As used in this article, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings set forth herein:
(a) "City" means the City of York or designated department therein.
(b) "Deteriorated property" means any dwelling unit located in a deteriorated neighborhood or a dwelling unit which has been, or, upon request, is certified by a health, housing or building inspection agency as unfit for human habitation, or other health or welfare purposes; or a dwelling unit which has been the subject of an order by such an agency requiring the unit to be vacated, condemned or demolished by reason of noncompliance with laws, ordinances or regulations.
(c) "Dwelling unit" means a house, double house or duplex, townhouse or row house, apartment, group of rooms or any building intended for occupancy as living quarters by an individual, a family or families or other groups of persons containing a kitchen or cooking equipment for the exclusive use of the occupant or occupants.
(d) "Deteriorated neighborhood" means any area containing: unsafe, unsanitary or overcrowded buildings, vacant overgrown and unsightly lots of ground; a disproportionate number of tax delinquent properties; a lack of planning, proper light and air and open space; excessive land coverage; defective design or arrangement of building street or lot layouts; economically and socially undesirable land uses; impoverished as certified to by the Commonwealth under the Neighborhood Assistance Act.
(e) "Improvement" means repair, construction or reconstruction, including alterations and additions, and construction of new structures, having the effect of rehabilitating a deteriorated property so that it becomes habitable or attains higher standards of safety, health, use or amenity, or is brought into compliance with the laws, ordinances or regulations governing applicable standards. Ordinary upkeep and maintenance shall not be deemed an improvement. "Improvement" shall include construction:
(1) To convert a multifamily structure to a single-family building, if the multi-family structure had originally been designed and built to serve as a single family house.
(2) To protect, preserve, retain or reestablish the historical integrity of a residential structure in the area established as the Historic District known as "Historic York" as outlined in Article 1731 and in sites established as being a part of the National Register-listed York Historic District also known as the National Register of Historic Places District in York City.
(f) "Residential construction" means the building or erection of dwelling units, as defined above, upon vacant land or land specifically prepared to receive such structure.
(g) "Due date" means the date when current year City real estate taxes are last payable at penalty. The date shall at no time be later than December 31, unless this date shall fall on a non-business business day or holiday when the due date shall be extended to the next regular business day. Payments made by mail and postmarked by the US Postal Service on or prior to the actual due date set by the City Treasurer shall be accepted as timely.
(h) "Applicant" means:
(1) A property owner of an existing residential property or of a "to be constructed" residential property for which the owner wishes to qualify for the temporary tax abatement through the Residential Tax Abatement Program (RETAP).
(2) An owner of a residential property that originally had been built as a single family residence, but which has been operated as or converted into a multifamily residence to which the owner shall restore or reconvert back to a single family residence, or
(3) An owner of an historic single-family home in the Historic York District.
(i) "Economic and Community Development" shall mean the Department of Economic and Community Development.
(j) "Fire Department" means the Department of Fire and Rescue Services.
(k) "Cost of a project" means any of the following expenses incurred for a project:
(1) Expenses for the acquisition, reconstruction, renovation, improvement, rehabilitation, reconversion or remodeling of a multi-family structure into a single-family structure or for the restoration and preservation of an historic single family home in the Historic York District (HARB) or in sites established as being a part of the National Register-Listed York Historic District.
(2) Costs and expenses associated with the preparation of plans, specifications, designs or studies to complete the project.
(Ord. 18-2017. Passed 7-18-17.)