respectively ascribed to them, unless a different meaning is clearly indicated by the context.
(a) "Channel" means the area between definite banks of a natural or man-made watercourse which confine and conduct the permanent or intermittent flow of water.
(b) "City Engineer" means a professional engineer employed by the City or any consultant designated by the City to perform the duties of City Engineer in the enforcement of the provisions of this chapter.
(c) "Critical storm" means that storm which is calculated by means of the percentage increase in volume of runoff by a proposed development. The critical storm is used to calculate the maximum allowable storm water discharge rate from a developed site.
(d) "Culvert" means a structure with appurtenant work which carries a stream under or through an embankment of fill.
(e) "Detention basin" means a storage area for storm water runoff that stores water for a short period and releases it at a controlled rate.
(f) "Development" means any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate, including but not limited to buildings or other structures, streets and other paving, utilities, cutting or filling, grading, excavating and the subdivision of land.
(g) "Ditch" means an excavation either dug or natural for the purpose of drainage.
(h) "Diversion" means a channel across a hillside used to protect bottomland from storm water runoff or to divert water away from buildings or into other storm water management facilities.
(i) "Drainage" means the flow of water and the methods of directing such flow.
(j) "Drainageway" means an area of concentrated water flow other than a stream, ditch or grassed waterway.
(k) "Flood" means a general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of normally dry land areas from:
(1) The overflow of inland or tidal waters; and/or
(2) The unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any source.
(l) "Flood control project" means any device or structure designed and constructed to protect a designated area from flood flows of a specified magnitude and probability (frequency) of occurrence.
(m) "Floodplain" means a normally dry land area adjacent to a stream channel that is susceptible to being inundated by overbank stream flows. For regulatory purposes, see the floodplain regulations in the City Zoning Code.
(n) "Grassed waterway" means a broad or shallow natural course or constructed channel covered with erosion-resistant grasses or similar approved vegetative cover and used to conduct surface water. Commonly referred to as a "swale".
(o) "Groundwwater" means that part of the subsurface water which is below the zone of saturation.
(p) "Groundwater recharge area" means any surface area from which water penetrates and subsequently passes into the groundwater supply.
(q) "High delay vegetative strip" means an area covered with erosion-resistant grasses or similar approved vegetative cover designed to delay storm water runoff and increase infiltration.
(r) "Impervious surface" means any surface or material which inhibits the passage of water.
(s) "Infiltration" means the penetration and movement of water through the earth's surface.
(t) "New development" means development for which an application for a building permit is submitted on or after the effective date of this chapter, and includes any subsequent improvement of such site or structures.
(u) "Obstruction" means any structure or assembly of materials including fill above or below the surface of the land or water, any activity which might impede, retard or change flood flows.
(v) "Pervious surface" means any surface or material which permits the passage of water.
(w) "Rate of storm water runoff" means instantaneous measurement of water flow expressed in a unit of volume per unit of time, also referred to as discharge. Examples: cubic feet per second (cfs); gallons per minute (gpm).
(x) "Professional engineer" means a person duly licensed as a professional engineer by the State of Ohio.
(y) "Retention basin" means a storage area for storm water runoff that maintains a planned permanent level of water even after storm runoff has ceased.
(z) "Runoff characteristics" means the surface components of any watershed which affect the rate, amount and direction of storm water runoff. These may include, but are not limited to: vegetation, soils, slopes and man-made landscape alterations.
(aa) "Site" means any lot or parcel of land or contiguous combination thereof.
(bb) "Storage capacity" means the volume expressed in acre-feet of the impounded water to the maximum storage level, that is, the top of the impoundment.
(cc) "Storm frequency" means the average period of time within which a storm of a given duration and intensity can be expected to be equaled or exceeded.
(dd) "Storm sewer" means a man-made pipe or conduit which collects and transports storm water.
(ee) "Storm water management facilities" means natural or man-made structures which collect and control storm water runoff, and which include, but are not limited to, storm sewers, culverts, detention or retention basins, rooftop storage, parking lot ponding, porous pavement, diversions, grassed waterways, underground storage, lined channels, high delay vegetative strips and other related storm water control facilities.
(ff) "Storm Water Management Plan" means the required plan providing for the control of runoff to allow precipitation falling on a given site to be absorbed or retained on site to the extent that after development, the peak rate of discharge leaving the site is not significantly different than if the site had remained undeveloped.
(gg) "Storm water runoff" means drainage runoff from the surface of the land resulting from precipitation or snow or ice melt.
(hh) "Stream" means a body of water running or flowing on the earth's surface or channel in which such flow occurs. Flow may be permanent or intermittent.
(ii) "Subdivision" as defined by Ohio R.C. 711.001(B) means:
(1) The division of any parcel of land shown as a unit or as contiguous units on the last preceding tax roll, into two or more parcels, sites or lots, any one of which is less than five acres for the purpose, whether immediate or future, of transfer of ownership, provided, however, that the division or partition of land into parcels of more than five acres not involving any new streets or easements of access, and the sale or exchange of parcels between adjoining lot owners, where such sale or exchange does not create additional building sites, shall be exempted; or
(2) The improvement of one or more parcels of land for residential, commercial or industrial structures or groups of structures involving the division or allocation of land for the opening, widening or extension of any street or streets, except private streets serving industrial structures; the division or allocation of land as open spaces for common use by owners, occupants or lease holders or as easements for the extension and maintenance of public sewer, water, storm drainage or other public facilities.
(jj) "Subwatershed" means a hydrologically defined area within a watershed which drains to a specific point.
(kk) "Volume of storm water runoff" means that quantity of water normally measured in inches, cubic feet or acre-feet. This quantity is determined analytically from the computations and procedures established in this chapter.
(ll) "Watercourse" means any channel or conveyance of surface water having a defined bed and banks, whether natural or man-made, whether with permanent or intermittent flow.
(mm) "Watershed" means the entire region or area drained by a river, stream or other watercourse, whether natural or man-made.
(Ord. 1991-122. Passed 11-18-91.)