zoning terms and definitionszoning terms and definitions

LockA locked padlock Since New York City adopted the first zoning ordinance in 1916, zoning regulations . Colorado Springs, Colorado, City Planning Commission. Residential zoning laws cover issues like whether a mobile home is allowed to be placed on a property and how many structures can be built on specific properties. 1957. 72, Zoning Ordinance Definitions (March 1955). They are presented here as examples of how illustrations have actually been employed to improve understanding of zoning ordinances. The simple diagram in the Des Moines ordinance shown in Figure 24 helps make sense out of the text. Even the section on administration and amendments could benefit from some graphic treatment. Reference 7, Part 2, preceding p. 40. 1954. For such uses located along one (1) side of a court or place, the minimum width of said court or place shall be ten (10) feet. Where one of the front yards that would normally be required on a through lot is not in keeping with the prevailing yard pattern, the administrative official may waive the requirement for the normal front yard and substitute therefore a special yard requirement which shall not exceed the average of the yards provided on adjacent lots. There is also a two-page insert that lists in alphabetical order acronyms and abbreviations of land use and planning terms. For greater detail, and for non-residential construction, refer to text of each district and to the General Provisions for Residence Districts. In a C1-8A district, for example, where the maximum commercial FAR is 2.0 and the maximum residential FAR is 7.52, the total permitted FAR for a mixed residential/commercial building would be 7.52, of which no more than 2.0 FAR may be applied to the commercial space. A corner lot is not required to have a rear yard. 3. Zoning Ordinance (Ordinance No. Approach to Update a Zoning Ordinance to Comply With Michigan Zoning Enabling Act of 2006. There are other examples of terms defined in zoning ordinances which are both unfamiliar to the layman, and difficult to understand solely from the text discussion. The separation or division of a municipality into districts, the regulation of buildings and structures in such districts in accordance with their construction and the nature and extent of their use, and the dedication of such districts to particular uses designed to serve the General Welfare.. Zoning, the regulation of the use of real property by local government, restricts a . Special requirements for bungalow courts, court apartments, group and row dwellings: Rezoning for New Haven, Connecticut: Proposals for Comprehensive Amendment of the Zoning Ordinance (New Haven: City Plan Commission, 1962). Dont know your R1 from your FAR? A tower-on-a-base requires a contextual base between 60 and 85 feet high that extends continuously along the street line. Interior lot: A lot other than a corner lot with only one frontage on a street other than an alley. 9. In case walls are parallel to and within five feet (5') of sidewalks, the above ground level shall be measured at the sidewalks. It deals with a concept few people have ever heard of before, and it defies understanding on first reading. The bulkhead line is a line shown on the zoning maps which divides the upland and seaward portions of waterfront zoning lots. This glossary provides brief explanations of planning and zoning terminology, including terms highlighted in the Zoning Handbook. A large-scale general development* is a development 17. 8. The Appendix contains a list of selected zoning information brochures. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. In commercial and manufacturing districts, and for some community facility buildings in residence districts, the rear yard may be occupied entirely by a single-story building up to a height of 23 feet. A lock ( The illustration should be placed beside or close to the text it relates to, preferably on the same page. PM1353. Difficult Situations in Public Engagement, Partnering with Community Based Organizations, Customized Leadership & Governance Trainings, Newly Elected Officials Orientation Materials, Preparing for SB 1383: Organic Waste Resources, News from the Institute for Local Government, A Glossary of Land Use and Planning Terms, Understanding the Basics of Land Use Planning: Glossary of Land Use and Planning Terms, Glossary of Land Use and Planning Terms: Acronyms and Abbreviations (tab), 2015 Institute for Local Government 1400 K Street, Suite 205 Sacramento, CA 95814-3916. City of New York. A Comprehensive Plan for Rezoning Cook County. 28. The base FAR in designated areas is, in most cases, lower than the maximum FAR allowed in the same zoning district located outside a designated area. cit., p. 36. Building Height: Is the vertical distance measured from the established grade to the highest point of the roof surface for flat roofs; to the deck line of mansard roofs; and to the average height between eaves and ridge for gable, hip, and gambrel roofs. A front yard* extends along the full width of a front lot line. Zoning definition, (especially in city planning) of or relating to the division of an area into zones, as to restrict the number and types of buildings and their uses: zoning laws. The required setback as computed herein need not exceed 50 feet in any case.18. 1. Los Angeles County, California, Regional Planning Commission. . Turns out Euclidean zoning has nothing to do with the Greek mathematician. These dates and lists are important for researching the history of each zoning section. As with the other illustrations shown in this part of the report, the purpose of this diagram is to make it easier to use the ordinance by assembling at one point related provisions found throughout the text. Many communities therefore decide that the cost of diagrams to illustrate parts of the text outweighs the benefits gained from having a zoning document which is easier to read and to understand. Minimum lot area per dwelling unit: 2,000 square feet; 1,400 square feet per efficiency unit. San Antonio, Texas, Planning Commission. Many zoning provisions are difficult to understand, either because the terms defined are unfamiliar or because they are defined in a special and detailed way.3 No matter how exact and accurate definitions are, certain terms may still require further clarification. The Portland, Oregon, ordinance15 has a summary diagram preceding the text provisions of each zoning district section. Businessmen want to know what effect zoning will have, if any, on their potential investments. "5 Although the definition is concise, it gives no clue that optional building arrangements are permitted on the site with consequent flexibility in design. Bloomberg's Joe Weisenthal and Tracy Alloway analyze the weird patterns, the complex issues and the newest market crazes. Similarly, a building containing a row of townhouses may occupy several separate tax lots within a single zoning lot, or two or more detached homes on one zoning lot may each have its own tax lot. 1962. Uniform Zoning Ordinance of Salt Lake County, Utah, As Amended (Salt Lake City: County Planning Commission, 1957), p. 80. A through lot* is any zoning lot that connects two generally parallel streets and is not a corner lot. 1494) (Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission, 1958), p. 3. Reference 7, Part 2, following p. 39. In each case, the methods are easier to understand if the text is supplemented by a diagram. If the alignment of two or more existing buildings on each side of a lot within a distance of 150 feet and fronting on the same side of the same street between the nearest two intersecting streets is nearer to or farther from the street than required front yard depth, the average of such existing alignment within that distance shall be the required front yard line. 16. "24 By showing the unshaded part of the diagram as a parking area, the ordinance unintentionally throws the reader off the track. Drafters of zoning ordinances, therefore, should pay careful attention to the form in which the ordinance is presented, constantly striving to make the document clear, intelligible and readable. 1958. In any district where a front yard is required, no structure, fence, or planting shall be maintained within 30 feet of any corner street lot line intersection and within the required front yard, above a height of 3 feet above curb level or so as to interfere with traffic visibility across the corner. Two other examples illustrating how graphics are used in zoning ordinances to clarify familiar words defined in detailed, special or unfamiliar ways are shown in Figures 9 and 10. 1313 EAST 60TH STREET CHICAGO 37 ILLINOIS. Quite often, the ordinance contains lengthy, involved passages describing how particular uses parking facilities, accessory uses, signs should be handled in a particular zoning district. The following ASPO Planning Advisory Service reports will be helpful: Information Report No. Reference 9, Appendix pp. Section 18-2. Los Angeles County Zoning Ordinance (Ordinance No. Most bulk regulations applicable to wide streets are also applicable to buildings on intersecting streets within 100 feet of a wide street. 3. Occasionally, a diagram may confuse the reader and raise questions of interpretation, rather than clarify the text. Unless otherwise specified on the zoning maps, the depth of C1 overlay districts, measured from the nearest street, is 200 feet for C1-1 districts, 150 feet for C1-2, C1-3, C2-1, C2-2 and C2-3 districts, and 100 feet for C1-4, C1-5, C2-4 and C2-5 districts. A Sheetz convenience store and truck stop can be built on Spielman Road near Interstate 81 after a ruling by the Washington County Board of Zoning Appeals. (See also Setbacks, Front Yard or Ground Level). A tower may be occupied by residential, commercial or community facility uses. The Des Moines, Iowa, zoning ordinance text discussing this procedure reads: In any "R" district there shall be a minimum front yard required as stated in the yard requirements for that particular district; provided, however, that where lots comprising 30 per cent or more of the frontage within 200 feet of either side lot line are developed with buildings at a greater setback, the front yard setback shall be the average of these building setbacks and the minimum setbacks required for the undeveloped lots. If illustrations are placed in a separate section, cite the page number where each can be found directly after the zoning provision it clarifies. This illustration would show how the major requirements and provisions in that section apply to a typical structure and would emphasize the particular, distinctive characteristics of the zone. The zoning ordinance is broad in scope, designating area, height, use, and density requirements for all parts of the community, as well as providing provisions for administering the zoning program. Zoning Terms & FAQ The following is a list of frequently used Zoning terms and associated definitions. A number of communities also use diagrams to summarize major sections of the zoning ordinance, thus providing a handy guide to lengthy and sometimes widely scattered portions of the ordinance. In commercial, manufacturing and R2X districts, the minimum depth of a rear yard is 20 feet. Corner visibility must be maintained (see General Provisions for Residence Districts). In a zoning ordinance which already contains numerous illustrations, it serves no real purpose and may even be distracting. There are numerous possibilities for using illustrations to good advantage in the district regulations section of the zoning ordinance. A rear yard* extends for the full width of a rear lot line. The ordinance user will then have a better idea of the distinguishing characteristics of each zoning district. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Citizens Council on City Planning. Its time again for CityLab University, a resource for understanding some of the most important concepts related to cities and urban policy. "Grade" (ground level) is the average of the finished ground level at the center of all walls of a building. 7. Because it is so comprehensive, summary statements and diagrams help to make the ordinance more useable and readable. A transfer of development rights (TDR) allows for the transfer of unused development rights from one zoning lot to another in limited circumstances, usually to promote the preservation of historic buildings, open space or unique cultural resources. A reversed frontage lot may also be a corner lot or an interior lot (A-D and B-D) in diagram, or even, in rare cases, a through lot (not illustrated). No building or structure or group of buildings with their accessory buildings shall cover more than sixty (60) percent of the area of the lot. Maps divide com-munities into dierent zones based on the types of uses allowedsuch as residential, commercial, industrial, public buildings, parks and green areas. An illuminated sign* uses artificial light or reflected light from an artificial source. "Parcel of Land" means a contiguous quantity of land, in the possession of, or owned by, or recorded as the property of, the same claimant or person. This dictionary, a revised and updated edition of the best-selling Glossary of Zoning, Development, and Planning Terms, contains more than 4,200 terms used by planners around the nation.This edition contains an introduction by Harvey Moscowitz, FAICP, chief editor of The Illustrated Book of Development Definitions, and Carl Lindbloom, AICP. 400.201. Where Am I in the New Zoning Ordinance? Glossary of Common Planning and Zoning Terms. Not a member but want to buy a copy? New Haven, Connecticut, Planning Commission. Exceptions for Existing Alignment. The reader, distracted by the graphics, may skim over important passages. All WPAAs are required to be improved with landscaping and trees, seating and other amenities. Zoning Ordinance Appendix A _____ Town of Cave Creek Zoning Ordinance Appendix A - Glossary Terms and Definitions A 2 d. One (1) accessory living quarter per lot is allowed. In The Text of a Model Zoning Ordinance, Bair and Bartley urge that diagrams be used in the definitions section: It is well to remember that a diagram sometimes tells more than many words. Minimum lot area: 5,400 square feet. Site Area, Net. Active These definitions, however, are not explicit enough for zoning purposes. Planning and Zoning Code of the City of Portland, Oregon (Ordinance No. Zoning Manual for the Port Huron-St. Clair County (Michigan) Metropolitan Region (Port Huron: The St. Clair Regional Planning Commission, 1962), Appendix p. 3. In residential districts, the minimum depth of a rear yard is 30 feet, except in R2X districts. A front lot line,* also known as a street line, is that portion of a zoning lot line that fronts upon a street. Intersperse diagrams with text. districts. Another example is the diagram (Figure 33) illustrating how to define lot area. 11. Saginaw, Michigan, Planning Department. Engaging the Public in Economic Development, Healthy Communities, Land Use and Planning, Online Guide to Planning Healthy Neighborhoods, How Planning & Community Design Affect Health, Creating Safe Walking and Bicycling Communities. b. Figure 8 indicates that the St. Clair County, Michigan, Zoning Manual, which contains a model zoning ordinance, defines a basement9 exactly opposite to the way in which it is defined in the Los Angeles ordinance. See lot marked C in lot types diagram. 1950. Where a corner lot in a Business or Industrial District directly abuts a lot in a Residence District along the same side of a street, all of the regulations of such Residence District for front yards shall apply to such corner lot along the street whose frontage it shares with such Residence District. For a discussion of zoning definitions, see ASPO Planning Advisory Service Information Report No. Several zoning ordinances show typical examples of provisions in diagram form but do not clearly specify that the diagrams are only for illustrative purposes. The shoreline* is the mean high water line. Figure 16 clarifies several terms related because they describe the parts of a structure. Although the information brochure has value, it only supplements the ordinance that ultimately must stand alone as a document. Should Berkeley's Neighborhoods be Rezoned? June 29, 2023 at 6:08 p.m.June 29, 2023 at 6:08 p.m. The sketch shown in Figure 22 summarizes the regulations for signs in three zoning districts in the Grand Junction, Colorado, ordinance.17 The diagram precedes the section of the ordinance dealing with sign regulations. A small sidewalk cafe* is an unenclosed sidewalk cafe containing no more than a single row of tables and chairs in a space no greater than 4 feet from the street line, with no barrier between the caf and the sidewalk. This resource helps local officials and the public understand the Commonly used terms. Fax: 312-786-6700, Membership for Allied Professionals & Citizens, Education, Work, and Experience Verification. The next part of the article is excerpted below. But part of this area could be landscaped or perhaps even left vacant. In an attempt to be explicit, the ordinance drafters define several kinds of yards and then show how these vary depending on the lot type in question. In other instances, the use may be a special one, permitted only in a few districts. See, e.g. Agricultural and Forestal Districts . However, with definitions of "large lots" ranging from 5 to 25 acres, large lot zoning can also result in a waste of rural land for tracts that are "too . All words defined in the Resolution are surrounded by pound signs (#) on the web (or italicized in the print version) and the definitions are set forth in Article I, Chapter 2, or within the chapters where the definitions apply. A discretionary action, such as a zoning map amendment, cannot begin public review until a conditional negative declaration or negative declaration has been issued, stating that no significant environmental impacts have been identified or, if any potential impacts have been identified, a draft environmental impact statement has been completed, evaluating the significance of identified impacts and proposing appropriate mitigation. Proposed Zoning (Boston), op. Abstract 1962. These regulations are modified for different uses and districts. For such purposes, a TDR may be permitted where the transfer could not be accomplished through a zoning lot merger. Zoning laws typically limit the type of animals allowed at a residence. 10. THE GLOSSARY FOCUSES ON TERMS WHICH ARE FREQUENTLY USED BUT SELDOM DEFINED IN ORDINANCES; USES OR ACTIVITIES ARE NOT DEFINED. Zoning and You. The New Haven ordinance contains another kind of summary diagram illustrating how accessory buildings are treated in the ordinance. ACCESSORY USE is a use conducted on the same parcel as the principal use of the structure to which it is related; a use which is clearly incidental to, and Other examples of diagrams used in zoning ordinances to clarify complicated procedures dealing with special zoning situations are shown in Figures 26 to 28. These illustrations (Figure 34) were included in the ordinance primarily to improve its general appearance, not to help explain a particular provision or definition. 33.229 Elderly and Disabled High Density Housing. Traffic Visibility across Corners. AI Obsession Powers $5 Trillion Nasdaq 100 Surge: Markets Wrap, Bank Giant Bigger Than Morgan Stanley Arises From India Merger, Hotel in Italy Named Best in World in New Global List, The Most Romantic City in France Is Not Paris, and Other Travel Advice. Zoning and How It Affects You. Through lots with frontage on two streets may be referred to as double frontage lots. b. A detached building* is a freestanding building that does not abut any other building and where all sides of the building are surrounded by yards or open areas within the zoning lot. Another example is the sketch from the Grand Junction, Colorado, ordinance21 showing how fences are regulated in R-districts (Figure 30). 6. The two illustrations show typical construction in this district, both in perspective (above) and in plan (below). Zoning laws refer to specific rules and regulations for pieces of land divided into "zones" by the government or a municipality. Avoid the use of illustrations that confuse or mislead. This report, therefore, has a simple point to make: use graphic material in the zoning ordinance to illustrate, explain and clarify. Unfortunately, a few of these ordinances do not list page numbers where the appropriate diagrams can be found. . Philadelphia: Falcon Press, 1961. 640. All are brief and nontechnical. A cellar is defined as "a room or set of rooms below the surface of the ground, usually under a building." A side lot line* is any lot line that is neither a front lot line nor a rear lot line. Spot Zoning. 2. It obviously costs more money and takes more time to prepare accompanying diagrams and drawings, especially if they are to be integrated with the text. In case of a dispute over the meaning of a term not defined here or over the application of a definition set forth here, the Zoning Administrator shall give a written . Perhaps the most important reason is the cost and time involved in preparing them. A lot or zoning lot is a tract of land comprising a single tax lot or two or more adjacent tax lots within a block. A large-scale community facility development * is a development or enlargement predominantly for community facility uses in residential districts and in C1, C2, C3 and C4-1 districts. 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Louisville and Jefferson County, Kentucky, Planning and Zoning Commission.