The following words or phrases, when used in this chapter, shall
have the meaning ascribed to them in this section, except and unless
the context indicates a different meaning:
ACCESSORY STRUCTURE
A detached subordinate structure, the use of which is clearly
incidental to the main structure or to the use of the land, such as
a private garage or a structure for the cultivation of plants as an
avocation of occupants of the premises or a cottage for the housing
of domestic help or a residential swimming pool.
ACCESSORY USE
A subordinate use which is clearly incidental and related
to the use of the main structure or the use of the land.
ALTERATION
A revision of the structure of a building by removing structural
members or adding structural members, if the total affected area of
the building is 5% or more of the total area of the building.
BUILDING
A structure having a roof supported by columns or walls,
for the housing of persons, animals or chattels.
BUILDING HEIGHT
The total number of stories in a building, and the vertical
distance measured from the mean level of the land immediately adjacent
to the building to the highest point of the roof adjacent to the street
wall for flat roofs, to the deckline of mansard roofs, and to the
mean height between eaves and ridge for gable or hip or gambrel or
pent roofs.
BUILDING LINE
The outside wall of the structure, including bay windows,
sun parlors, porches, dormers, second-floor projections and solid
entrances.
BUILDING PERMIT
A permit issued by the Building Inspector of the Borough,
based upon an application and supporting data, which permits the erection,
alteration, reconstruction, repair or replacement of a building or
structure.
BUSINESS
A use constituting a venture or enterprise for the conduct
of trade, barter and/or commerce, whether or not for profit, including
the maintenance and operation of a private school, beauty parlor,
private sanatorium, health institute, clinic or hospital, nursing
home, lodging house, boardinghouse, or any other similar and like
use, including but not limited to the employment of any assistance,
use of mechanical equipment, odor or nuisance, noticeable noise, the
display or storage for sale of goods, signs, advertisement of commodities
or services.
CHURCH
A regular place of stated worship, a building set apart or
consecrated for public religious worship together with the ground
thereto annexed necessary for the occupancy and enjoyment of the same.
COUNCIL
The Council of the Borough of Wilmerding, Allegheny County,
Pennsylvania.
COURT
An open, unoccupied and unobstructed space on a lot, other
than a yard, street or way, bounded by two or more sides of a building,
including similar area fully open to the sky but not necessarily beginning
at the ground level.
DWELLING
A building designed for and used exclusively for the residential
occupancy or home of one family, but not apartment hotels, hospitals,
hotels, boardinghouses, institutional homes, residential clubs, rooming
houses, tourist courts, trailers and the like.
DWELLING, CELLAR
Any building wherein half the average height of rooms intended
for human occupancy, other than game rooms and similar special rooms,
is below grade level.
DWELLING, MULTIPLE
A building or portion thereof designed for or occupied by
three or more families living independently of each other, with separate
housekeeping and cooking facilities for each.
DWELLING, ROW
A multiple-family dwelling divided by party walls or partition
walls into rows of three or more distinct and noncommunicating parts.
DWELLING, TWO-FAMILY
A detached residence designed for or occupied by two families
living independent of each other.
FAMILY
Either an individual or two or more persons related by blood
or marriage or adoption, or a group of not more than five persons
(not counting domestic servants) not related by blood or marriage
or adoption, living as a household in one dwelling unit. Domestic
servants living within a household, even though a separate family,
are to be considered as a part of the family of the maintainer of
the household.
FRONTAGE
All the property, measured along the street line or the front
building setback line, fronting on one side of a street between two
streets, or between a street and a right-of-way or waterway or the
end of a dead-end street or the Borough boundary.
GARAGE
A structure, or any portion thereof, in which one or more
automobiles owned or used by occupants of the premises are housed,
stored or kept.
HOTEL
A building containing rooms which are used, rented or hired
out to guests for sleeping purposes, and where only a general kitchen
and dining room are provided within the building or in an accessory
building.
JUNKYARD
The use of more than 200 square feet of the area of any lot,
whether inside or outside a building, or the use of any portion of
that half of any lot that joins the street, for storage, keeping or
abandonment of junk, including but not limited to scrap metals or
other scrap materials for the dismantling, demolition or abandonment
of automobiles or other vehicles, machinery or parts thereof.
LOT
A plot of ground which is or can be used for the erection
of a building and which is an entity either having separate ownership
from adjoining lots of ground or separate numbering in a plan of lots
duly recorded and which has access on or from a public street.
LOT, BUILDING LINE OF
The lines that bound the buildable area of the zoning lot,
including front and rear and side building lines.
LOT, CORNER
A lot situated at and abutting the intersection of two streets,
having an interior angle or intersection not greater than 135°.
LOT, DEPTH
The distance between the front and rear lot lines measured
along the median between two side lot lines.
LOT LINE
The property line or dividing line defining two separate
lots and demarking separate ownership or separate numbering between
the two properties.
LOT, RECORDED
A lot designated on a plat or subdivision duly recorded pursuant
to statute in the office of the Recorder of Deeds of Allegheny County,
Pennsylvania.
LOT, THROUGH
An interior lot, the front and rear lines of which abut streets.
LOT, WIDTH
The distance between the side lot lines measured along the
front building line of the lot as determined by the prescribed front
yard requirement.
LOT, ZONING
A lot, occupied or unoccupied by a principal building or
structure and/or accessory structures, fronting upon a public street
or a street in a plan of land subdivision approved by the Council,
and having such open spaces thereon as are required by this chapter
for one of the uses permitted in the zoning use district in which
it is located.
MOTEL
A building with or without party walls or any group of buildings
used primarily for sheltering of transients and permanent dwellers,
and any accessory uses such as feeding, parking, selling of soft drinks
and rations.
NONCONFORMING SIGN
A sign, lawfully existing at the time of enactment of this
chapter, which does not completely conform to the sign requirements
applicable in the zoning use district in which it is located.
NONCONFORMING STRUCTURE
A structure or portion thereof lawfully existing at the time
of the enacting of this chapter, which was erected or altered for
a use that does not completely conform to the zoning use regulations
applicable in the zoning use district in which it is located.
NONCONFORMING USE
A use of a structure or land lawfully existing at the time
of the enactment of this chapter, which does not completely conform
to the zoning use regulations applicable in the zoning use district
in which it is located.
PARKING SPACE
A space on a parking area, not less than 180 square feet
in area exclusive of drives and access lanes, reserved for the parking
of only one automobile.
PLAT
A plot plan of a property prepared for the purpose of showing
property lines, building lines, buildable area of lot, and existing
or proposed buildings or structures located on the property.
PORCH
A structure having a roof, but open front and side walls
(except rails or parapets), used as an entry to a house or for outdoor
living.
PROPERTY
Any land not included within the definitions of "street"
or "way."
RECONSTRUCTION
The revision of the structure of a building by removing or
replacing structural members in a building if the total affected area
of the building is 40% or more of the total area of the building.
REPAIR
The removal and replacement of any portion of a building
if the total affected area of the building is 5% or more of the total
area of the building.
REPLACEMENT
The rebuilding of the structure of a building which has been
removed or demolished or destroyed.
RIGHT-OF-WAY
A strip of land upon which is or may be constructed utility
lines or watercourses or other permitted appurtenances or which may
be used for pedestrian or vehicular travel.
SCHOOL
A place or institution for teaching; an establishment for
learning; the buildings, classrooms and laboratories constituting
the same, together with the ground annexed thereto, necessary for
the occupancy and enjoyment of the same, wherein and whereon are conducted
regular sessions with regularly employed instructors, or weekly sessions,
for those subjects that are fundamental and essential in general education
and/or religious instruction, operated not for private profit and
under the supervision of a lawfully constituted ecclesiastical governing
body or under the supervision of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
SERVICE STATION
Any area of land, including structures thereon, that is used
for the sale of gasoline or other motor vehicle fuel and oil and other
lubricating substances, including any sale of motor vehicle accessories,
and which may or may not include facilities for lubricating, washing
or otherwise servicing motor vehicles, but not including the painting
thereof by any means.
SIGN, BUSINESS
A sign which directs attention to a business, profession
or industry located upon the same premises where the sign is being
displayed and to type of products sold, manufactured or assembled.
SIGN, CHURCH BULLETIN BOARD
An identification sign used to indicate the services or activities
of a church, cathedral or temple, attached to the building or elsewhere
on the premises, including the name of the church, cathedral or temple
if desired.
SIGN, IDENTIFICATION
A sign used to identify only the name of the individual and/or
nature of the activities of an institution occupying the premises
upon which it is displayed.
SIGN, NAMEPLATE
An identification sign in the form of a lettered plate, indicating
only the name or the names, street number and profession of the occupant
of the premises or the name of the estate.
SIGN, REAL ESTATE
A sign appertaining only to the rental, lease or sale of
the lot or premises on which it is displayed.
SPECIAL EXCEPTION
A modification of the regulations of this chapter which the
Zoning Hearing Board is permitted to authorize in specific instances
listed, under terms listed, under terms and procedure, and with the
conditions prescribed herein.
STREET
A strip of land upon which is or may be constructed a pavement
for vehicular or pedestrian travel together with utility lines or
other permitted appurtenances.
STRUCTURAL ALTERATION
Any change which would tend to prolong the life of the supporting
members of a structure, such as bearing walls, columns, beams or girders,
or change their character or location.
STRUCTURE
Anything constructed or erected, the use of which requires,
directly or indirectly, a permanent location on the land, and which
requires for stability an application of the materials and forces
of nature.
SWIMMING POOLS
A residential swimming pool located on a single-family residential
lot, the construction and operation of which is regulated by ordinance
of the Borough.
VARIANCE
A modification of the literal provisions of this chapter
which the Zoning Hearing Board is permitted to grant when strict enforcement
of said provisions would cause undo hardship owing to circumstances
unique to the individual property on which the variance is sought.
WAY
A strip of land less than 25 feet wide which provides access
to property, public or in a plan of land subdivision approved by the
Planning Commission and Council, the boundary lot of which include
the roadways and/or sidewalk area.
YARD
An open, unoccupied and unobstructed space on a lot, other
than a court, from the ground to the sky.
YARD, FRONT
A yard extending across the full width of the lot and abutting
the front lot line, the required depth of which yard is a prescribed
minimum distance between the front lot line and a line parallel thereto
on the lot.
YARD, REAR
A yard extending across the full width of the lot and abutting
the rear lot line, the required depth of which yard is a prescribed
minimum distance between the rear lot line and a line parallel thereto
on the lot.
YARD, SIDE
A yard extending from the front yard or front lot line, where
no front yard is required, to the rear yard or rear lot line, when
no rear yard is required, and abutting on a side lot line; the required
width of which yard is a prescribed minimum distance between the side
lot line and a line parallel thereto on the lot.