For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ACCESSORY STRUCTURE. A structure on the same lot with, and of a nature customarily incidental and subordinate to, the principal structure.
APPEAL. A request for review of the West Alexandria Zoning Inspector’s interpretation of any provision of these regulations or a request for a variance.
AREA OF SHALLOW FLOODING. A designated AO or AH zone on a community’s Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) with a 1% or greater annual chance of flooding to an average depth of one to three feet where a clearly defined channel does not exist, where the path of flooding is unpredictable and where velocity flow may be evident. Such flooding is characterized by ponding or sheet flow.
AREA OF SPECIAL FLOOD HAZARD. The land in the flood plain subject to a 1% or greater chance of flooding in any given year. AREAS OF SPECIAL FLOOD HAZARD are designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency as Zone A, AE, AH, AO, A1-30 and A99.
BASE FLOOD. The flood having a 1% chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year. The BASE FLOOD may also be referred to as the 100-year flood.
BASEMENT. Any area of the building having its floor subgrade (below ground level) on all sides.
DEVELOPMENT. Any human-made change to improved or unimproved real estate, including, but not limited to, buildings or other structures, mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavation or drilling operations or storage of equipment or materials.
FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY (FEMA). The agency with the overall responsibility for administering the National Flood insurance Program.
FLOOD or FLOODING. 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.
FLOOD INSURANCE RATE MAP (FIRM). An official map on which the Federal Emergency Management Agency or the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has delineated the areas of special flood hazard.
FLOOD INSURANCE STUDY. The official report in which the Federal Emergency Management Agency or the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has provided flood profiles, floodway boundaries and the water surface elevations of the base flood.
FLOOD PROTECTION ELEVATION or FPE. The base elevation plus one foot of freeboard. In areas where no base elevations exist from any authoritative source, the flood protection elevation can be historical flood elevations, or base flood elevations determined and/or approved by the Floodplain Administrator.
FLOODWAY. The channel of a river or other watercourse and the adjacent land areas that must be reserved in order to discharge the base flood without cumulatively increasing the water surface elevation more than one foot.
FREEBOARD. A factor of safety usually expressed in feet above a flood level for the purpose of flood plain management. FREEBOARD tends to compensate for the many unknown factors that could contribute to flood heights greater than the height calculated for a selected size flood and floodway conditions, such as wave action, obstructed bridge openings, debris and ice jams, and the hydrologic effect of urbanization in a watershed.
HISTORIC STRUCTURE. Any structure that is:
(1) Listed individually in the National Register of Historic Places (a listing maintained by the U.S. Department of Interior) or preliminarily determined by the Secretary of the Interior as meeting the requirements for individual listings on the National Register;
(2) Certified or preliminarily determined by the Secretary of the Interior as contributing to the historical significance of a registered historic district or a district preliminarily determined by the Secretary to qualify as a registered historic district;
(3) Individually listed on the State of Ohio’s inventory of historic places maintained by the Ohio Historic Preservation Office; or
(4) Individually listed on the inventory of historic places maintained by the Village of West Alexandria, Ohio, whose historic preservation program has been certified by the Ohio Historic Preservation Office, if applicable.
LOWEST FLOOR. The lowest floor of the lowest enclosed area (including basement). An unfinished or flood resistant enclosure usable solely for parking of vehicles, building access or storage, in an area other than a basement area, is not considered a building’s LOWEST FLOOR, provided that such enclosure is built in accordance with the applicable design requirements specified in these regulations for enclosures below the LOWEST FLOOR.
MANUFACTURED HOME. A structure, transportable in one or more sections, which is built on a permanent chassis and is designed for use with or without a permanent foundation when connected to the required utilities. The term MANUFACTURED HOME does not include a recreational vehicle.
MANUFACTURED HOME PARK. A parcel (or contiguous parcels) of land divided into two or more manufactured home lots for rent. This definition shall exclude any manufactured home park as defined in R.C. § 4781.01, for which the Ohio Public Health Council has exclusive rule making power.
MANUFACTURED HOME SUBDIVISION. A parcel (or contiguous parcels) of land divided into two or more manufactured home lots for sale. This definition shall exclude any manufactured home park as defined in R.C. § 3733.01, for which the Ohio Public Health Council has exclusive rule making power.
NEW CONSTRUCTION. Structures for which the start of construction commenced on or after the initial effective date of the Village of West Alexandria, Ohio’s Flood Insurance Rate Map, and includes any subsequent improvements to such structures.
RECREATIONAL VEHICLE. A vehicle which is:
(1) Built on a single chassis;
(2) Four hundred square feet or less when measured at the largest horizontal projection;
(3) Designed to be self-propelled or permanently towable by a light duty truck; and
(4) Designed primarily not for use as a permanent dwelling but as temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, travel or seasonal use.
START OF CONSTRUCTION. The date the building permit was issued, provided the actual start of construction, repair, reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition, placement or other improvement was within 180 days of the permit date. The actual start means either the first placement of permanent construction of a structure on a site, such as the pouring of slab or footings, the installation of piles, the construction of columns, or any work beyond the stage of excavation; or the placement of a manufactured home on a foundation. Permanent construction does not include land preparation, such as clearing, grading and filling; nor does it include the installation of streets and/or walkways; nor does it include excavation for a basement, footings, piers or foundations or the erection of temporary forms; nor does it include the installation on the property of accessory buildings, such as garages or sheds not occupied as dwelling units or not part of the main structure. For a substantial improvement, the actual START OF CONSTRUCTION means the first alteration of any wall, ceiling, floor, or other structural part of a building, whether or not that alteration affects the external dimensions of a building.
STRUCTURE. A walled and roofed building, manufactured home, or gas or liquid storage tank that is principally above ground.
SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. Damage of any origin sustained by a structure whereby the cost of restoring the structure to its before damaged condition would equal or exceed 50% of the market value of the structure before the damage occurred. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE also means flood related damage sustained by a structure on two separate occasions during a ten year period for which the cost of repairs at the time of each such flood event, on the average, equals or exceeds 25% of the market value of the structure before the damage occurred.
SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT. Any reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition or other improvement of a structure, the cost of which equals or exceeds 50% of the market value of the structure before the start of construction of the improvement. This term includes structures which have incurred substantial damage, regardless of the actual repair work performed. The term does not, however, include:
(1) Any project for improvement of a structure to correct existing violations of state or local health, sanitary or safety code specifications which have been identified prior to the application for a development permit by the local code enforcement official and which are the minimum necessary to assure safe living conditions;
(2) Any alteration of a historic structure, provided that the alteration will not preclude the structure’s continued designation as a historic structure; or
(3) Any improvement to a structure which is considered new construction.
VARIANCE. A grant of relief from the standards of these regulations consistent with the variance conditions herein.
VIOLATION. The failure of a structure or other development to be fully compliant with these regulations.
(Prior Code, § 1230.05) (Ord. 672, passed 12-18-2000; Ord. 751, passed 12-14-2009)