§ 3.2. Definitions.

3.2.1.  Accessory building. A secondary building or structure subordinated to and not forming an integral part of the main or principal building on a lot or parcel, but pertaining to the use of the main building.

3.2.2.  Alley. A narrow thoroughfare dedicated or used for public passageway up to 20 feet in width, which usually abuts the rear of the premises, or upon which service entrances or buildings abut, and which is not generally used as a thoroughfare by both pedestrians and vehicles, is not used for general traffic, and is not otherwise officially designated as a street. A way which affords only a secondary means of access to abutting property.

3.2.3. Reserved.

3.2.4.  Buildable area. That portion of any lot which may be used or built upon in accordance with the regulations governing the given zoning district within which the particular lot is located, once the various front, side and rear yard setbacks required for the district have been subtracted from the total area.

3.2.5.  Building. Any structure having a roof and intended for shelter, housing or enclosure of persons, animals, or property of any kind.

3.2.6.  Building line. A line extended along the foundation of a building from which is measured the distance that a building must be set back to meet the minimum distance from the building line to the front, rear or side property line or in some cases, to the centerline of an adjacent roadway.

3.2.7.  Building site. The ground area of a building or buildings together with all open spaces surrounded by said building or buildings.

3.2.8.  Building and zoning official. One or more persons, officers or officials or his authorized representative, whom the county manager has appointed to administer and enforce, individually or collectively, the building code, subdivision, and zoning ordinances.

3.2.9.  Certified document. A survey, sketch, plat, map or other exhibit is said to be certified when a written statement regarding its accuracy or conformity to specified standards is signed by the specified professional engineers, registered surveyor, architect or other legally recognized person.

3.2.10.  Density. The number of units or buildings per acre, or the number of people per unit, building, acre or mile, or the quantity of people, structures or units within a specified area.

3.2.11.  Easement. The right or privilege of using another's property, for purposes such as constructing and maintaining sanitary sewers, water mains, electric lines, telephone lines, storm sewers, gas lines, bicycle paths, pedestrian ways, ingress and egress.

3.2.12.  Engineer. Any person being licensed by the state of Georgia as an engineer capable of determining the correct manner in which to construct roads, streets, highways, water and sewage systems, drainage system, structures or other technical related areas.

3.2.13.  Family. Two or more persons occupying a single dwelling unit where all members are related by blood, marriage, adoption, or in foster care. Refer to zoning ordinance for standards.

3.2.14.  Flood prone areas. The land that is usually flooded whenever a rise in the water level of a creek, stream, river or other body of water is experienced. That land adjacent to a creek, stream, river channel, canal or other body of water that is designated as a floodplain or flood prone area by a governmental agency.

3.2.15. Reserved.

3.2.16.  Governing authority. The board of commissioners of the county.

3.2.17.  Lot. Parcel of land shown on a recorded plat or on the official county zoning maps (if applicable) or any piece of land described by a legally recorded deed.

3.2.18.  Lot area. Shall mean the total area of the lot including easements.

3.2.19.  Lot, corner. A lot located at the intersection of two or more streets.

3.2.20.  Lot, double frontage. A lot, other than a corner lot, which has frontage on more than one street.

3.2.21.  Lot, interior. Any lot which is not a corner lot that has frontage only on one street other than an alley.

3.2.22.  Lot line, front. In the case of a lot abutting upon only one street, the front lot line is the line separating such lot from such street. In the case of a corner lot, that part of the lot having the narrowest frontage on any street shall be considered the front lot line. In the case of any other lot, one such line shall be elected to be the front lot line for the purpose of this article; provided it is so designated by the building plans which meet the approval of the building official.

3.2.23.  Lot line, rear. The rear lot line is that boundary which is opposite and most distant from the front lot line. In the case of a lot pointed at the rear, or any odd-shaped lot, the rear lot line shall be determined by the building official.

3.2.24.  Lot lines, side. A side lot line is any lot boundary line not a front lot line or a rear lot line. A side lot line separating a lot from a street is an exterior side lot line. A side lot line separating a lot from another lot, or lots, is an interior side lot line.

3.2.25.  Lot, reverse frontage. A lot having frontage on two or more public streets, the access of which is restricted to one street.

3.2.26.  Metes and bounds description. A method of property description whereby properties are described by means of their direction and distances from an easily identifiable location or point.

3.2.27.  Manufactured home. A dwelling unit fabricated in an off-site facility for installation or assembly at the building site, bearing a label certifying it is constructed in compliance with the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974, as amended, U.S.C. § 5401, et seq. (the HUD Code, which became effective on June 15, 1976), and meeting the development standards for the zone in which located.

3.2.28.  Planning and zoning commission. The county planning and zoning commission.

3.2.29.  Plat. A map, plan or layout of a county, city, town, section or subdivision indicating the location and boundaries of properties prepared and stamped by a registered surveyor.

3.2.30., 3.2.31. Reserved.

3.2.32.  Principal building. The building on a lot in which the principal use of the lot is conducted.

3.2.33.  Public use. Use of any land, water, buildings by a municipality, public body or board, commission or authority, county, state or federal government, or any agency thereof for a public service or purpose.

3.2.34., 3.2.35. Reserved.

3.2.36.  Reserve strip. A strip of land adjacent to a public street or similar right-of-way which has been reserved for the purpose of controlling access to the public way.

3.2.37.  Right-of-way line. The boundary of a strip of land designed, reserved, dedicated, or purchased for the purpose of pedestrian or vehicular access.

3.2.38.  Setback. The minimum horizontal distance between the right-of-way line, rear or side lines of the lot and the front, rear or side lines of the building. When two adjoining lots under the same ownership are used, the exterior property lines of the lots so grouped shall be used in determining setbacks.

3.2.39.  Site. An area designated as a separate and distinct parcel of land on a legally recorded subdivision plat or in a legally recorded deed.

3.2.40.  Street. A right-of-way affording primary access to abutting property. For the purposes of these regulations, the term shall also mean avenue, boulevard, road, lane and other public or private ways.

3.2.41.  Street, arterial. A street of exceptional continuity that is intended to carry the greater portion of through-traffic from one area of the county to another.

3.2.42.  Street, collector. Streets which are neither local streets nor arterial streets. Their location and design are such that they are of exceptional continuity, serve as routes passing through residential areas, and serve as means of moving traffic from local streets and feeding it into arterial streets.

3.2.43.  Street, cul-de-sac. A short local street having but one end open for vehicular traffic, the opposite end being terminated with a permanent turn-around.

3.2.44.  Street, dead-end. A street not intersecting other streets at both ends, and distinguished from a cul-de-sac by not being terminated by a vehicular turnaround.

3.2.45.  Street, local. Streets which provide only access to adjacent properties and by nature of their layout serve only vehicles with either origin or destination within the area.

3.2.46.  Street, marginal access. A minor service street which parallels and which is immediately adjacent to an arterial street (frontage road).

3.2.47. Reserved.

3.2.48.  Surveyor. A person who is licensed by the state of Georgia as a registered land surveyor.

3.2.49.  Structure. Anything constructed or erected that requires a fixed location on the ground or which is attached to something having a fixed location on the ground.

3.2.50.  Subdivider. Any person, firm or corporation who or which divides for sale, rent or lease or develops any land deemed to be a subdivision as herein defined.

3.2.51  Subdivision. The division of a lot of record into two or more lots, building sites, or other divisions for the purposes of sale, devise or development, whether immediately or in the future, except that a subdivision does not include either of the following:

(a)

The combination or recombination of portions of previously platted lots where the total number of lots is not increased and the resultant lots are at least equal to the standards of the zoning ordinance; and

(b)

The division of land where no new street is involved; provided, however, that a division of land that was previously approved as a subdivision with a new street or streets shall not come within this exception.

Plats of such exceptions shall be required to be submitted as information by the planning and zoning commission which shall indicate such fact on the plats.

(Amd. of 11-7-17)

3.2.52.  Use. Any purpose for which a building or tract of land may be designed, arranged, maintained, or occupied; or any activity, occupation, business, or operation carried on in a building or structure or on a tract of land.

3.2.53.  Waterfront. Any site shall be considered as waterfront property provided any or all of its lot lines abut on or are contiguous to any body of water including creek, canal, river or any other body of water, natural or artificial, including marshland, not including a swimming pool, whether said lot line is front, rear or side.

3.2.54.  Yard. A required open space on a lot that is left unoccupied with structures and facilities, except as permitted in this ordinance. A yard may also be known as a setback.

3.2.55.  Yard, front. The open space on a lot located between the right-of-way boundary of the abutting street and the front building line as extended to the lot lines to either side. Any yard lying between an abutting street and the building line is considered a front yard. For example, in the case of a corner lot which is abutted on two sides by streets, both yards abutting the streets would be front yards; setbacks and other development standards for front yards would apply to both of these yards.

3.2.56.  Yard, rear. The open space located between the rear property line and the rear building line as extended to the side lot lines.

3.2.57.  Yard, side. The open space located between the side property line and the side building line as extended to the front and rear lot lines.

3.2.58.  Zoning ordinance. An officially adopted ordinance (if applicable) that regulates the manner, type, size and use to which a piece of property may be put.