Unless specifically defined below, words and
phrases used in this chapter shall be interpreted so as to give this
chapter its most reasonable application.
As used in this chapter, the following terms
shall have the meanings indicated:
ACCESSORY USE OR STRUCTURE
A use or structure on the same lot with, and of a nature
customarily incidental and subordinate to, the principal use or structure.
BASEMENT
Any area of the building having its floor below ground level
on all sides.
BUILDING
A combination of materials to form a permanent structure
having walls and a roof. Included shall be all manufactured homes
and trailers to be used for human habitation.
COMPLETELY DRY SPACE
A space which will remain totally dry during flooding; the
structure is designed and constructed to prevent the passage of water
and water vapor.
DEVELOPMENT
Any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate,
including but not limited to the construction, reconstruction, renovation,
repair, expansion or alteration of buildings or other structures;
the placement of manufactured homes, streets and other paving; utilities;
filling, grading and excavation; mining; dredging; drilling operations;
storage of equipment or materials; and the subdivision of land.
ESSENTIALLY DRY SPACE
A space which will remain dry during flooding, except for
the passage of some water vapor or minor seepage; the structure is
substantially impermeable to the passage of water.
FLOOD
A temporary inundation of normally dry land areas.
FLOODPLAIN AREA
A relatively flat or low land area which is subject to partial
or complete inundation from an adjoining or nearby stream, river or
watercourse; and/or any area subject to the unusual and rapid accumulation
of surface waters from any source.
FLOODPROOFING
Any combination of structural and nonstructural additions,
changes or adjustments to structures which reduce or eliminate flood
damage to real estate or improved real property, water and sanitary
facilities, structures and their contents.
FLOODWAY
The designated area of a floodplain required to carry and
discharge floodwaters of a given magnitude.
HISTORIC STRUCTURE
Any structure that is:
A.
Listed individually in the National Register
of Historic Places (a listing maintained by the Department of Interior)
or preliminarily determined by the Secretary of the Interior as meeting
the requirements for individual listing in the National Register;
B.
Certified or preliminarily determined by the
Secretary of the Interior as contributing to the historical significance
of a registered historic district or a district preliminarily determined
by the Secretary to qualify as a registered historic district;
C.
Individually listed on state inventory of historic
places in states with historic preservation programs which have been
approved by the Secretary of Interior; or
D.
Individually listed on a local inventory of
historic places in communities with historic preservation programs
that have been certified either:
(1)
By an approved state program as determined by
the Secretary of the Interior; or
(2)
Directly by the Secretary of the Interior in
states without approved programs.
IDENTIFIED FLOODPLAIN AREA
The floodplain area specifically identified in this chapter
as being inundated by the one-hundred-year flood.
LAND DEVELOPMENT
Any of the following activities:
A.
The improvement of one lot or two or more contiguous
lots, tracts or parcels of land for any purpose involving:
(1)
A group of two or more residential or nonresidential
buildings, whether proposed initially or cumulatively, or a single
nonresidential building on a lot or lots regardless of the number
of occupants or tenure; or
(2)
The division or allocation of land or space,
whether initially or cumulatively, between or among two or more existing
or prospective occupants by means of or for the purpose of streets,
common areas, leaseholds, condominiums, building groups or other features.
LOWEST FLOOR
The lowest floor of the lowest fully enclosed area (including
basement). An unfinished, flood-resistant partially enclosed area,
used solely for parking of vehicles, building access, and incidental
storage, in an area other than a basement area is not considered the
lowest floor of a building, provided that such space is not designed
and built so that the structure is in violation of the applicable
nonelevation design requirements of this chapter.
MANUFACTURED HOME
A transportable, single-family dwelling intended for permanent
occupancy, office or place of assembly, contained in one or more sections,
built on a permanent chassis, which arrives at a site completed and
ready for occupance except for minor and incidental unpacking and
assembly operations, and constructed so that it may be used with or
without a permanent foundation. The term includes park trailers, travel
trailers, recreational and other similar vehicles which are placed
on a site for more than 180 consecutive days.
MANUFACTURED HOME PARK
A parcel of land under single ownership, which has been planned
and improved for the placement of two or more manufactured homes for
nontransient use.
MINOR REPAIR
The replacement of existing work with equivalent materials
for the purpose of its routine maintenance and upkeep, but not including
the cutting away of any wall, partition or portion thereof, the removal
or cutting of any structural beam or bearing support or the removal
of or change of any required means of egress or rearrangement of parts
of a structure affecting the exitway requirements; nor shall minor
repairs include addition to, alteration of, replacement or relocation
of any standpipe, water supply, sewer, drainage, drain leader, gas,
oil, waste, vent or similar piping, electric wiring or mechanical
or other work affecting public health or general safety.
NEW CONSTRUCTION
Structures for which the start of construction commenced
on or after October 25, 1974, and includes any subsequent improvements
thereto.
ONE-HUNDRED-YEAR FLOOD
A flood that, on the average, is likely to occur once every
one-hundred-years (i.e., that has a one-percent chance of occurring
each year, although the flood may occur in any year).
PERSON
An individual, partnership, public or private association
or corporation, firm, trust, estate, municipality, governmental unit,
public utility or any other legal entity whatsoever which is recognized
by law as the subject of rights and duties.
RECREATIONAL VEHICLE
A vehicle which is built on a single chassis; not more than
400 square feet, measured at the largest horizontal projections; designed
to be self-propelled or permanently towable by a light-duty truck;
not designed for use as a permanent dwelling but as temporary living
quarters for recreational, camping, travel or seasonal use.
STRUCTURE
Anything constructed or erected on the ground or attached
to the ground, including but not limited to buildings, sheds, manufactured
homes and other similar items.
SUBDIVISION
The division or redivision of a lot, tract or parcel of land
by any means into two or more lots, tracts, parcels or other divisions
of land, including changes in existing lot lines for the purpose,
whether immediate or future, of lease, partition by the court for
distribution to heirs or devisees, transfer of ownership of building
or lot development; provided, however, that the subdivision by lease
of land for agricultural purposes into parcels of more than 10 acres,
not involving any new street or easement of access or any residential
dwelling, shall be exempted.
SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE
Damage from any cause sustained by a structure whereby the
cost of restoring the structure to its before-damaged condition would
equal or exceed 50% or more of the market value of the structure before
the damage occurred.
SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT
Any reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition or other improvement
of a structure, the cost of which equals or exceeds 50% of the market
value of the structure before the start of construction of the improvement.
This term includes structures which have incurred substantial damage,
regardless of the actual repair work performed. The term does not,
however, include either:
A.
Any project for improvement of a structure to
correct existing violations of state or local health, sanitary or
safety code specifications which have been identified by the local
code enforcement official and which are the minimum necessary to assure
sale living conditions, or
B.
Any alteration of an historic structure, provided
that the alteration will not preclude the structure's continued designation
as an historic structure.