As used in this Part 3, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
ADVERSE IMPACTS
Any modifications, alterations or effects on a feature or
characteristic of community waters or wetlands, including their quality,
quantity, hydrodynamics, surface area, species composition, living
resources, aesthetics or usefulness for human or natural uses which
are or may potentially be harmful or injurious to human health, welfare,
safety or property, to biological productivity, diversity or stability
or which unreasonably interfere with the enjoyment of life or property,
including outdoor recreation. The term includes secondary and cumulative
as well as direct impacts.
CONSTRUCTION
Any on-site activity which will result in the creation of
a new surface water management system, or the abandonment or alteration
of an existing surface water management system, including the building,
assembling, expansion or recontouring of the property; the erection
of buildings or other structures, or any part thereof, or land clearing.
DETENTION
Refers to the collection and storage of surface water for
subsequent gradual discharge.
DEVELOPER
Any person who engages in development either as the owner
or as the agent of an owner of property.
DEVELOPMENT or DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY
(1)
The construction, installation, alteration, demolition or removal
of a structure, impervious surface or drainage facility.
(2)
Clearing, scraping, grubbing or otherwise removing or killing
the vegetation of a site.
(3)
Adding, removing, exposing, excavating, leveling, grading, digging,
burrowing, dumping, piling, dredging or otherwise significantly disturbing
the soil, mud, sand or rock of a site.
EROSION
The wearing or washing away of soil by the action of wind
or water.
FLOOD
A temporary rise in the level of any water body, watercourse
or wetland which results in the inundation of areas not ordinarily
covered by water.
HISTORIC DISCHARGE
The peak rate and/or amount of runoff, which leaves a parcel
of land by gravity from an undisturbed/existing site, or the legally
allowable discharge at the time of the permit application. The legally
allowable discharge is determined by the Southwest Florida Water Management
District (SWFWMD) rules.
[Added 6-8-2004 by Ord. No. 2004-03]
IMPERVIOUS SURFACE
A surface which has been compacted or covered with a layer
of material so that it is highly resistant to infiltration by water.
It includes semi-impervious surfaces such as compacted clay, as well
as most conventionally surfaced streets, roofs, sidewalks, parking
lots and other similar structures.
NATURAL SYSTEMS
Systems which predominantly consist of or use those communities
of plants, animals, bacteria and other flora and fauna which occur
indigenously on the land, in the soil or in the water.
OWNER
The person in whom is vested the fee ownership, dominion,
or title of property, i.e., the proprietor. This term may also include
a tenant, if chargeable under his lease for the maintenance of the
property, and any agent of the owner or tenant including a developer.
PERSON
Any and all persons, natural or artificial, and includes
any individual, firm, corporation, government agency, business trust,
estate, trust, partnership, association, two or more persons having
a joint or common interest, or any other legal entity.
PREDEVELOPMENT CONDITIONS
Those conditions which existed before alteration, resulting
from human activity, of the natural topography, vegetation and rate,
volume or direction of surface or ground water flow, as indicated
by the best available historical data.
RECEIVING BODIES OF WATER
Any water bodies, watercourses or wetlands into which surface
waters flow either naturally, in manmade ditches or in a closed conduit
system.
REDEVELOPMENT
Any development or development activity which requires a
building permit from the City to modify, alter or reconstruct a previously
developed site other than activities associated with constructing
fences or signs.
RETENTION
Refers to the collection and storage of runoff without subsequent
discharge to surface waters.
SEDIMENT
Fine particulate material, whether mineral or organic, that
is in suspension or has settled in a waterbody.
SITE
Any tract, lot or parcel of land or combination of tracts,
lots, or parcels of land which are in one ownership, or are contiguous
and in diverse ownership where development is to be performed as part
of a unit, subdivision, or project.
STRUCTURE
That which is built or constructed, an edifice or building
of any kind, or any piece of work artificially built up or composed
of parts joined together in some definite manner but shall not include
fences or signs.
SUBDIVIDE
To divide the ownership of a parcel of land, whether improved
or unimproved, into three or more contiguous lots or parcels of land,
whether by reference to a plat, by metes and bounds or otherwise,
or, if the establishment of a new street is involved, any division
of a parcel of land. Subdivision includes a resubdivision and, when
appropriate to the context, relates to the process of subdividing
or to the land subdivided.
SURFACE WATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
The collection of facilities, improvements or natural systems
whereby surface waters are collected, controlled, treated, conveyed,
impounded or obstructed.
SURFACE WATER
Water upon the surface of the earth, whether contained in
bounds created naturally or artificially or diffused. Water from natural
springs shall be classified as "surface water" when it exits from
the spring onto the earth's surface.
WETLANDS
Those areas that are inundated by surface or ground water
with a frequency sufficient to support, and under normal circumstances
do or would support, a prevalence of vegetation or aquatic life that
requires saturated or seasonally saturated soil condition for growth
and reproduction, such as swamps, marshes, bayheads, cypress ponds,
sloughs, wet prairies, wet meadows, river overflows, mud flats and
natural ponds.