A. 
Usage. Words used in the present tense include the future; words in the masculine gender include the feminine and neuter; the singular number includes the plural and the plural the singular; the word "person" includes a corporation as well as an individual; the word "writing" includes printing and printed or typewritten matter; the word "oath" includes affirmation; and the words "signature" or "subscription" include "mark," when the person cannot write, his name being written near it.
B. 
Definitions. Unless otherwise expressly stated, the following terms shall, for the purpose of the Building Code, have the meanings indicated in this section:
ALTERATION (as applied to a structure)
A change or rearrangement in the structural parts or in the exit facilities or an enlargement, whether by extending on a side or by increasing in height, or the moving from one location or position to another. The term "alter" in its various modes and tenses and its participal forms refers to the making of an "alteration."
AMUSEMENT DEVICE
A mechanically operated device which is used to convey persons in any direction as a form of amusement.
APARTMENT UNIT
That portion of a building used as a family or housekeeping unit or a unit used by and occupied by the building superintendent and his immediate family in the case of an apartment house or a unit or units used for permitted professional purposes. If these apartment units have provision for future subdivision, all provisions of this Zoning Ordinance shall apply as if the division had actually taken place.
[Added 11-28-1966]
APPROVED (As applied to a material, device or mode of construction)
Approved by the Superintendent of Buildings under the provisions of the Building Code or by other authority designated by law to give approval in the matter in question.
APRON WALL
That part of a panel wall between the window sill and the support of the panel wall.
AREA (as applied to a form of construction)
An uncovered subsurface space adjacent to a structure. "Area," as applied to the dimensions of a structure, means the maximum horizontal projected area of the structure.
AUTOMATIC (as applied to a fire door or other protective opening)
Normally held in an open position and automatically closed by a releasing device that is actuated by abnormally high temperature.
BASEMENT
A story partly underground but having at least 1/2 of its height above the average level of the lawfully established grade of the street curb.A story partly underground but having at least 1/2 of its height above the average level of the lawfully established grade of the street curb.A basement shall be counted as a story for the purposes of height measurement if the vertical distance between the ceiling and the average level of the lawfully established grade of the street curb is more than four feet six inches. A basement may not be used for persons to live in or sleep or for professional or business purposes, except that in the case of an apartment house, one apartment unit may be therein located to be used by and occupied by the building superintendent and his immediate family only.
[Amended 11-28-1966]
BEARING WALL
A wall which supports any vertical load in addition to its own weight.
BUILDING
See "structure."
BUILDING LINE
The line, established by law, beyond which a structure shall not extend, except as specifically provided by law.
BULKHEAD BUILDINGS
A structure above the roof of any part of a structure enclosing a stairway, tank, elevator machinery or ventilating apparatus or such part of a shaft as extends above the roof.
BULKHEADS
See "waterfront structures."
CELLAR
A story entirely or partly underground and having more than 1/2 of its clear height below the average level of the lawfully established grade of the street curb. A "cellar" shall not be considered a story for the purposes of height measurement in determining the permissible number of stories. A "cellar" may not be used for persons to live in or sleep or for professional or business purposes.
[Amended 11-28-1966]
COMMERCIAL BUILDING
See § 86-12A(3).
CONVERTED DWELLING
A dwelling heretofore erected to be used or occupied by one family or by two families living independently of each other and heretofore or hereafter used or occupied as a multiple dwelling. A "converted dwelling" occupied as a Class A multiple dwelling is a Class A converted dwelling and every other "converted dwelling" is a Class B converted dwelling.
COURT
An open, uncovered and unoccupied space within the lot lines of a lot and includes a yard.
CURB LEVEL
The elevation of a street grade as fixed by the municipal authorities. In reference to a structure, it means that point of the street grade that is opposite the center of the wall nearest to and facing the street line of the street having the highest grade. In reference to an excavation, it means that point of the street grade which is nearest to the point of the excavation under consideration.
CURTAIN WALL
A nonbearing wall built between piers of columns for the enclosure of the structure but not supported at each story.
DEAD LOAD
The weight of walls, partitions, framing, floors, roofs and all other permanent construction of a structure.
DWELLING
A structure occupied exclusively as a residence for one or two families or as a boardinghouse or rooming house having not more than 10 sleeping rooms and not used for any business purposes other than that necessarily incident to its use.
ELEVATOR
A device within or in connection with a structure used for carrying persons or things upward or downward and includes escalators and similar devices.
ENCLOSURE WALL
An exterior nonbearing wall in skeleton construction anchored to columns, piers or floors but not necessarily built between columns or piers nor wholly supported at each story.
FAMILY
One or more persons related by blood, marriage or adoption living and cooking or warming food as a single housekeeping unit and, if consisting of more than one person, shall consist of a husband and wife, parent and/or parents of husband and/or wife, child and/or children of husband and/or wife, husband and/or wife of child, grandchild and/or grandchildren of husband and/or wife, grandparent and/or grandparents of husband and/or wife. Any person or persons other than those stated herein are excluded and shall be considered another family or families.
[Amended 4-24-1967]
FIRE LIMITS
That territory or those districts within the Village described in this code in which, with certain specified exceptions, frame and unprotected metal construction are prohibited.
FIRE PARTITION
A subdividing partition built for the purpose of protecting life by providing an area of refuge.
FIRE STAIRS
Fireproof stairs enclosed in fireproof walls within the body of the structure which they serve to which access may be had only through self-closing fireproof doors.
FIRE TOWER
A fireproof stair enclosed in fireproof walls without access to the building from which it affords egress other than by a fireproof self-closing door opening on a communicating balcony or other outside platform at each floor level.
FLOOR AREA
A floor space enclosed by exterior walls, fire walls or fire partitions or by any combination of them. The area covered by an enclosed stairway or fire tower or the stairwell of an open stair need not be considered as part of a floor area.
FLOOR FILLING
Floor construction, in fireproof construction only, having spans not in excess of eight feet placed between or resting on steel beams or steel beams and girders to serve both as a support of floor loads and as a protection against the spread of fire.
FOUNDATION WALL
A wall or pier below the curb level serving as support for a wall, pier, column or other structural part of a structure.
FRAME (as applied to construction)
Constructed as provided in § 86-13D.
GARAGE
A structure, shed or enclosure or any part thereof in which a motor vehicle containing volatile inflammable oil in its fuel storage tank is stored, housed or kept.
HABITABLE ROOM
A room occupied by one or more persons for living, eating or sleeping and includes kitchens serving individual households, but does not include bathrooms, water closet compartments, laundries, serving and storage pantries, corridors, cellars and similar spaces that are not used frequently or during extended periods.
HEAT-DETECTING ALARM SYSTEM
A system comprised of a heat detector and a remote alarm, which detector, upon detection of abnormally high temperatures, activates the alarm.
[Added 9-27-1976 by L.L. No. 7-1976]
HEIGHT
The vertical distance measured, in the case of flat roofs, from the average level of the lawfully established grade of the street curb to the level of the highest point of the parapet walls and, in the case of pitched roofs, from said average level to the top. In all instances, the height shall be measured from the average level of the street curb grade to the highest point of the building.
HEREAFTER
After the time that the Building Code becomes effective.
HERETOFORE
Before the time that the Building Code becomes effective.
HOLLOW MASONRY
Masonry consisting in whole or in part, of hollow units meeting the strength requirements of structural clay tile, gypsum block or tile, inclusive, and in which the units are laid contiguously with the joints filled with mortar.
HOLLOW WALL
Built of solid masonry units so arranged as to provide an airspace within the wall. When hollow walls are built in two or more vertically separated withes, these withes shall be bonded together with the similar units as are used in construction of the wall so that the parts of the wall will exert common action under load.
HORIZONTAL EXIT
The connection of any two floor areas, whether in the same structure or not, by means of a vestibule or by an open-air balcony or bridge or through a fire partition or fire wall.
HOTEL
An inn having at least 15 sleeping rooms.
INCOMBUSTIBLE MATERIAL
Any material which will not ignite or actively support combustion in a surrounding temperature of 1,200° F. during an exposure of five minutes.
INSTITUTIONAL BUILDING
See § 86-12A(2).
LIVE LOADS
Movable loads on floors, loads due to machinery or other appliances, all exterior loads due to snow and wind and all other loads except dead loads.
LOT
A portion or parcel of land considered as a unit, devoted to a certain use or occupied by a structure or group of structures that are united by a common interest or use and the customary accessories and open spaces belonging to the same.
LOT, CORNER
A lot that does not exceed 10,000 square feet in area, of which any two adjacent street lines or, in the case of a curved street line, the tangents at the ends of the arc forming the street line of the lot form an angle of divergence from a straight line of more than 45°.
LOT LINE
Any line dividing one lot from another or from a street or other public space.
MERCANTILE BUILDING
See § 86-12A(3)(a).
MULTIPLE DWELLING
See § 86-12A(4)(a).
MULTIPLE DWELLING, CLASS A
See § 86-12A(4)(b).
MULTIPLE DWELLING, CLASS B
See § 86-12A(4) (c).
NONBEARING WALL
Any wall which carries no load other than its own weight.
OCCUPIED (as applied to a structure)
Shall be construed as though followed by the words "or intended, arranged or designed to be occupied."
OPEN RECREATION SPACE
That portion of the lot, excluding front yards and parking areas, in a single contiguous parcel, the width of which shall be at least 40% of the length and must not be located within 10 feet of any wall containing a window either on the came lot or an adjacent lot.
[Added 11-28-1966]
OPEN SPACE
That portion of the lot area that is unoccupied, including front, side and rear yards; parking areas and sidewalks; and the open recreation space which is clear, open and unobstructed from the lawfully established grade to the sky on the same lot with the building.
[Added 11-28-1966]
OWNER
Includes his duly authorized agent or attorney, a purchaser, devisee, fiduciary and any person having a vested or contingent interest in the property in question.
PARAPET WALL
That portion of a wall extending above the roof.
PARTITION
A nonbearing interior wall of one story or less in height.
PASSAGEWAY
An enclosed hallway or corridor connecting a required exit to a street or other open space communicating with a street when such required exit does not lead directly to a street.
PENTHOUSE
An enclosed structure, other than a bulkhead, extending not more than 12 feet above a roof.
PUBLIC BUILDING
See § 86-12A(1).
PUBLIC HALL
A hall, corridor or passageway not within an apartment. A public room or public part of a dwelling is a portion of said dwelling used or designed or intended to be used in common by the occupants of two or more apartments in such dwelling or by persons who are not tenants of said dwelling or exclusively for mechanical equipment of such dwelling or for storage purposes.
REINFORCED CONCRETE
A special portland cement concrete in which steel is embodied in such a manner that the two materials act together in resisting forces.
REQUIRED
Required by some provision of the Building Code.
RESIDENCE BUILDING
See § 86-12A(4).
SELF-CLOSING (as applied to a fire door or other opening protectives)
Closing automatically after having been opened for use.
SHAFT
An enclosed shaftway or space, extending through one or more stories of a structure and connecting a series of two or more openings in successive floors or floors and roof.
SMOKE-DETECTING ALARM DEVICE, SINGLE-STATION
An assembly comprised of a photoelectric or ionization-type smoke detector with control equipment and audible alarm in one unit, which detector, upon detection of smoke activates the alarm.
[Added 9-27-1976 by L.L. No. 7-1976]
SPANDRELL WALL
That part of a panel wall above the window and below the apron wall.
STAIR
Includes the stair landings and those portions of a public hall through which it is necessary to pass in going between the entrance floor and the roof.
STORY
That part of a structure comprised between a floor and the floor or roof next above.
STREET
A thoroughfare dedicated or devoted to public use and includes avenue, road, alley, lane, highway, boulevard, terrace, concourse, driveway and sidewalk, but not a parkway.
STREET LINE
A lot line dividing a lot from a street.
STRUCTURE
A building or construction of any kind by means of a combination of materials to form a construction that is safe and stable and shall include, among other things, gospel and circus tents, reviewing stands, platforms, stagings, poles, stacks, observation towers, radio towers, sheds, coal bins, walls, fences over three feet in height, signs, bulkheads and waterfront structures and parking fields. The term "structure" shall be construed as though it were followed by the words "or part thereof."
SUPERINTENDENT or SUPERINTENDENT OF BUILDINGS
The administrative official in charge of the Department of Buildings.
WATERFRONT STRUCTURES
Any structure used for wharfage or the retaining and protection of embankments and filling, such as bulkheads, piers, docks, wharves, etc.
WIDTH (as applied to a court)
The minimum average width taken along all sides, including lot lines of the court, the widths along each side being measured at right angles or normal to and from each side to the opposite side at the point of measurement.
YARD
A court that extends along the entire length of a lot line. A "street yard" is a yard extending along a street, a "side yard" is a yard extending from a rear yard or a rear lot line to a street, a court not extending to the street or yard is an inner court and a court extending to the street or yard is an outer court.