For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ALLEY. A public right-of-way which affords a secondary means of access to abutting property.
BLOCK. An area of land within a subdivision that is entirely bounded by streets, or by streets and the exterior boundary or boundaries of the subdivision, or a combination of the above with a river or lake.
BOULEVARD. The portion of the street right-of-way between the curb line and property line.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. The group of maps, charts, and texts that make up the comprehensive long-range plan of the city.
DESIGN STANDARDS. The specifications to land owners or subdividers for the preparation of plats, both preliminary and final, indicating among other things, the optimum, minimum, or maximum dimensions of such items as right-of-way, blocks, easements, and lots.
EASEMENT. A grant by a property owner for the use of a strip of land for the purpose of constructing and maintaining utilities, including, but not limited to, sanitary sewers, water mains, electric lines, telephone lines, storm sewer, or storm drainage ways and gas lines.
FINAL PLAT. A drawing or map of a subdivision, meeting all the requirements of the city and in such form as required by the county for purposes of recording.
LOT. A portion of a subdivision or other parcel of land intended for building development or for transfer of ownership.
OWNER. Includes the plural as well as the singular, and where appropriate shall include a natural person, partnership, firm, association, public or quasi-public corporation, private corporation, or a combination of any of them.
PARKS AND PLAYGROUNDS. Public lands and open spaces in the city dedicated or reserved for recreation purposes.
PEDESTRIAN WAY. A public or private right-of-way across a block or within a block to provide access, to be used by pedestrians and which may be used for the installation of utility lines.
PERCENTAGE OF GRADE. On-street center line means the distance vertically (up or down) from the horizontal in feet and tenths of a foot for each one hundred feet of horizontal distance.
PLANNING COMMISSION. The Planning Commission of the city.
PRELIMINARY PLAT. A tentative drawing or map of a proposed subdivision meeting requirements herein enumerated.
PROTECTIVE COVENANTS. Contracts made between private parties as to the manner in which land may be used, with the view to protecting and preserving the physical and economic integrity of any given area.
ROAD. See STREET.
SKETCH PLAN. An informal plan describing the proposed subdivision development drawn prior to the preliminary plat application.
STREET. A public right-of-way affording primary access by pedestrians and vehicles to abutting properties, whether designated as a street, highway, thoroughfare, parkway, lane, place, or however otherwise designated.
STREET, THOROUGHFARE, or ARTERIAL STREET. Those used primarily for heavy traffic, and serving as an arterial traffic way between the various districts of the community, as shown on the Comprehensive Plan.
STREET, COLLECTORS. Those that carry traffic from minor streets to the major system of thoroughfares and highways, including the principal entrance streets of residential districts, as show on the Comprehensive Plan.
STREET, CUL-DE-SAC. A minor street with only one outlet and having an appropriate terminal for the safe and convenient reversal of traffic movement.
STREET, MARGINAL ACCESS. Minor streets which are parallel and adjacent to thoroughfares and highways, and which provide access to abutting properties and protection from through traffic.
STREET, MINOR. Those which are used primarily for access to abutting properties.
STREET WIDTH. The shortest distance between lines of lots delineating the street right-of-way.
SUBDIVISION. A described tract of land which is to be or has been divided into two or more lots or parcels, any of which resultant parcels is less than two and one-half acres in area, or 150 feet in width, for the purpose of transfer of ownership or building development, or, if dedication of a public street is involved, any division of a parcel of land. The term includes RESUBDIVISION and, where it is appropriate to the context, relates either to the process of subdividing or to the land subdivided.
SUBDIVIDER. Any person commencing proceedings under this chapter to effect a subdivision of land.
TANGENT. A straight line which is perpendicular to the radius of a curve where a tangent meets a curve.
VERTICAL CURVE. The surface curvature on a street, road, or highway center line located between lines of different percentage of grade.
(2006 Code, § 12.02)