For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ALLEY. A permanent service way providing a secondary means of access to abutting lands.
BLOCK. Property abutting on 1 side of a street, and lying between the 2 nearest intersecting or intercepting streets, or between the nearest intersecting or intercepting street and railroad right-of-way, waterway or other definite barrier.
BOARD OF WORKS. The Board of Public Works and Safety of the city.
BUILDING SETBACK LINE. The line nearest the front of and across a lot establishing the minimum open space to be provided between the front line of buildings and structures and the front lot line.
COMMISSION. The Washington City Plan Commission.
COUNCIL. The Common Council of the city.
CUL-DE-SAC. A court or dead-end street; a short street having 1 end open to traffic and being permanently terminated by a vehicle turn-around.
EASEMENT. A grant by the property owner of the use of a strip of land by the public, a corporation or persons for specified purposes.
IMPROVEMENT. The construction of a street or alley to its full thickness, commencing at the subgrade according to the specifications contained in § 154.061. The placing of a new surface over an existing paved or closed surface street or alley shall not be considered as an improvement, but as maintenance.
JURISDICTION OF THE COMMISSION or JURISDICTIONAL AREA. The city and the contiguous unincorporated territory shown on a map filed by the Commission with the County Recorder of Daviess County.
LOT. A portion of a subdivision, or other parcel of land intended as a unit for transfer of ownership or for development.
MASTER PLAN (COMPREHENSIVE PLAN). The complete plan, or any of its parts, for the development of the city, prepared by the Commission and adopted in accordance with Chapter 174, Acts of 1947, General Assembly of Indiana, as is now or may hereafter be in effect.
PLAT. A map or chart indicating the subdivision or resubdivision of land, intended to be filed for record.
STREET. A right of-way, dedicated or otherwise legally established to the public use, which affords the principal means of access to abutting property. A STREET may be designated as a highway, thoroughfare, parkway, boulevard, road, avenue, lane, drive or other appropriate name. A STREET may also be classified according to function as follows:
(1) ARTERIAL STREETS. Those designated for large volumes of traffic movement. Certain arterial streets may be classed as limited access highways to which entrances and exits are provided only at controlled intersections and access is denied to abutting properties.
(2) FEEDER STREETS. Important streets planned to facilitate the collection of traffic from minor streets, and to provide circulation within neighborhood areas and convenient ways for traffic to reach arterial streets.
(3) RESIDENTIAL STREETS. Those designated primarily to provide access to abutting properties, usually residential. Certain residential streets may be marginal access streets parallel to arterial streets, which provide access to abutting property and ways for traffic to reach access points on arterial streets.
SUBDIVIDER. Any person or persons, firm or corporation engaged in developing or improving a tract of land which complies with the definition of a subdivision as defined in this section.
SUBDIVISION.
(1) The division of any parcel of land shown as a unit, part of a unit, or as contiguous units on the last preceding transfer of property into more than 2 parcels, sites or lots, any 1 of which is less than 1½ acres in area, 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 1½ acres not involving any new streets or easements of access, and the sale or exchange of parcels between adjoining lot owners, where the sale or exchange does not create additional building sites, shall not be considered a SUBDIVISION.
(2) The improvement of 1 or more parcels of land for residential, commercial or industrial structures or groups of structures involving the subdivision and allocation of land as streets or other open spaces for common use by owners, occupants or leave holders, or as easements for the extension and maintenance of public sewer, water, storm drainage or other public utilities and facilities.
THOROUGHFARE PLAN (OFFICIAL). The part of the Master Plan, now or hereafter adopted which includes a major street and highway plan and sets forth the location, alignment, dimensions, identification and classification of existing and proposed public streets, highways and other thoroughfares.
(Prior Code § 154.01) (Am. Ord. 8-86, passed 7-14-1986; Am. Ord. 17-2004, passed 9-27-2004; Am. Ord. 19-2004, passed 10-11-2004)