(A)
Usage.
The following definitions are intended to provide descriptions for words and terms used within this GDC. Absent any conflict, words and terms used in this GDC have the meanings ascribed thereto in this Chapter 6.
(B)
Conflicts.
When words and terms are defined herein, and are also defined in other ordinance(s) of the City, they are to be read in harmony unless there exists an irreconcilable conflict, in which case the definition contained in this Chapter 6 controls.
(C)
Present
and Past Tenses.
Words used in the present tense include
the future tense; words used in the masculine gender include the feminine
gender; words used in the singular number include the plural number;
and words used in the plural number include the singular number.
(E)
Words
Not Defined.
Terms not herein defined have the meaning
assigned to them in the City’s Building Code or other applicable
City Code. Terms not herein defined nor defined in any applicable
City Code have the meaning customarily assigned to them in the planning
and zoning profession.
(F)
Secondary
Uses.
A secondary use is permitted provided that the
definition of the primary use does not preclude the secondary use.
(G)
Interpretation.
The Planning Director has the authority to interpret any undefined term and any defined but ambiguous term used in this GDC. The Planning Director’s interpretation may be appealed to the Board of Adjustment in the manner prescribed in Article 2, Division 4 of Chapter 2 of this GDC. The following rules of construction apply, where applicable, in interpreting provisions of this GDC:
(1)
The
designation in this GDC of an official, by title or otherwise includes
a designee of the official.
(2)
“Year”
means 365 calendar days.
(3)
“Month”
means 30 calendar days.
(4)
“Developer”
is not, in all cases, interpreted as a reference solely to the property
owner. The Planning Director, at his sole discretion, may also interpret
“developer” to mean persons acting on behalf of the property
owner as an agent.
(H)
Land
Use Definitions & Matrix Correlation.
The symbol
“(x)” denotes that the definition is reflected as a use
in the Land Use Matrix in Chapter 2 of this GDC.
(Ordinance 6773 adopted 5/19/15)
For the purpose of this GDC, certain terms and words are to
be used and interpreted as defined within the articles, divisions
or sections of this GDC wherein they apply to certain regulations.
(Ordinance 6773 adopted 5/19/15)
Following are the definitions of land uses, general terms, and
special terms used in this GDC.
The means of approaching or entering a property. It includes
a right of passage to and from an adjacent street, alley, or property.
Being secondary or subordinate to something else.
(x) A subordinate building or structure containing more than
twenty square feet of area and more than four feet in height, which
is detached from the main building and is secondary or incidental
to the main building on the property.
See Dwelling, Accessory. ACCESSORY STRUCTURE: See Accessory
Building.
A use that is clearly and customarily incidental and secondary
to the permitted or principal use of land or building(s), and that
is under the same ownership as and located upon the same lot as the
principal use, and which does not change the character thereof. To
qualify as an accessory use, the land or building area that is used
for the accessory use must be substantially less than that used for
the primary use.
Contiguous, abutting or touching, and separated only by common
property lines or an alley.
Located in such a manner as to be adjoining, contiguous with,
or abutting a residential district boundary line, even where separated
by an alley right-of-way or an easement.
(x) An area reserved or improved for the landing or take-off
of aircraft, including rotary wing aircraft, which may include hangars,
fueling, repair, and servicing facilities for aircraft, as well as
facilities for passengers.
A public street that is used primarily for vehicular access
to the back or side of properties, and gives a secondary means of
access to property abutting thereon.
Paving material that provides a hard base for automobile
use, which is composed of asphaltic or Portland cement bind pavement
or other pavement material approved by the Director of Engineering,
so as to provide a durable and dustless surface.
(x) A check cashing business, payday advance or loan business,
car title loan business, or a money transfer business. The term does
not include a bank or financial institution. With respect to a check
cashing business, it does not include a pawnshop, a grocery store,
or a convenience store or similar retail business that cashes checks
or money orders, or that issues money orders or money transfers for
a minimum flat fee as a service incidental to its main purpose of
business, provided that the check cashing service does not constitute
fifty percent or more of the trade of that business.
Aesthetic or other characteristic of a development that increase
its desirability visually, desirability to the City or its marketability
to the public. Amenities may vary according to the type and nature
of development, but examples include a naturalized retention or detention
pond (see definition below), a recreational facility, landscaping,
or large trees.
A permanent pool of a pre-determined volume of stormwater
retained or maintained purely for aesthetic purposes and that is not
designed to provide additional capacity for the temporary storage
of stormwater required for detention.
(x) A large-scale manufacturing operation that prepares or
produces foods for animal consumption such as livestock feeds, foods
and snacks for domestic animals, and other similar animal-consumables
primarily for commercial or wholesale customers for off-site distribution
and consumption. The term includes dry and cold storage of animal
food products, unless such is incidental to another primary use such
as a pet store, stable, or agricultural operation. The term may include
incidental retail sales of animal food products produced on the premises.
The term does not include the preparation or manufacture of products
for consumption by humans (see definition for Food Processing
and Storage), or the slaughtering of any type of animal.
(x) An antenna or antenna support structure used for the
purpose of transmission, retransmission, or reception of radio, television,
electromagnetic, or microwave signals primarily for the purpose of
operating a business or for financial gain (such as, commercial broadcasting,
cellular/wireless telecommunications). A satellite dish antenna that
exceeds six feet in diameter is considered a commercial antenna.
(x) An antenna or antenna support structure used for the
purpose of transmission, retransmission, or reception of radio, television,
electromagnetic, or microwave signals for private or personal use.
A satellite dish antenna not exceeding six feet in diameter is considered
a noncommercial antenna.
An antenna is the arrangement of wires or metal rods used
in transmission, retransmission or reception of radio, television,
electromagnetic or microwave signals (includes microwave reflectors).
A microwave reflector is an apparatus constructed of solid, open mesh,
bar-configured, or perforated materials of any shape or configuration
that is used to receive or transmit microwave signals from a terrestrial
or orbitally located transmitter or transmitter relay. Microwave reflectors
are also commonly referred to as satellite receive only earth stations
(T.V.R.O.S.), or satellite dishes.
An antenna support structure is any tower, mast, pole, tripod,
box frame, or other structure utilized for the purpose of supporting
one or more antennae or microwave reflectors.
(x) A retail establishment engaged in the sale of works of
art, furniture, or other artifacts of an earlier period (an antique
object’s value is typically greater than original purchase price
because of age, scarcity or intrinsic value), with all sales and storage
occurring completely inside a building unless otherwise allowed in
the zoning district. The term does not include the sales of any car,
truck, recreational vehicle, boat, trailer, truck, motorcycle, all-terrain
vehicle, personal watercraft, or other automotive or motorized vehicle.
The regulations controlling minimum lot area, minimum lot
depth and width, maximum building area or coverage, as well as required
front, side and rear yards.
An interruption or differentiation of the building wall plane
with either a recess (concavity) or an offset (convexity) that projects
away from the building wall plane by a measurable distance.
A group of drawings that depicts the final configuration
of the installed or constructed improvements of a development, or
improvements which have been verified by the contractor as their installation
or construction occurs during development. The as-built or record
drawings must reflect the construction plans (or working drawings)
used, corrected, or clarified in the field. For the purposes of this
GDC, the terms “as-built drawing” and “record drawing”
are interchangeable.
Generally a homeowners’ (HOA) or property owners’
association (POA). A nonprofit organization operating under recorded
land agreements through which: (i) each lot owner in a planned development
or other described land area is a member pursuant to a conveyance
instrument or other instrument of record; (ii) each lot is subject
to a charge for a proportionate share of expenses for the organization’s
activities such as maintaining common property; and (iii) the charge,
if unpaid, may be perfected as a lien against the property.
(x) A facility operated to accommodate indoor sporting events
such as basketball, volleyball, indoor tennis, racquetball/handball,
hockey, gymnastics, indoor soccer, futsal, or indoor swimming and
scuba. Uses and facilities include, but are not limited to, indoor
game courts, fields and ice rinks, weight lifting and exercise equipment,
aerobics, swimming pools and spas, running or jogging tracks, spectator
seating and bleachers, sport gear shops, or concessions.
(x) An outdoor facility operated to accommodate outdoor sporting
events such as football, soccer, baseball, softball, tennis, or skateboarding.
Uses and facilities may include, but are not limited to, game fields,
outdoor game courts, swimming pools, running or jogging tracks, spectator
seating and bleachers, sport gear shops, or concessions.
(x) An athletic field or stadium that is owned and operated
by a public agency, such as a public school district, for the general
public.
A passenger motor vehicle that is self-propelled such as
a car, pick-up, sport utility vehicle, or passenger van. The term
does not include motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), motorbikes,
motor scooters, golf carts, trailers, or recreational vehicles (RVs).
(x) A business establishment that provides for the renting
of automobiles (not trucks or heavy load vehicles) on a short- or
long-term basis.
A retail store that specializes in the inside display and
sale of new or used automotive accessories and parts for automobiles
(not trucks or heavy load vehicles) and personal use trailers (classified
as a Retail Store). The term does not include a Salvage Yard.
See Automobile Repair, Minor.
(x) General repair or reconditioning of automobiles such
as the following: engines, air-conditioning systems and transmissions
for motor vehicles, collision repair services including body, frame
or fender straightening or repair, customizing, painting, vehicle
steam cleaning, undercoating and rustproofing, the uses listed under Automobile Repair (Minor), and other similar uses.
(x) Minor repair of automobiles such as the following: replacement
of parts, tires (includes tire store), tubes and batteries, diagnostic
services, minor maintenance services such as grease, oil (includes
oil or lube facility), spark plug and filter changing, tune-ups, emergency
road service, replacement of starters, alternators, hoses and brake
parts, automobile washing and polishing, performing state inspections
and making minor repairs necessary to pass state inspections, normal
servicing of air-conditioning systems, the repair and replacement
of automotive glass and upholstery, and other similar maintenance
services, but not including any operation named under Automobile
Repair (Major) or any other similar use.
(x) Retail sales of new or used automobiles. The term includes
the following incidental uses: major and minor vehicle repairs, parts
sales, on-site fuel tank(s) for use by the operation only (no retail
fuel sales) if approved by the Fire Department and Building Official,
vehicle leasing in lieu of purchase, and vehicle rental to service
customers.
A roof-like cover supported from the exterior wall of a building,
often of fabric, metal or glass, designed and intended to provide
protection from the elements.
(x) The storage and sale of fishing bait such as minnows,
worms, and crickets.
(x) A large-scale food manufacturing operation that produces
baked goods such as bread, buns, biscuits, ice cream cones, cakes,
and pies primarily for commercial or wholesale customers for off-site
distribution and consumption. The term includes incidental retail
sales of baked goods produced on the premises.
(x) A small-scale, retail sales establishment that specializes
in the production, decorating, and sale of oven-baked cakes, pies,
doughnuts, bread, and other similar specialty baked and dessert items
primarily for off-site consumption.
In the context of tree preservation, an area of undisturbed
ground left around an existing tree during construction to help stabilize
the root structure and prevent damage to the bark and limbs.
That portion of a building having one-half or more of its
floor-to-ceiling height below grade level and having a floor-to-ceiling
height of not less than six and one-half feet. A basement is not counted
in computing the number of stories permitted by this GDC.
(x) A permanent manufacturing facility that has fixed features
with foundations for facilities used in the production of concrete
or asphalt. The term includes mixing plants, conveyor belts, office
building(s), storage structure(s), and other structures that are intended
to remain in place for longer than one year.
(x) A temporary manufacturing facility for the production
of concrete or asphalt that is not intended to remain beyond the duration
of the specific construction project for which it is established.
The term does not apply to facilities that remain after thirty calendar
days following completion of its associated construction project.
(x) An owner (or operator) occupied residence in which sleeping
accommodations are provided for transient guests, and one or more
meal(s) are provided (for guests only), both for compensation.
An area enclosed by streets. A block is determined by the
streets along its boundary that surround one or more lots. The streets
used to determine a block are through-streets and not cul-de-sac streets.
A group of lots adjacent to a cul-de-sac are not counted as a block.
Refer to Figure 6-1.
One side of a street between two consecutive intersections.
The distance along a side of a street between two intersecting
streets. If the street is a dead-end type, it is the distance between
the nearest street and the end of the dead-end street. Block length
distances are measured along the street centerline from one end of
a row or group of lots to the other end. Refer to the illustration
of block length shown in Figure 6-1.
|
Figure 6-1: Block and Block Length
 |
A facility that obtains blood from voluntary donors and that
is registered or licensed by the Office of Biologics of the United
States Food and Drug Administration and accredited by the American
Association of Blood Banks or the American Red Cross Blood Services,
or is qualified for membership in the American Association of Tissue
Banks. The term includes a blood center, regional collection center,
tissue bank, and transfusion service. The term does not include commercial
blood plasma centers.
(x) An establishment offering the sale, leasing, rental,
service, or repair of boats that are over eighteen feet in length
(the sale of non-motorized boats under eighteen feet in length are
classified as general retail sales – see Retail Store). The term includes outside display and storage of inventory (subject to Subsection 2.52(A)(14) in Chapter 2 of this GDC).
A small corridor with a roof, with no enclosed structure
above it, that is a maximum of five feet in width (but may be of any
length and height), designed as a walking path between a main building
and an accessory building, usually a garage or carport, and is unenclosed
(that is, open to the outside) on the two longest opposing sides.
A facility that manufactures in commercial quantities alcoholic
beverages from raw materials or blends of raw and processed materials
or by mixing, rectifying or distilling processed materials. The term
does not include a warehouse or bulk storage facility.
An area of land that is intended to mitigate impacts and
provide separation between land uses or along roadways. A buffer may
be landscaped and may also include berms, walls, or fences.
Any structure built for the support, shelter, or enclosure
of persons, chattels, or movable property of any kind, and that is
affixed to the land. When separated by an absolute fire separation,
each portion of the structure is deemed a separate building. This
definition includes structures wholly or partly enclosed with an exterior
wall and roof.
A building in which the permitted or principal land use of
a lot or tract of land is conducted.
The remaining area of a building site after any required
setbacks and easements have been calculated.
Any structure built for the support, shelter, or enclosure
of persons, chattels, or movable property of any kind, and that is
affixed to the land. When separated by an absolute fire separation,
each portion of the structure is deemed a separate building. This
definition includes structures wholly enclosed by exterior walls and
a roof.
All building regulations adopted under the Garland City Code.
Any facade that faces a public street or open space.
(x) The indoor and outdoor sale of building materials that
are primarily oriented toward the wholesale building construction
industry (such as, lumber, drywall, bricks/stone, roofing, paint,
electrical supplies, plumbing fixtures, concrete and mortars, doors,
windows, siding, landscaping materials, tools, or hardware) rather
than toward retail home improvement supplies. Materials offered for
sale are palleted, bagged, crated, packaged or similarly contained,
are commonly loadable either by hand or by using a forklift or other
warehouse lifting device – does not include the sale or storage
of uncontained materials (see definition for Bulk Materials
Sales and Storage). (Also see definitions for the various
types of Outside Display and Outside Storage.)
The vertical distance measured from grade at the front of
the building to the highest point of a flat roof, to the deck line
of a mansard roof, or to the mean height level between eaves and ridge
for a gable, hip, or gambrel roof.
A line approximately parallel to the right-of-way line at
a specified distance, marking the minimum distance from the right-of-way
line that a building or structure may be erected.
A building that may contain a variety of residential unit
sizes or types, such as studios, 1-, 2- or 3-bedroom apartments, condominiums,
or lofts.
A structure that combines residential and nonresidential
uses in a single building.
The city official, or the Building Official’s designee,
that has primary responsibility for enforcement of the Building Code
and any applicable regulations within this GDC.
The foundation below a building or structure including the
area under any permanent structural canopies.
An instrument in writing signed by the Building Official
authorizing described construction on a particular lot.
(x) The indoor or outdoor storage and sale of uncontained
inanimate materials such as rock (including a granite “slab
yard”), stone, sand, aggregates, powders, composts, wood chips,
sod turf, soils, and other building- and road-construction related
materials.
(x) An establishment that provides business-related services
not otherwise listed herein as a specified use. The term includes
services such as retail or small-scale print and copy shops, private
mail and shipping services, office equipment sales/repair/service
shops, with a maximum square footage of five thousand square feet.
(For an establishment that is over five thousand square feet, see Printing/Publishing House.)
(x) A location along a street right-of-way or on a private
property where a publicly owned and operated transit system picks
up and drops off passengers. The term does not include any kind of
parking, vehicle storage, or facilities or concessions for passengers.
(x) An establishment larger than twenty-five thousand square
feet that solicits business or the purchase of off-site goods or services,
or that provides support services by electronic communication. An
establishment that is twenty-five thousand square feet or less in
size is defined as Office, General.
The maximum stormwater rate allowed in any portion of the
MS4 that will not result in a surcharge of the system; or, the maximum
stormwater rate that can be allowed in any portion of the MS4, as
determined by the Director of Engineering.
An institutional-type facility for the licensed in-patient
care of alcoholic, drug dependent or psychiatric patients.
A roofed accessory structure, open on a minimum of two and
three-fourth sides when attached to the primary structure and open
on three sides when detached from the primary structure. A carport
anchored or otherwise attached to a building shall not, for the purposes
of this GDC, be considered a building or a portion of a building.
An establishment that makes small, short-term, consumer loans
that typically leverage the equity value of a customer’s motor
vehicle as collateral by taking physical possession of title to the
vehicle, by executing a sale-leaseback agreement with the customer,
or by executing a power of attorney with the customer, by means of
which the borrower’s failure to repay the loan or make interest
payments to extend the loan allows the car title loan business to
take possession of the vehicle, or other collateral, from the customer
(see Alternative Financial Establishment).
(x) Washing, waxing, or cleaning of automobiles involving
automated self-service (drive-through/rollover) wash bays and apparatuses.
(x) Establishment where employees wash, dry, wax, or detail
vehicles for a fee.
(x) Establishment where patrons wash, dry, wax, or detail
vehicles, typically by means of a self-service wand-type wash bay
(usually open-air).
(x) Land used or intended to be used for the below-ground
burial of the dead and dedicated for cemetery purposes. The term may
include columbariums, crematoriums, mausoleums, mortuaries, funeral
service chapels, and on-site monument and floral sales, or any combination
thereof.
An imaginary line drawn midway between the bounding right-of-way
lines of a street or alley. Where the bounding right-of-way lines
are irregular, the centerline is determined by the Director of Engineering.
(x) A facility that provides free lodging and one or more
of the following supportive services for indigent individuals or families
with no regular home or residential address, on a nonprofit (that
is, recognized as a charitable organization under the provisions of
IRS Code 501(c)(3)) and temporary basis (that is, the facility is
not being used as a permanent residence). Supportive services include,
but are not limited to: provision of meals, assistance in obtaining
permanent housing, medical counseling, treatment, or supervision,
psychological counseling, treatment or supervision, assistance in
recuperating from the effects of, or refraining from, the use of drugs
or alcohol, nutritional counseling, employment counseling, job training
and placement, and child care.
An establishment that, for a fee or other payment taken out
of the proceeds of the transaction, provides payment to the customer
– regardless of an existing checking or other relationship between
the establishment and the customer – of an amount of money equal
to the face of a check, draft, warrant, written authorization for
an electronic transfer of money, or similar representation of payment
owed by a third-party to the customer (see Alternative Financial
Establishment).
(x) A building that is designed and used for the regular
assembly of religious worship, along with customary accessory activities
and that is tax exempt as defined by state law.
The City of Garland, Texas.
The Code of Ordinances of the City of Garland, Texas. CITY
ENGINEER: See Director of Engineering.
The individual holding the office of City Manager under the
terms of the Garland City Charter, or a designee authorized to act
on behalf of the City Manager.
An individual acting in his official capacity as a member,
officer, agent, contractor, or employee of the City.
See Planning Director.
The individual holding the office of City Secretary under
the terms of the Garland City Charter, or a designee authorized to
act on behalf of the City Secretary.
See Technical Standards.
(x) A regular meeting place accommodating ten or more members
of a nonprofit, restricted membership group that has a specific purpose
related to the welfare of its members, and that engages in civic,
social and fraternal activities (such as, Elks, Masons, Knights of
Columbus, or a labor union). Does not include any organization that
offers its facilities or services on a commercial or for-profit basis
(such as a Reception Hall).
See Used Goods, Retail Sales (Indoors).
(x) A post-secondary institution for higher learning that
grants associate or bachelor degrees, and that may have research facilities
or professional schools that grant master and doctoral degrees, in
a large campus-style setting with multiple buildings and parking areas,
and that may also have residence hall(s), bookstore(s), communal dining
facility(s), and other traditional college campus facilities. The
term may include a satellite, or storefront-style, location. However,
the term does not include Business Schools, Trade Schools or Retail/Personal Services Training
Schools.
The use of a single support structure or site by more than
one communications provider.
The initial disturbance of soils associated with clearing,
grading, or excavating activities or other construction or development.
(x) An amusement enterprise offering entertainment or games
of skill to the general public for a fee or charge, wherein all activities
take place indoors (that is, fully enclosed within a building), including
but not limited to the following: a bowling alley, ice or roller skating
rink, billiard parlor; laser tag, whirleyball, arcade, or indoor amusement
park.
(x) An amusement enterprise offering entertainment or games
of skill to the general public for a fee or charge, wherein some or
all activities take place outdoors (that is, not fully enclosed within
a building), including but not limited to the following: bicycle track
or dirt bike course, outdoor swimming pool or scuba diving facility,
paintball, golf driving range or small golf course having nine or
fewer holes that are par three or below, miniature golf course, batting
cages, go-cart track, or an outdoor amusement park.
A building that contains office and/or retail space, but
no residential uses.
(x) A facility used in the commercial collection of human
blood, blood plasma, cells or tissue from persons who are or will
be compensated for providing the blood, blood plasma, cells or tissue.
See Heavy Load Vehicle.
As defined by Chapter 123 of the Texas Human Resources Code,
as amended, a place where not more than six physically or mentally
impaired or handicapped persons (regardless of legal relationship)
are provided room and board, as well as supervised care and rehabilitation
by not more than two persons. The facility must meet all the specifications
and requirements of the Community Homes for Disabled Persons Disabilities
Act, Chapter 123 of the Texas Human Resources Code. Also may be referred
to as a Family Home (see Chapter 202 of the Texas Property Code).
In the event of a conflict between this definition and the definition
provided by Chapter 123 of the Texas Human Resources Code, as amended,
state law shall control.
The City’s long-range plan, adopted in accordance with
Chapter 213 of the Texas Local Government Code, intended to guide
the growth and development of the community and including analysis
and recommendations concerning the community’s population, economy,
housing, transportation, community facilities and land use. This includes
any portion thereof that is separately adopted and any amendment to
the Comprehensive Plan or portion thereof.
With respect to a building, construction is the assembly
of materials into a structure, or the rehabilitation or replacement
of a structure that has been damaged, altered, or removed; or, that
is proposed to be altered or removed to an extent exceeding fifty
percent of the area of the structure at the time of the damage, alteration,
or removal. For the purposes of this definition, construction includes
the installation of a parking lot.
See Site Engineering Drawings. CONSUMER:
The actual user of water from a City water connection.
(x) An office and storage facility for materials, equipment,
tools, products, and vehicles used in the conduct of a construction-related
business such as those specializing in welding, plumbing, electrical,
heating/air conditioning, roofing, paving, pest control, janitorial,
major appliance repair/service, masonry, carpet installation/ cleaning,
windows/glass (excluding automotive glass), landscaping installation/maintenance,
swimming pools, fencing, and other similar contractors.
(x) An indoor office and storage facility for materials,
equipment, tools, products, and vehicles used in the conduct of a
construction-related business such as those specializing in welding,
plumbing, electrical, heating/air conditioning, roofing, paving, pest
control, janitorial, major appliance repair/service, masonry, carpet
installation/cleaning, windows/glass (excluding automotive glass),
landscaping installation/ maintenance, swimming pools, fencing, and
other similar contractors.
(x) A small-scale retail store of at least one thousand,
but no larger than five thousand square feet in size that primarily
provides for consumer shopping of a brief duration, characterized
by a limited product mix (generally emphasizing prepared and prepackaged
snack foods, candy, beverages, tobacco products, sundries, newspapers,
and magazines).
(x) A building or complex of buildings that house cultural,
recreational, athletic, convention, professional conference, or entertainment
facilities owned or operated by a governmental or other public agency.
See Lot, Corner.
The percent of a lot or tract covered by the first floor
or the largest floor of a building or structure, whichever is larger,
including but not limited to all covered porches, patios, garages,
and accessory buildings. Unsupported roof overhangs and other allowed
architectural projections are excluded from coverage computation.
A local street having one inlet/outlet to another street
and terminated on the opposite end by a vehicular turnaround.
(x) A facility that provides for display, performance, or
enjoyment of heritage, history, the arts, cultural resources, or artifacts.
Includes, but is not limited to, art galleries, museums, arts performance
venues, cultural centers, interpretive sites, and private libraries
typically operated by a nonprofit entity. The term does not include
commercially operated theaters (see Theater, Small Scale and Theater, Large Scale).
The term “curvilinear in design” refers to a
street segment that is designed with a degree of curvature not less
than 3°30' and not greater than 22°55' and that offsets a
minimum distance of thirty feet where measured perpendicular to the
initial tangent line of the curve.
(x) An indoor facility for the manufacture, assembly, or
crafting of non-mass-produced, non-automotive products on a single-item
basis (such as, custom welding/ironworks, furniture, cabinetry, stone,
and other countertops). Includes no outside display or storage, unless
such is allowed (by right or by SUP) and approved in the zoning district
wherein the business is located. (Also see definitions for the various
types of Outside Display and Outside Storage.)
(x) A facility used to house computer systems and associated
components, telecommunications systems, and storage systems. Generally
includes redundant or back-up power supplies, redundant data communications
connections, environmental controls (such as, air conditioning and
fire suppression), and security devices.
(x) A facility arranged and conducted for the organized recreation
and instruction of children, including outdoor activities on a daytime
basis. The term does not include any camp that includes overnight
stays, or horses or livestock of any kind (see Equestrian
Camp, Private and Stable, Commercial).
(x) A facility licensed by the Texas Department of Human
Services that provides day services under an Adult Day Care Program
for less than twenty-four hours per day to five or more elderly or
disabled persons who are not related by blood, marriage, or adoption
to the owner or operator of the facility.
(x) As defined by administrative rule of the Department of
Family and Protective Services (DFPS), or as amended by the DFPS,
an operation providing care for six or more children from birth through
thirteen years of age, for less than twenty-four hours per day at
a location other than the permit holder’s home. In the event
of a conflict between this definition and an amended definition provided
by DFPS, the DFPS definition shall control.
(x) As defined by administrative rule of the Department of
Family and Protective Services (DFPS), or as amended by the DFPS,
a premise or location where the primary caregiver provides care in
the caregiver’s own residence for children from birth through
thirteen years of age for less than twenty-four hours per day. The
total number of children in care varies with the ages of the children,
but the total number of children in care at any given time, excluding
the caregiver’s own children who live on the premises, may not
exceed twelve. In the event of a conflict between this definition
and an amended definition provided by DFPS, the DFPS definition shall
control.
(x) As defined by administrative rule of the Department of
Family and Protective Services (DFPS), or as amended by the DFPS,
a caregiver who provides regular care in his own home for not more
than six children from birth through thirteen years and has a current
and valid registration certificate issued by DFPS. Child day care
can be provided for up to six additional school-age children before
and after the customary school day. The total number of children in
care at any given time, including the children related to the caregiver,
shall not exceed twelve. In the event of a conflict between this definition
and an amended definition provided by DFPS, the DFPS definition shall
control.
The number of dwelling units per net acre of platted land
being developed. Net acre shall be defined as the acreage of a site
less any existing or proposed rights-of-way or floodplain that is
not either reclaimed or substantially improved as open space and incorporated
into the project.
See Lot Depth.
The temporary storage of stormwater to be released at a pre-determined
and controlled rate.
That portion of a tract or parcel upon which a building,
structure, pavement, or other improvements have been placed.
A person, including a governmental entity, undertaking the
division or improvement of land and other activities covered by this
GDC, including the preparation of a plat showing the layout of the
land and location of any public improvements. The term “developer”
is intended to include the term “subdivider.”
Initiation of any activities related to the platting of land
or construction of buildings or structures (including activities such
as the filing of a preliminary plan or plat, a plan for development,
or plat application), the construction of impervious surfaces (such
as, parking lots), the installation of utilities, roadways, drainage
facilities or other infrastructure; or any disturbance of the surface
or subsurface of the land in preparation for such construction activities,
including without limitation removal of vegetation, grading, clearing,
filling or removal of soil.
Either a petition for a legislative decision, such as a zoning
amendment, or an application for a development permit, such as a plat.
A decision by the Commission, Board, or responsible official
designated by this GDC, acting in an administrative or quasi-judicial
capacity, that authorizes the holder of the permit to undertake one
or more development activities or to file further applications needed
to initiate or continue development activities authorized under this
GDC.
An area, building, or plot of ground, held under common ownership
or control, that is the subject of a zoning or development application
and are a part of a development plan. All lands used to calculate
densities or meet minimum dimensional requirements of the zoning regulations
are considered part of a development site.
All regulations, design standards, requirements, and restrictions
that apply to a development.
The City of Garland’s Director of Engineering, or an
authorized representative.
See Planning Director.
The addition or introduction of stormwater into the MS4 or
into waters of the United States.
(x) A large-scale (that is, over ten shipping truck bays)
warehousing and distribution operation having buildings used primarily
for the storage or distribution of goods, merchandise, supplies, or
equipment including wholesalers that display, sell, and distribute
merchandise to business representatives. The term includes large-scale,
long-distance, moving companies, and often includes the loading and
unloading of cargo on a regular basis from trucks or rail cars. (Also
see definitions for Outside Display and Outside
Storage.)
(x) A small-scale (that is, ten or fewer shipping truck bays)
warehousing/distribution operation having a building(s) used primarily
for the storage and/or distribution of goods, merchandise, supplies
or equipment including wholesalers that display, sell and distribute
merchandise to business representatives. Includes small-scale moving
companies, and often includes the loading and unloading of cargo on
a regular basis from trucks or rail cars. (Also see definitions for Outside Display and Outside Storage.)
A zoning district under this GDC.
(x) A facility in which occupants of a motor vehicle receive
or obtain products or a service, while remaining in their vehicle,
from a server who delivers goods or services to their vehicle. The
term does not include curbside service for a restaurant.
(x) The receipt of products or a service through a building
opening (including a window, door, or mechanical device attached to
or detached from the building) where occupants of motor vehicles receive
or obtain products or a service, while remaining in their vehicles,
from a server who does not typically leave the confines of the building
during such transactions.
An improved surface that would allow vehicular access to
a facility, building, area, parking or other amenity.
An improved surface on public property or public right-of-way
that meets the standards specified in the Technical Standards Manual
and provides access from the public way to private property.
(x) An enclosed or partially enclosed structure, not constructed
over a body of water, that is designed for use as storage for watercraft
and marine equipment and that is not accessed directly by boat from
a body of water.
See Refuse Container.
Any building or portion thereof which is designed or used
exclusively for residential purposes by one family for living, sanitary,
and sleeping purposes, and that has no more than one cooking facility
(that is, only one kitchen). The term does not include hotels or motels.
A subordinate dwelling unit that is either attached or detached
from the primary on-site structure, is used as a residence, is incidental
to the main structure/s (the building area does not exceed thirty
percent of the floor area of the main structure), and is not involved
in the conduct of a business. ((x) - For various types of Accessory
Dwellings, see Dwelling, Accessory - Guest House; Dwelling, Accessory - Rental Unit; Dwelling, Accessory
- Guard/Manager/Caretaker)
(x) An incidental, on-site, dwelling unit, which does not
exceed thirty percent of the floor area of the main structure and
is not involved in the conduct of a business, that is either attached
or detached from the main structure, not for rent, and is used for
occupancy by on-site guards, managers, or caretakers who work solely
for the owners of the property or the business that operates on the
property.
(x) An incidental, on-site, dwelling unit that is either
attached or detached from the primary residential structure, is used
for temporary occupancy by guests or relatives of the owners of the
property, is not for rent, is incidental to the main structure (the
building area does not exceed thirty percent of the floor area of
the main structure), and is not involved in the conduct of a business.
(x) An incidental, on-site, dwelling unit that is either
attached or detached from the primary residential structure, is used
for temporary occupancy for compensation (for rent), is incidental
to the main structure (the building area does not exceed thirty percent
of the floor area of the main structure), and is not involved in the
conduct of a business.
(x) A type of dwelling unit that is intended to house one
family and that is either combined with one other apartment dwelling
unit or is incorporated into, and added to, a structure that is utilized
by a conforming nonresidential use.
A building in which the space in each dwelling unit is owned
individually, and all of the dwelling owners share in the ownership
of the common areas, such as grounds and the building structures.
See Dwelling, Multifamily.
A type of multifamily dwelling unit that consists of not
more than one habitable room separated by no more than a half-wall
partition, and kitchen and bathroom facilities.
(x) (Also called Modular Prefabricated Structure or Modular Home.) A structure that is manufactured at a location other than the home-site, utilizing assembly-line type production techniques or other construction methods unique to the manufacturing process and designed to be used as a permanent dwelling installed on a permanent foundation (see Subsection 2.52(A)(5)(d) in Chapter 2 of this GDC). The term shall not include nor apply to the following:
“Sectional” or “panelized” housing where
the basic components assembled at the home-site are not at least three-sided
modules;
A home which is singly and separately constructed for relocation,
and built to the City’s building codes;
Modules incorporating concrete or masonry as primary structural
components;
A Dwelling, Manufactured/HUD-Code Home (as defined in this GDC);
or
A Dwelling, Mobile Home (as defined in this GDC).
(x) Units containing both living quarters and a commercial space, such as retail, artist space or gallery, business or other professional office activities (see Subsection 2.52(A)(5)(e) in Chapter 2 of this GDC).
See Dwelling, Apartment.
(x) A structure constructed on or after June 15, 1976, according
to the rules of the United States Department of Housing and Urban
Development, transportable in one or more sections, which, in the
traveling mode, is eight body-feet or more in width or forty body-feet
or more in length, or when erected on-site, is three hundred and twenty
or more square feet, and which is built on a permanent chassis and
designed to be used as a dwelling with or without a permanent foundation
when connected to the required utilities, and includes the plumbing,
heating, air conditioning and electrical systems as a self-contained
unit.
(x) A structure that was constructed before June 15, 1976,
transportable in one or more sections, which, in the traveling mode,
is eight body-feet or more in width or forty body-feet or more in
length, or when erected on-site is three hundred and twenty or more
square feet, and which is built on a permanent chassis and designed
to be used as a dwelling with or without a permanent foundation when
connected to the required utilities and includes the plumbing, heating,
air conditioning, and electrical systems as a self-contained unit.
(x) A residential building containing three or more dwelling
units which are not located on individual platted lots. The residential
building contains dwelling units that are designed to be occupied
by families living independently of one another. The term includes
cooperative apartments and condominiums. For the purpose of these
regulations, regardless of how rental units are equipped, any multifamily
dwelling in which units are available for rental periods less than
thirty calendar days are considered a hotel or motel.
A residential building, designed for occupancy by one family
or an individual. The term is general and includes such specialized
types as single-family detached, single-family attached (townhouses),
patio homes, and zero-lot-line homes. For regulatory purposes, the
term shall not be construed to mean manufactured homes, mobile homes,
industrialized homes, travel trailers, housing mounted on self-propelled
or drawn vehicles, tents or other forms of portable or temporary housing.
(x) A single dwelling unit of a group of no less than three,
or more than six, attached dwelling units separated from each other
by fire-rated walls in compliance with the City’s building codes.
Each dwelling unit occupies its own separately platted lot and is
generally two or more stories in height. The term does not include Dwelling, Multifamily.
(x) A single-family dwelling unit with no attached wall(s)
or dwelling unit(s) that is designed for occupancy by one family or
an individual, and that is entirely separated from structures on adjacent
lots.
See Dwelling, Apartment.
(x) A residential building on a single lot (or on an adjoining
pair of lots) containing two attached dwelling units, each designed
to be occupied by one family (that is, the building is occupied by
not more than two families, one in each dwelling unit) and each having
a separate entrance.
(x) A type of detached, single-family dwelling on a separately
platted lot that is designed so that one side yard is reduced to zero
feet, and that permits the construction of a detached single-family
dwelling with one side of the dwelling placed on the side property
line.
(x) A type of Personal Care Facility (see definition) in which five or more elderly (over 55 years of age) persons, regardless of legal relationship, live and who need limited assistance with daily living activities (see Subsection 2.52(A)(12)(a) in Chapter 2 of this GDC).
(x) A facility in which five or more elderly (over 55 years of age) persons, regardless of legal relationship, live who need limited and then more extensive assistance with daily living activities as their needs change. This type of facility provides housing/accommodations and services along the continuum of an elderly person’s needs including independent living, assisted living, and/or nursing/convalescent care (see Subsection 2.52(A)(12)(b) in Chapter 2 of this GDC).
(x) A facility in which five or more elderly (over 55 years of age) persons, regardless of legal relationship, live a mostly ambulatory lifestyle but who may need limited assistance with daily living activities (see Subsection 2.52(A)(12)(c) in Chapter 2 of this GDC).
(x) An extended care facility licensed to provide full-time, convalescent or chronic care, including lodging and meals for five or more individuals who, by reason of infirmity, are unable to care for themselves and who need ongoing health supervision but not hospitalization (see Subsection 2.52(A)(12)(d) in Chapter 2 of this GDC).
(x) A facility that generates electricity from mechanical
power produced by gas, coal, or steam.
(x) A facility for transforming electricity for distribution
to individual customers.
A person currently licensed under the Texas Engineering Practice
Act to practice the profession of engineering in the State of Texas.
The main entry to a building or lease space on a block face.
Such entries may also be located on a plaza or courtyard with direct
access to the street.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or, where appropriate,
the administrator or other duly authorized official of that agency.
(x) A facility arranged and conducted for the organized recreation
and equestrian instruction of children including riding, horse, and
stable care on a daytime basis. The term may include other secondary
outdoor activities such as swimming and tennis, but does not include
overnight stays.
(x) An indoor facility that rents (usually on a short-term
basis) tools, small household or gardening-related machines (other
than heavy machinery), party furnishings, and other equipment with
no outside storage or display.
(x) A facility that rents (usually on a short-term basis) tools, small household or gardening-related machines (other than heavy machinery), party furnishings, and other equipment. The term includes the outside display and storage of usable materials normally associated with the rental business (but not items such as unrelated scrap, junk, or trash), subject to Subsection 2.52(A)(14) in Chapter 2 of this GDC. (Also see definitions for the various types of Outside
Display and Outside Storage.)
To construct, reconstruct, install, or build.
Any digging, trenching, scraping, or other activity that
disturbs natural soil or rock to a depth of two feet or more, other
than soil disturbance incidental to the removal of trees or vegetation.
A type of street designated as an expressway or freeway by
the City.
A detention basin constructed in a manner so as to retain
stormwater for a time sufficient for sediments and particulate pollutants
to settle and designed so that no stormwater is intended to remain
in the basin after the discharge is complete.
Any change or addition to the dimensions, materials, configuration,
character, or appearance, including the floor, exterior walls, columns,
porches, doors, or windows, of a structure or building.
The entire area of a side (that is, an elevation) of a building
or structure that extends from ground level to the top of a parapet,
wall, or eave(s) and from one corner to another. The area of a facade
is defined by the outer limits of all of its visible exterior elements.
Also, any separate face of a building, including parapet walls and
omitted wall lines, or any part of a building that encloses or covers
usable space. Where separate faces are oriented in the same direction,
or in the directions within forty-five degrees of one another, they
are to be considered as part of a single facade.
As this term is used in Chapter 3 of this GDC, a detention, retention, or other stormwater storage or handling mechanism and may, depending on the context in which the term is used, include an amenity pond.
Any number of persons living together as a single housekeeping
unit who are related by blood, legal adoption, or marriage (within
two degrees of affinity or consanguinity), but not more than three
persons living in a dwelling unit who are unrelated to the first person
listed on the deed as the owner (or first signatory on the lease if
the property is leased) by blood, adoption, or marriage.
See Community Home.
(x) An area of two acres or more which is used for growing
farm products such as vegetables, fruits, trees, and grain. May also
include the raising thereon of farm animals such as horses, poultry,
cattle, and sheep, and may also include the necessary accessory uses
for raising, treating, and storing farm products and animals on the
premises. The term does not include the commercial feeding of offal
or garbage to swine or other animals, and does not include any type
of husbandry specifically prohibited by ordinance or law. The term
does not include the retail sale of farm products (see Produce
Stand/Farmers’ Market).
(x) An indoor establishment that manufactures and packages
vegetative (non-meat-based) feeds for livestock.
(x) A business establishment for the selling of corn, grain,
and other foodstuffs for animals and livestock. The term may include
the sale and rental of other tools, implements, and goods related
to agricultural processes, but does not include the sale or rental
of farm machinery such as tractors, trailers, or cultivation equipment.
A facility that provides confined areas where cattle, horses,
or other livestock are held for extended periods of time for the purpose
of weight increase by feeding highly nutritious grain feed.
Any structure that exceeds twelve inches in height above
the nearest grade and that encloses, partitions, or divides any yard
as defined in this GDC.
The plat of a subdivision that, when authorized, submitted,
and approved is recorded in the official public records.
(x) An establishment such as a bank, savings and loan association,
or credit union that is regulated by federal or state law, that accepts
and maintains deposits from individuals, businesses, or other institutions,
that makes both short- and long-term loans, including loans secured
by collateral other than personal property, and that provides related
financial services to its customers. The term does not include Alternative Financial Establishment.
(x) A periodic market held fully within a building where groups of individual sellers offer their goods for sale to the public, typically with no long-term lease arrangement between the individual sellers and the flea market operator (see Subsection 2.52(A)(32) in Chapter 2 of this GDC).
(x) A periodic market held in an open area (that is, not enclosed within a building) where groups of individual sellers offer their goods for sale to the public, typically with no long-term lease arrangement between the individual sellers and the flea market operator (see Subsection 2.52(A)(32) in Chapter 2 of this GDC).
The square footage of total floor area of all floors (that
is, stories) within a building or buildings on a lot, measured from
the interior face of exterior walls.
The total floor area of a main building (or buildings) on
a lot, divided by the lot area. Any maximum FAR permitted is calculated
by dividing the gross square footage of the building(s) by the net
(after right-of-way dedication) area of the lot (measured in square
feet). Any below grade mechanical rooms, parking garages, or other
non-occupied areas are not included in the gross square footage of
the building(s) for the purposes of this calculation.
(x) A large-scale manufacturing operation that prepares or
produces foods and beverages for human consumption, primarily for
commercial and wholesale customers for off-site distribution and consumption.
The term includes dry and cold storage of food products, unless they
are incidental to another primary use such as a grocery store or a
restaurant. The term may include incidental retail sales of food products
produced on the premises. The term does not include the preparation
or manufacture of products for consumption by animals (see definition
for Animal Feed Processing and Storage), or the slaughtering
of any type of animal other than sea life.
The side of a building on which the main entrance (front
door) is located. FRONTAGE: Any portion of a lot that is immediately
adjacent to a street but not including alleys. FRONTAGE, LOT: The
length of street frontage between property lines.
The linear distance of the property line measured along all
abutting street rights-of-way; the length of all property on one side
of a street between two intersecting streets measured along the line
of the street, or if the street is a dead-end, then the length of
all property abutting on one side between an intersecting street and
the end of the dead-end street.
(x) The retail sale of liquid or gaseous fuels for the operation
of motor vehicles.
(x) An indoor establishment that cleans, repairs, or refurbishes
common household appliances, furnishings, and electronics either on-site
or at the customer’s location. The term includes furniture reupholstering
and carpet and drapery cleaning and repair. The term does not include
the following: automotive reupholstering or repairs/refurbishing of
any type of appliance or equipment that has an internal combustion
engine (such as cars, trucks, motorcycles, lawnmowers, or boats) or
outside display or storage, unless such is allowed (by right or by
SUP) and approved in the zoning district wherein the business is located.
(Also see definitions for the various types of Outside Display and Outside Storage.)
(x) A retail establishment that sells new goods for furnishing
the home including, but not limited to, furniture, floor coverings,
draperies, glass and chinaware, domestic kitchen appliances, and other
household furnishings. Also includes an establishment that rents furniture
and household appliances on a contractual basis.
(x) A facility that is owned and operated by a nonprofit
religious-oriented or charity-oriented agency for the purpose of cultivation
of fruits, vegetables, and other flora species for human consumption
by individuals who are supported by the agency and not for commercial
sale. Does not include a Landscape Nursery, Retail or a Landscape Nursery/Tree Farm (Wholesale).
(x) A facility that is owned or operated by a public or nonprofit
agency, or individual, for the purpose of cultivation of fruits, flowers,
vegetables, small ornamental plants, and other flora species by more
than one person or family, for charitable purposes (not for commercial
sale), or for their own use. The term does not include a Landscape
Nursery, Retail or a Landscape Nursery/Tree Farm
(Wholesale).
(x) A facility that is owned or operated by an individual
or by a business entity for the purpose of cultivation of fruits,
flowers, vegetables, small ornamental plants, and other flora species
by more than one person or family for their own use and not for commercial
sale. Does not include a Landscape Nursery, Retail or a Landscape Nursery/Tree Farm (Wholesale).
(x) The drilling, extraction, and transportation of subterranean
fossil gas and petroleum, and necessary attendant uses and structures,
but excluding refining, processing, or manufacturing.
(x) An assemblage of equipment that reduces, regulates, and
meters natural gas pressure in the transmission line, holder, main,
pressure vessel, or the compressor station piping. The term includes
auxiliary equipment such as valves, control instruments, or control
lines as well as piping.
(x) An area that is improved with greens, fairways, and hazards
that is owned and operated by a public or private entity. The term
includes, where applicable, clubhouse(s), restaurant(s), swimming
pool(s), tennis court(s), and similar traditional recreational or
service facilities associated with golf courses and country clubs.
The average elevation of the highest and lowest elevation
measured at the finished surface of the ground at any of the exterior
corners of the building or structure.
(x) A retail store of over five thousand square feet in size
that primarily sells groceries and consumable food items, but that
may also sell items such as tobacco products, sundries/toiletries,
household and other non-food items, newspapers and magazines, candy
and snacks, floral items, prepackaged convenience food items, in-house
delicatessen- and bakery-prepared food items, and audio and video
rentals for off-site use and consumption. The term includes on-site
deli- and bakery-food consumption provided that the dining areas comprise
no more than twenty percent of the total sales floor area of the store.
Total floor area designed for tenant occupancy and exclusive
use, including any basements, mezzanines, and upper floors, measured
in square feet from the centerline of joint partitions and from outside
wall faces.
As defined in Chapter 591 of the Texas Health & Safety
Code, as amended, a residential arrangement, other than a residential
care facility, licensed by the State of Texas, or a community center
in which not more than fifteen persons with mental retardation voluntarily
live and, under appropriate supervision, may share responsibilities
for the operation of the living unit. This definition shall include
foster homes, halfway houses, and day care facilities for persons
with mental retardation. For a use to qualify as a Group Home, the
persons that reside therein must meet all the specifications and requirements
of the Persons with Mental Retardation Act, Chapter 591 of the Texas
Health & Safety Code. In the event of a conflict between this
definition and the definition provided by Chapter 591 of the Texas
Health & Safety Code, as amended, state law shall control.
(x) A private indoor facility operated to promote physical
health and fitness activities such as exercise, physical therapy,
personal training, and education pertaining to health and fitness.
The uses and facilities may include, but are not limited to, weight
lifting and exercise equipment, aerobics, swimming pools and spas,
running tracks, indoor games, personal recreation courts (such as
for racquetball, handball, and indoor tennis), or a dance or exercise
studio that is larger than five thousand square feet in floor area.
(See Studio, Fitness or Performing Arts for facilities that are five
thousand square feet or less in size.)
A self-propelled vehicle having a manufacturer’s recommended
Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) of greater than sixteen thousand pounds
(including trailers), such as large recreational vehicles (originally
manufactured as RVs, not converted), tractor-trailers, buses, vans,
and other similar vehicles. The term “truck” shall be
construed to mean “Heavy Load Vehicle” unless specifically
stated otherwise.
(x) An establishment for the indoor or outdoor display, sales,
rental, storage, or repair of heavy machinery including tractors and
other farm machinery, bulldozers, street graders, paving machines,
cranes, and similar construction-related heavy equipment.
A paved area designed to accommodate the maneuvering, loading
and unloading, and parking of commercial vehicles having a length
of twenty-seven feet or greater.
The distance measured from the finished grade of the lot
or parcel to the highest point on the support structure or other structure,
including the base pad and any antennae.
(x) An area of land or water, or a structural surface, which
is used or intended for use for the landing and taking off of helicopters.
The term does not include refueling, maintenance, repairs, or overnight
storage of helicopters.
(x) Any type of use that is determined to be of special health
or safety hazard due to excessive or toxic fumes, smoke, gas, dust,
odors, noise, vibration, or danger from fire, explosion or radiation,
and that involves the use or storage of materials meeting the “degree
of hazard” criteria of the Uniform Fire Code in quantities determined
to be hazardous by the Fire Marshal.
A county, state, federal, or other road facility shown as
Type AA or larger on the City’s Major Thoroughfare Plan (Interstate Highway 635, Interstate Highway 30, and State Highway
190).
(x) The indoor retail sale of building materials that are
primarily oriented toward home improvements (such as, lumber, drywall,
paint, electrical supplies, plumbing fixtures, prepackaged concrete
and mortars, doors, windows, siding, landscaping materials, tools,
or hardware) rather than toward the wholesale building construction
industry. The term does not include outside display or storage, unless
such is allowed (by right or by SUP) and approved in the zoning district
wherein the business is located. (Also see the various types of Outside Display and Outside Storage.)
Any activity conducted by a resident of a dwelling unit on
the premises of the residence. It includes, without limitation, any
activity that results in the manufacturing, repair, or provision of
goods or services.
(x) A building or portion thereof, used or designed for temporary
housing and treatment of sick or injured patients where they are given
medical or surgical treatment, and which is licensed by the State
of Texas. The term includes an institutional-scale hospice facility.
(x) A facility for the overnight or extended stay (that is,
thirty calendar days or longer) lodging of guests for compensation.
An extended service hotel or motel typically includes kitchenette
facilities and a sitting or work area in each room, and may have on-site
food service for guests.
(x) A facility for the overnight or temporary lodging of
travelers for compensation. A full service hotel or motel has meeting
facilities and on-site food service for guests.
(x) A building(s) for the overnight or temporary lodging
of travelers for compensation. A limited service hotel or motel may
have on-site food preparation/service for guests.
See Coverage.
(x) An area used for the temporary parking and storage of
primarily operable impounded vehicles. The term does not include the
sales, dismantling or sales of parts from any vehicle, nor the parking
or storage of wrecked, junked or inoperable vehicles for longer than
thirty calendar days.
A lot or tract that has a structure or other improvement
on it that causes an impervious coverage of the soil under the structure
or improvement.
(x) An indoors-only retail establishment that leases space to multiple tenants who each independently conduct their own retail operation in individual rooms that are fully enclosed having walls extending to the ceiling (see Subsection 2.52(A)(33) in Chapter 2 of this GDC).
(x) Heavy industrial manufacturing, processing, assembling,
researching and developing, packaging, shipping, storing, servicing
or other similar activities that are not prohibited by law and typically
involve the processing or manufacture of non-consumable products from
raw materials, which do not meet standards set forth in the definition
of Light Industrial or Manufacturing uses (see Subsection 2.52(A)(31) in Chapter 2 of this GDC).
(x) An indoor establishment engaged in light assembly or manufacturing of finished non-consumable products or parts, predominately from previously prepared materials including the fabrication, manufacture, assembly, storing, and packaging of such products or parts. (see Subsection 2.52(A)(31) in Chapter 2 of this GDC).
The junctions of the centerlines of any two public rights-of-way,
other than alleyways, crossing at grade or, where the crossing is
separated at grade, the intersection is the point at which expressway
travel pavements converge or diverge, or the point at which any expressway
interchange ramp intersects the expressway travel pavement.
(x) A transient retail business that does not occur in a
permanent structure, in a structure for which a temporary permit has
been obtained, or in association with another temporary use such as
a carnival, fair, parade, or festival. The term does not apply to
garage sales, businesses or sales of seasonal items (see Seasonal
Sales), mobile service businesses (see Mobile Service
Vendor), or businesses that hold a lease term on the property
of at least one year (that is, 365 calendar days).
A small, freestanding, one-story structure or device (such as a charitable donations drop-box, or a recycling “igloo”) having a maximum floor area of three hundred and fifty square feet and used for commercial purposes, for a drop-off facility, or for the posting of temporary information or posters, notices, and announcements (see Subsection 2.52(A)(7) in Chapter 2 of this GDC).
(x) A type of kiosk, or a trailer, that has an on-site attendant
during all hours of operation and which provides a neighborhood drop-off
and collection point for recyclable or reusable household-related
(that is, non-automotive, non-consumable, non-compostable, non-hazardous
and non-flammable) materials such as aluminum cans, glass bottles,
papers including magazines and newspapers, metal and plastic containers,
clothes, shoes, toys, towels, linens, small kitchen appliances, electronics,
and books. The term does not include an attended recycling collection
center (see Recycling Collection Center).
(x) A type of kiosk, whether drive-up or walk-up, that has
an on-site attendant during all hours of operation where a product
or service is dispensed either through a machine or by the attendant.
Examples include a small kiosk structure that sells food items, convenience
items such as ice or drinking water, or a locksmith. The term does
not include a Vending Machine, Exterior.
(x) A type of kiosk, whether drive-up or walk-up, where no
customer service employees are on site and a product or service is
dispensed through a machine. Examples include freestanding ATMs, and
automated freestanding vending machines for consumable commodities
such as ice or drinking water. The term does not include a Vending
Machine, Exterior.
(x) A self-service kiosk, operated by a bank or financial institution for the convenience of its customers to conduct transactions including deposits, withdrawals and fund transfers without contact with bank personnel (see Subsection 2.52(A)(7) in Chapter 2 of this GDC).
(x) A small self-service structure or temporary container
(such as, an “igloo,” a dumpster or similar-type container)
which provides a neighborhood drop-off and collection point for reusable,
recoverable, or recyclable household-related (that is, non-automotive,
non-consumable, non-compostable, non-hazardous and non-flammable)
materials such as clothes, shoes, toys, towels/linens, small kitchen
appliances and electronics, books, aluminum cans (including “can
banks”), glass bottles, papers including magazines and newspapers,
or metal and plastic containers. This definition does not include
large trailers or manned collection centers (see Recycling
Collection Center) (see Subsection 2.52(A)(7) in Chapter 2 of this GDC).
(x) A self-service kiosk, operated by a business entity for
the convenience of its customers to purchase and obtain a commodity
that is either prepackaged or dispensed in bulk to the customer (such
as, ice, or drinking water). The term does not include a Vending
Machine, Exterior.
(x) An indoor facility for testing and analyzing scientific
problems including soil testing, concrete compression testing, medical
testing, prototype design and development, and other types of product
research and testing. The term includes a medical and dental laboratory
(see Medical and Dental Laboratory).
(x) A retail business for the display and sale of trees,
shrubs, flowers, ornamental plants, seeds, garden and lawn supplies,
pavers, and other materials used in indoor and outdoor landscaping.
(x) An establishment for the cultivation and propagation,
display, storage and sale (mostly wholesale, but can include a limited
amount of retail sales) of large plants, shrubs, trees and other materials
used in indoor or outdoor plantings. This definition may also include
the contracting for installation or maintenance of landscaping as
an accessory use.
An area devoted to and maintained predominantly with living
plant material including lawn, groundcover, trees, shrubs, other plant
materials, accessory decorative outdoor landscape elements such as
fountains, paved or decorated surfaces (excluding driveways, parking,
loading, or storage areas), and sculptural elements. The term may
also be referred to as Landscaped Area.
(x) A small-scale retail establishment (including a dry cleaners)
that is no larger than three thousand square feet in size, and that
serves as a location for customers to drop off and pick up clothes
to be laundered, dry cleaned, pressed or other cleaning process. Alterations
and garment repair may also be offered in relation to this use.
(x) A retail establishment offering machines for customers
to use in laundering garments on a self-serve basis.
(x) A commercial establishment that is larger than three
thousand square feet in size, and that launders or dry cleans garments,
linens or similar textiles on a bulk, commercial or wholesale basis
(not retail). The term includes a uniform supply service. Alterations
and repair of garments are allowed as a secondary use.
(x) A private educational establishment that offers specialized
or advanced courses similar to those offered in the public school
system (such as mathematics, languages, or sciences) for a fee. Also
includes an educational establishment that offers specialized training
in improving educational skills such as those related to course study
and test-taking, as well as an establishment that specializes in speech,
hearing, sight or reading therapy, and teaching basic life skills
to mentally retarded, handicapped, or blind persons.
(x) An indoor establishment engaged in transforming animal
hides into leather by tanning or curing, and fabricating the leather
into finished non-consumable products or into materials that will
be further assembled by others into finished products. Includes the
manufacture of similar products such as rubber footwear, textile luggage
and plastic purses and wallets from other materials such as rubber,
plastics and textiles that are thought of as “leather substitutes,”
and the processes of tanning, currying, dressing, dyeing and finishing
of leather, hides and furs. The term does not include the slaughtering
of any type of animal, and does not include any type of use that involves
processing or storage of consumable products (see Food Processing
and Storage and Animal Feed Processing and Storage).
A narrow building that lines the exterior of a parking garage
structure adjacent to a street and sidewalk. It is generally thirty
to sixty feet deep and occupied by any allowed use except parking.
A facility for the auctioning and sale of cattle, horses,
or other livestock where confinement of animals is normally for a
period of less than one week, and where feed of a filler-type is primarily
provided. Animal turnover under this use is expected to be continuous.
((x) - Shown within the Land Use Matrix in Chapter 2 of this GDC under Stockyards,
Livestock Auction and Livestock Hauling)
A business expressly involved with the transportation of
cattle, horses, hogs, chickens or other types of livestock, where
the temporary confinement of animals may be necessary. The hauling
and temporary indoor storage or housing of plant materials, small
pet-type animals such as dogs and cats, fish, birds or inanimate (non-living)
goods is classified as a Motor Freight Terminal. ((x) - Shown within
the Land Use Matrix in Chapter 2 of this GDC under Stockyards,
Livestock Auction and Livestock Hauling)
An enclosed and air-conditioned room of at least one hundred
and twenty square feet in size, other than an unfinished garage or
basement, and other than a room used as a bedroom, bathroom, or kitchen.
An undivided tract or parcel of land shown and designated
with a tract or lot number on a duly recorded subdivision plat. A
lot may be offered for sale, conveyance, transfer or improvement,
is designated as a distinct and separate tract, and is identified
by a tract, lot number, or symbol in a duly approved plat that has
been properly filed of record.
The square foot area or the acreage of a lot within the bounding
property lines and exclusive of dedicated streets and alleys, but
may include easements.
A lot abutting upon two or more streets at their intersection(s).
See Coverage.
The distance between the midpoints of straight lines connecting
the foremost points of the side lot lines in front and the rearmost
points of the side lot lines in the rear (the mean horizontal distance
between the front and rear lot line).
Any lot, not a corner lot, with frontage on two streets that
are essentially parallel to each other or are within forty-five degrees
of being parallel to each other.
An irregularly shaped lot that takes its sole access via
a long, narrow strip of land connecting the principal building site
to a public street.
A lot other than a corner lot.
A lot where both neighboring lots have front yard setbacks
adjacent to the corner lot on both sides.
A property (ownership) boundary of a lot, as defined herein.
The horizontal distance between straight lines connecting
front and rear lot lines at each side of the lot, measured across
the rear of the required front yard, and parallel to the front property
line.
A facility where common or designated area(s) are provided
to support education through peer learning and knowledge sharing and
incorporating workspace for support of participants interests, such
as but not limited to computers, software development, technology,
science, digital art, 3d printing, sewing, metal work, welding, machining,
and woodworking.
(x) A tract of land (minimum size ten acres, maximum size
thirty-five acres), under single ownership, which is designed, improved
or intended to be used for short- or long-term occupancy by manufactured
or mobile homes that are used as residential living units, in designated
spaces. The term includes a residence for the owner or manager of
the premises, utility hook-ups, Accessory Structures (such as carports,
and storage buildings), playgrounds, open space/recreational areas,
fenced yards for pets, and other similar amenities.
(x) A waterfront business establishment for the docking,
wet storage, refueling, and servicing of boats and personal watercraft
used on the abutting lake or reservoir. The term includes watercraft
fuel sales, fishing equipment and bait sales, fishing pier/services,
boat/watercraft rentals, a restaurant(s), dry boat storage, and other
amenities related to boating, fishing, and outdoors recreational enjoyment.
Masonry Materials are brick, stone, tile, or other similar
building units or materials, or any combination of these materials,
laid up unit-by-unit, and set in mortar. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
Masonry Construction includes the following materials:
Hard-fired brick such as kiln-fired clay, shale, or slate material.
Acceptable materials may also include integrally-colored concrete
brick, known as concrete masonry units or CMUs, but only subject to
the limitations in Subsection 4.82(C)(1)(d) [sic] and only if the
concrete masonry units conform to the same ASTM standard for construction
as typical hard-fired clay brick. Material under this Section must
meet the classification of severe weather grade and have a minimum
thickness of two and one-quarter inches when applied as a veneer.
Acceptable materials under this Section do not include unfired or
underfired clay, sand, or shale brick.
Stone such as naturally occurring granite, marble, limestone,
slate, river rock, and other similar hard and durable, all-weather
stone that is customarily used in exterior building construction.
Acceptable materials may also include cast or manufactured stone product,
provided that such product yields a highly textured, stone-like appearance,
its coloration is integral to the masonry material, and it is demonstrated
to be highly durable and maintenance-free. The surface of any manufactured
stone must not be painted. Natural or man-made stone must have a minimum
thickness of two and five-eighths inches when applied as a veneer.
Concrete masonry units, also known as CMUs, for nonresidential
and multifamily projects only, provided that such concrete masonry
units are integrally-colored, not painted, have a highly textured
exterior finish such as “split-face,” are classified as
severe weather grade, and are not lightweight or featherweight concrete
or cinder blocks.
Masonry Materials do not include any of the following:
|
Masonry Materials do not include any of the following:
|
Adobe or mortar wash surface material;
Exterior insulation and finish system (EIFS), acrylic matrix,
synthetic plaster, or other similar synthetic material;
Cementitious fiberboard siding, such as “SmartBoard”
or “HardiBoard”;
Vinyl-based siding material, as may be allowed by the City’s
Building Code;
Lightweight or featherweight concrete blocks or cinder blocks;
Exterior plaster, including stucco; and
Any other cementitious product not listed above.
A type of personal service that offers therapeutic massage
by a massage therapist (as defined and licensed by state law).
(x) The skinning, preparation, packaging, storage, and freezing
of meat from non-equine livestock and game animals for personal (noncommercial)
use by individuals. The term includes, as a secondary use, on-site
retail sale of meats with appropriate state and local permits or licenses.
A facility operated for the primary purpose of performing
medical, dental or optical research, testing, and analytical work
having a direct relationship to the provision of health services (classified
as a Laboratory, Analytical or Research). The term
does not include examination or treatment of medical or dental patients
(see Medical and Dental Office/Clinic or Hospital).
(x) An office facility that is primarily engaged in furnishing
direct medical services to people with physical or mental ailments.
The term includes a single office or a group of offices for one or
more physicians or dentists (including orthodontia) for medical examinations,
treatment of injuries and illnesses, and minor surgical procedures
on people on an outpatient basis, but not including facilities for
overnight stays.
(x) The process by which stone, gravel, sand, aggregates,
metallic ores, coal, precious stones, salt, or other solid-form rocks
or minerals are extracted from the earth. The term includes quarrying,
extraction, milling, crushing, screening, washing, floatation, stockpiling,
and other activities customarily performed at a mine site or as part
of a mining operation to prepare the extracted materials for sale
or shipment.
A plat involving four or fewer lots fronting an existing
street and not requiring a new street or municipal facilities.
A fixed commercial location and permanent development designed
to accommodate mobile food preparation vehicles offering food and/or
beverages for sale to the public as the primary use of land.
A mobile service business that typically travels to most,
if not all, of its customers rather than its customers coming to the
business’s shop (such as, a mobile automotive windshield installer,
mobile veterinary clinic, mobile pet-bathing service, or mobile locksmith).
The term does not include retail sales of any goods or items other
than those installed or expended in the actual conduct of the mobile
service (such as, a windshield that is installed by a mobile installer,
vaccinations and supplies delivered and administered by a mobile veterinary
clinic, or door locks and keys cut and sold by a mobile locksmith).
A publication that is developed, promulgated, and periodically
updated at a national level by organizations consisting of industry
and government fire and building safety officials through a legislative
or consensus process and that is intended for consideration by units
of government as local law, including but not limited to, the International
Residential Code, International Plumbing Code, International Electrical
Code, International Mechanical Code, the National Electrical Code,
the International Building Code, the International Fire Code, the
International Fuel Gas Code, and the International Energy Conservation
Code.
An establishment, other than a financial institution or a
bank that engages in or facilitates the transmission of monetary funds
to or from a location outside the United States and its territories
for a fee.
(x) A place for the storage of human bodies prior to their
burial or cremation, which may also be used for the preparation of
the deceased for burial and the display of the deceased and ceremonies
connected therewith before burial or cremation. The term does not
include any type of cemetery (below-ground) interment for bodies,
but may include funeral service chapels, on-site monument and floral
sales, columbariums, crematoriums, mausoleums (interment in above-ground
tombs or vaults), or any combination thereof.
(x) An establishment offering the sales, leasing, rental,
service, or repair of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, motorbikes,
motor scooters, golf carts, and similar personal motor vehicles. The
term includes service, repair and sales of parts for personal motor
vehicles such as sidecars, accessories, or motorcycle-drawn trailers.
The term does not include outside display or storage, unless such
is allowed (by right or by SUP) and approved in the zoning district
wherein the business is located. (Also see definitions for the various
types of Outside Display and Outside Storage).
(x) A premises where cargo is stored and where trucks, including
tractor trailer units, load and unload cargo on a regular basis. The
term includes a railroad freight terminal, facilities for the temporary
storage of loads and cargo (including outside storage) prior to shipment,
or that are transferring from one mode of transportation to another
(such as to/from trucks and rail cars), and may include on-site fuel
tank(s) for use by the operation only (no retail or external fuel
sales) if such are approved by the Fire Department and Building Official.
The vertical or horizontal divisions or joints between single
windows in a multiple window unit.
Any land area, building, structure, or facility that is owned,
leased, used, or operated by the City of Garland, Texas.
The system of conveyances (including roads with drainage
systems, municipal streets, catch basins, curbs, gutters, ditches,
channels, or storm drains) owned and operated by the City and designed
or used for collecting or conveying stormwater, and which is not used
for collecting or conveying sanitary sewage.
A use or structure that was lawful at the time it was originated,
but does not comply with current provisions of this GDC or a law passed
at a later date.
Any structure, building, or physical improvement existing
on land that was lawful prior to enactment of this GDC, but which
does not conform to the regulations, relative to its size, height
or location, within the zoning district in which it is located.
Any activity or use of land which was lawful prior to the
enactment of this GDC but does not conform to the regulations of the
zoning district in which it is located.
Any utilization of real property, its attachments or appurtenances.
(x) A facility used for the indoor provision of professional,
executive, management, or administrative services. The term includes
administrative functions involved in real estate, insurance, legal
services, property management, investments, personnel, travel, clerical,
administrative services, small-scale (that is, twenty-five thousand
square feet or less in size) telephone answering (also see Call Center), military recruiting, dispatch only of home
and business maintenance and repair services (such as, carpet cleaning,
pest control, plumbing, or mechanical repair), box office, a telework
center, and business offices of public utilities, organizations and
associations. The term does not include on-site storage of service
vehicles, materials, inventory, chemicals, or medical or dental offices.
The date an applicant hand-delivers an application or plan
to the correct designated City department, as stated in this GDC or
the Development Application Packet, or deposits the
application or plan with the United States Postal Service by certified
mail addressed to the City, with all required fees and documents as
stated in the Development Application Packet and as described in Section 1.18 in Chapter 1 of this GDC. The official submission date is also subject to complete application provisions within this GDC; see the definition of Complete Application as well as requirements within Section 1.16 in Chapter 1 of this GDC.
A water or sewer (wastewater and storm) main totally outside
a tract of land to be subdivided and developed for resale.
A storm event having a one percent chance of occurring in
any given twelve-month period.
A water or sewer (wastewater and storm) main totally within
or adjacent to a tract of land to be subdivided and developed for
resale.
(x) The temporary placement and display, in an unenclosed
or unroofed area, of any new goods (including pre-packaged foods and
beverages), materials or merchandise for less than twenty-four hours
on business days only (that is, not on a continuous basis), and which
are removed from display at the end of each business day and stored
indoors overnight.
(x) The temporary placement and display, in an unenclosed
or unroofed area, of any used or salvaged materials or merchandise
for less than twenty-four hours on business days only (that is, not
on a continuous basis), and which are removed from display at the
end of each business day and stored indoors overnight.
(x) The keeping, in an unenclosed or unroofed area, of any
new goods (including pre-packaged foods and beverages), materials
or merchandise in the same place for more than twenty-four hours.
(x) The keeping, in an unenclosed or unroofed area, of any
used or salvaged non-consumable goods, materials or merchandise in
the same place for more than twenty-four hours.
(x) A storage unit, or container, that is delivered to a
location on a truck, placed on a premises, and used for storage usually
on a temporary basis (that is, not permanent).
A person who holds legal possession or ownership of an interest
in property. Where applied to a building or land, the term includes
any part owner, joint owner, lessee, tenant in common, tenant in partnership,
joint tenant or tenant by the entirety, for the whole or of a part
of a building or land.
A low wall or railing that projects above the roof; it may
be an extension of a vertical wall.
An area containing multiple parking spaces together with
accompanying maneuvering area and driveway access, usually off-street
and always composed of all-weather surface material, for the temporary
placement of motor vehicles.
(x) An open lot or a structure designed specifically for
the temporary or long-term parking or storage of operable (that is,
no junked, wrecked, or inoperable vehicles) automobiles and light-duty
trucks (that is, no heavy load vehicles), owned by others, for a fee.
The term may include a designated space for a parking attendant.
Parking which is shared by tenants, visitors, and the general
public. Hours of availability by each use sharing the parking space(s)
must be provided for in an irrevocable parking agreement that has
been approved by the City.
Generally, a storage area or stall for parking of an individual
motor vehicle.
That portion of the public right-of-way lying primarily between
the edge of the pavement or curb and the private property line.
A type of detached, single-family dwelling on a smaller,
separately platted lot (typically between four thousand and six thousand
square feet) and having reduced setbacks. See Dwelling, Single-Family and Dwelling, Zero-Lot-Line Home.
(x) A location or premises at which a pawnbroker (as defined
by Section 371.003 of the Texas Finance Code) engages in the business
of lending money on the security of pledged goods (as defined by Section
371.003 of the Texas Finance Code); or purchasing goods on condition
that the goods may be redeemed or repurchased by the seller for a
fixed price within a fixed period.
An establishment that makes small consumer loans, backed
by postdated check or authorization to make an electronic debit against
an existing financial account, in which the check or debit is held
for an agreed-upon term or until the customer’s next payday,
and then cashed or debited unless the customer repays the loan within
the agreed time frame (see Alternative Financial Establishment).
Standards specified for the operating characteristics of
different activities and related to noise, smoke, airborne particulate
matters, odors, toxic and noxious matter, glare, exterior illumination,
and vibration.
The licensed practice of applying inks and dyes to the dermal
layer of the skin, by the use of needles or other instruments designed
to contact or puncture the skin, for the sole purpose of providing
either permanent coloration for medical skin restoration or cosmetic
coloration to enhance or diminish personal features such as lips,
eyebrows, eyelids, and blemish and mole mitigation. In order for a
cosmetic application to fall under this definition, the application
must be non-pictorial in nature, and contain no verbiage or shapes
or symbols of any kind. (Classified as Personal Services in the Land Use Matrix in Chapter 2 of this GDC).
A use specifically allowed in one or more of the various
zoning districts by right, meaning that no zoning amendment is necessary
to allow the use within a designated zoning district. This term does
not include uses permitted with a Specific Use Provision (SUP).
A human being, his heirs, executors, administrators, or assigns
and may extend and be applied to associations, corporations, organizations,
firms, partnerships, estates, trusts, and business trusts and to a
government or governmental subdivision or agency, other than the City.
As defined by Section 247.002 of the Texas Health & Safety
Code, an establishment that furnishes, in one or more facilities,
food and shelter to four or more persons who are unrelated to the
proprietor of the establishment, and provides personal care services
or administration of medication by a person licensed or otherwise
authorized in this state to administer the medication, and may provide
assistance with or supervision of the administration of medication.
For the purposes of this definition, personal care services means:
Assistance with feeding, dressing, movement, bathing, or other
personal needs or maintenance;
General supervision or oversight of the physical and mental
well-being of a person who needs assistance to maintain a private
and independent residence in a personal care facility or who needs
assistance to manage the person’s personal life, regardless
of whether a guardian has been appointed for the person.
|
For a use to qualify as a Personal Care (Assisted Living Facility),
it must meet all the specifications and requirements of the Assisted
Living Facility Licensing Act, Chapter 247 of the Texas Health &
Safety Code. In the event of a conflict between this definition and
the definition provided by Chapter 247 of the Texas Health & Safety
Code, state law shall control.
|
Property that is not real property, which can be seen, weighed,
measured, felt, or otherwise perceived by the senses. For the purpose
of regulating garage sales, the term shall mean property that is owned,
utilized and maintained by an individual or members of his or her
household and acquired in the normal course of living or maintaining
a residence. The term does not include merchandise that was purchased
for resale or obtained on consignment.
(x) An establishment that provides services to individuals,
such services primarily involved in the care of the persons not otherwise
listed herein as a specified use. The term includes, but is not limited
to, services such as barber and beauty shops, tailoring, licensed
massage or physical therapy, photography or portrait studios, manicure
salons, the application of permanent cosmetics, hair removal and tanning
salons, or weight-loss salons.
(x) An establishment offering the sales, leasing, rental,
service, or repair of personal water craft vehicles. The term includes
sales of accessories, transport trailers, and water recreation supplies.
The term does not include outside display or storage, unless allowed
(by right or by SUP) and approved in the zoning district wherein the
business is located. (Also see definitions for the various types of Outside Display and Outside Storage).
(x) An indoor commercial establishment in which domestic
animals (such as dogs and cats) are housed, groomed, bred, boarded,
entertained, or trained for a fee or compensation. The term includes
overnight boarding, pet day cares, indoor dog parks, and grooming-only
salons (that is, a pet salon that is not part of a retail Pet Store establishment). In order to fall under this definition,
all of the establishment’s activities must occur indoors, except
for periodic outdoor breaks or exercise under close supervision for
limited periods of time (periods of up to one hour).
(x) A commercial establishment in which domestic animals
(such as dogs and cats) are housed, groomed, bred, boarded, entertained,
or trained for a fee or compensation. The term includes overnight
boarding in outdoor kennels or runs, outdoor pet day cares, outdoor
dog parks, and other traditional kennel activities that occur outdoors,
generally for an extended period of time (including overnight).
A retail establishment offering small animals for sale where
all creatures are housed within the building, and the store sells
pet foods and supplies. A Pet Store may include accessory use services
such as a pet grooming salon, indoor Pet Care/Play Facility, pet boarding,
and small animal veterinary services.
A request for approval of an action authorized under this
GDC requiring action by the City Council acting in its legislative
capacity.
See Proportionality Appeal.
(x) A retail establishment engaged in the retail sale of
prescription drugs, nonprescription medications, cosmetics, sundries,
and other related personal care supplies. The term may include sales
of pre-packaged food and beverage items as an accessory use only.
A type of personal service that offers, by licensed physical
therapy professionals, activities such as therapeutic massage, rehabilitative
strength and flexibility training, and physical pain relief techniques,
as prescribed by a licensed doctor and on an outpatient basis (no
overnight stays). (Classified as Personal Services in the Land Use Matrix in Chapter 2 of this GDC)
A comprehensively planned land development project that may allow flexibility in development standards such as those that specify building siting, densities, mixtures of housing types and land uses, usable open spaces, and the preservation of trees or other significant natural features. A PD district must adhere to the standards of Chapter 2, Article 2, Division 2 of this GDC.
The Director of the City’s Planning & Community
Development Department, or an authorized designee.
A map, drawing, chart, or plan showing the exact layout and
proposed construction of a proposed development into one or more lots,
blocks, streets, parks, school sites, commercial or industrial sites,
easements, alleys, or any other elements as required by this GDC and
which a subdivider shall submit for approval in accordance with this
GDC.
A roofed space open on one or more sides, one or more stories
in height, the roof of which is an extension of the roof of a building
to which the porch is attached. The purpose of porch space is to shelter
people or objects, not including vehicles, from the sun, rain and
general weather.
(x) An establishment that displays, sells, or rents structures that are capable of being carried or transported to another location, not including mobile homes, HUD-Code homes, or industrialized homes. Outside display and storage must comply with Subsection 2.52(A)(14) in Chapter 2 of this GDC.
A building manufactured off-site and transported to the campus
of a Public School, Private, Religious or Charter School, or Place
of Worship for the purpose of classroom instruction, but not intended
to remain on a permanent basis.
(x) A local branch of the U.S. Postal Service engaged in
the distribution of mail, including incidental services such as mailing
and shipping services and leasing of mailboxes.
A plat that illustrates the general layout of a proposed subdivision, the adequacy of public facilities needed to serve the proposed subdivision, and the overall compliance of the land division with applicable requirements of this GDC, and which is reviewed prior to approval of a Final Plat. See Chapter 3, Article 2, Division 2 of this GDC.
(x) An establishment whose primary service is long-run printing
including, but not limited to, book, magazine and newspaper publishing.
(For a retail or small-scale print and copy shop, and for a private
mail and shipping service, having five thousand square feet or less
in floor area, see Business & Media Service.)
See Business & Media Service.
A charge made against a property owner to repay a proportional
share of the capital cost of a public improvement such as water and
sewer mains.
(x) A permanent structure that is used to sell fruit, edible
seeds and nuts, vegetables, and similar farm-raised foods.
See Owner.
(x) An amusement enterprise that is in operation on a temporary
basis (that is, two months or less) offering entertainment, a sporting
event or games of skill to the general public for a fee or charge.
Activities for this use may take place indoors or outdoors. Examples
include a carnival, circus, or haunted house.
The area on, below, or above a public roadway, highway, street,
public sidewalk, alley, waterway, or utility easement, which has been
dedicated to the public use, regardless of whether title is held by
the City in fee or in an interest less than fee.
Areas that can be seen from any public street.
(x) An outdoor facility for racing automotive vehicles or
motorcycles. The term includes uses such as car racing tracks, drag
strips, motorcycle tracks, race courses, and accessory uses such as
automotive repair facilities, spectator seating and bleachers, racing
gear shops, and concessions.
See Antenna or Microwave Reflector, and Antenna Support Structure.
An establishment that is open to the general public or made
available for private use, primarily for the provision of facilities
for parties, dances, receptions, banquets, or similar social events
and has an occupancy of greater than 49. The term does not include
restaurants, hotels, country clubs, theaters, or commercial amusements
that provide for such activities as a secondary use.
An establishment that is open to the general public or made
available for private use, primarily for the provision of facilities
for parties, dances, receptions, banquets, or similar social events
and has an occupancy of 49 or less. The term does not include restaurants,
hotels, country clubs, theaters, or commercial amusements that provide
for such activities as a secondary use.
See As-Built/Record Drawings.
A plat that has been finally approved by the City and that has been filed with the applicable County after meeting all City requirements under Chapter 3, Article 2, Division 3 of this GDC.
(x) An indoor facility for the production or transmission
of commercial programming by radio or television. The term includes
a facility having the facilities and equipment necessary for the production
of audio or video media.
Any type of trailer or self-propelled motor vehicle that
is designed, constructed, and equipped for human habitation as a temporary
dwelling place or sleeping place.
(x) A tract of land for users of recreational vehicles to park on a temporary basis up to one hundred and eighty consecutive days. The term may include accessory uses such as a residence for the owner or manager of the premises, utility hook-ups, laundry facilities, Accessory Buildings (such as gazebos, pavilions, storage buildings, or clubhouse), playgrounds, open space or recreational areas, fenced yards for pets, and other similar amenities. The term does not include a Manufactured/Mobile Home Park. See Subsection 2.52(A)(34) in Chapter 2 of this GDC.
(x) An establishment offering the sales, leasing, rental, service, or repair of new or used recreational vehicles and trailers (such as cargo, flatbed, and livestock), travel trailers and campers. The term includes sales of camping supplies and parts for RVs and outside display and storage of vehicle and trailer inventory (see Subsection 2.52(A)(14) in Chapter 2 of this GDC).
Reusable materials including, but not limited to, metals,
plastics, glass, and paper that are intended for reuse, remanufacture,
or reconstitution for the purpose of reusing the altered form. This
term does not include automotive materials or parts, food refuse,
offal, or other consumable materials.
(x) An indoor facility that provides for the collection, sorting, storage, bundling, and shipping of recoverable and recyclable non-automotive, non-consumable, and non-compostable materials such as aluminum cans, glass, papers including magazines and newspapers, cardboard, wood pallets, metals, plastics, tires, computers and electronics, oil, paints, solvents and textiles. (see Subsection 2.52(A)(8) in Chapter 2 of this GDC).
(x) A facility which provides for the collection, sorting, storage, bundling and shipping of recoverable and recyclable non-automotive, non-consumable and non-compostable materials such as aluminum cans, glass, papers including magazines and newspapers, cardboard, wood pallets, metals, plastics, tires, computers and electronics, oil, paints, solvents, and textiles (see Subsection 2.52(A)(8) in Chapter 2 of this GDC). For automotive-related reclamation, see “Salvage Yard, Automotive.”
Any container used for the temporary storage of routinely
collected waste that is specifically designed to be emptied by heavy
machinery. Also may be referred to as a dumpster or trash receptacle.
(x) As defined by Chapter 244 of the Texas Local Government
Code, a residential facility that is operated by an agency of the
state, a political subdivision of the state, or a private vendor operating
under a contract with an agency of the state or a political subdivision
of the state and that houses persons convicted of misdemeanors or
felonies or houses children found to have engaged in delinquent conduct,
regardless of whether the persons are housed in the residential facility:
While serving a sentence of confinement following conviction
of an offense;
As a condition of probation, parole, or mandatory supervision;
or
Under a court order for out-of-home placement under Title 3,
Family Code, other than in a foster home operated under contract with
the juvenile board of the county in which the foster home is located
or under a contract with the Texas Youth Commission.
|
Such facility and the persons that reside therein must meet
all the specifications and requirements of Chapter 244 of the Texas
Local Government Code to be considered a Rehabilitation Facility under
this GDC. In the event of a conflict between this definition and the
definition provided by Chapter 244 of the Texas Local Government Code,
state law shall control.
|
A Model Code published within the last three code cycles
and which applies to construction, renovation, maintenance, or other
alteration of a Building.
Land that is part of a larger parcel that is not subject
to a subdivision plat affecting the parcel.
A building occupied as the dwelling place of one or more
persons in which the use and management of sleeping quarters, and
all appliances for cooking, ventilating, heating, or lighting are
under one control, including any type of dwelling defined herein.
Property that is zoned as a single-family detached, single-family
attached (townhouse), two-family or multifamily zoning district. The
term includes property that is zoned as a Planned Development (PD)
district where the base zoning within the PD is one of the foregoing
districts.
A dwelling unit or group of dwelling units. The term includes
dwelling units (such as loft apartments) within the upper story(s)
of a building wherein other parts of the building are used for nonresidential
purposes, such as retail establishments or offices.
The City staff person who has been designated to accept submission
of a type of development application, to review and make recommendations
concerning such applications, and where authorized, to initially decide
such applications, to initiate enforcement actions, and to take all
other actions necessary for administration of the provisions of this
GDC with respect to such development applications. Also includes any
designee of the designated City staff person.
An establishment at which food and beverages are prepared
for service and consumption on the premises, or for carry-out (that
is, for off-site consumption). The term includes carry-out service
provided patrons leave their vehicles and enter the building to pick
up and pay for the carry-out items, or provided an employee of the
establishment carries items to patrons waiting in their vehicles (“curbside
service”). A Restaurant may include a drive-through lane for
a pick-up window so long as ordering at the window is not allowed
and a menu/order board is not provided.
An establishment at which food and beverages are prepared
primarily for service to persons in vehicles, and may include consumption
on the premises or curbside service. The term may include a take-out
window, walk-up window, drive-through, or drive-in service bays as
part of the operation. A Restaurant that includes a drive-through
lane for a pick-up window but does not allow ordering at the window
and does not include a menu/order board is not considered a Restaurant,
Drive-Through.
The sale of commodities in relatively small quantities directly
to consumers.
Leasable space that has the necessary ceiling height and
fire separation to accommodate retail and restaurant uses.
(x) The sale of commodities to consumers that is not otherwise
herein regulated or defined, including but not limited to the sale
of items such as, clothing and apparel accessories, household items
(does not include furniture, appliances and large furnishings), a
discount store, a department or variety store, an indoors-only automotive
parts sales, or a specialty grocer (maximum five thousand square feet).
A facility that provides a permanent pool of a pre-determined
volume of stormwater and that is designed to provide additional capacity
for the temporary storage of stormwater that may be required for detention
purposes.
See Stable, Commercial. ROOFLINE: The ridge
line or highest part of a roof.
(x) Any lot or land parcel upon which two or more motor vehicles
of any kind, which are incapable of being operated due to condition
or lack of license, have been placed for the purpose of dismantling
to obtain parts for recycling, resale, or storage.
(x) A private educational establishment offering, on a regular
basis, vocational instruction or training in professional, artistic
and design oriented fields, such as: clerical or administrative training,
data processing, computer programming and maintenance, medical training,
financial or legal training, artistic and design training, music,
dancing, acting, and modeling. The term does not include any establishment
providing practical or applied training in an activity that is not
otherwise allowed in the zoning district.
(x) A learning facility for enrolled students that is under
the sponsorship of a private agency, corporation, religious agency,
or registered charter (as provided for by Chapter 12 of the Texas
Education Code), other than a public school district, which offers
a curriculum that is generally equivalent to public schools for the
applicable grade level(s).
(x) A learning facility for enrolled students that is owned
and operated by a public school district which offers kindergarten,
elementary, secondary, and high school curriculum for the purpose
of educating students generally between the ages of five and eighteen.
(x) A private educational establishment offering, on a regular
basis, vocational instruction or training in retail or personal service
oriented fields, such as: bartending, cosmetology or personal grooming,
and food service or culinary instruction. The term does not include
any establishment providing practical or applied training in an activity
that is not otherwise allowed in the zoning district.
(x) A private educational establishment offering, on a regular
basis, vocational instruction or training in a trade, craft, skill,
activity, or profession, exclusive of other listed schools herein.
Examples include (but are not limited to): auto and truck repairing,
welding and metal-crafting, brick-laying, building construction and
contractor trades, truck and bus driving, or electronics assembling
and repairing. The term does not include establishments providing
practical or applied training in an activity that is not otherwise
allowed in the zoning district, unless such training only involves
equipment or processes typical of uses permitted in the district.
Fencing, walls, planted berms, or densely planted vegetation
that acts as a buffer or that reduce visibility.
(x) The periodic (that is, not continuous throughout the
calendar year) sales of seasonal items (such as Christmas trees, pumpkins,
holiday florals, summer play equipment, or other similar seasonal
outside display items) that are conducted by the same entity that
owns the property, or by a state-registered and regulated business
entity that holds a lease term on the property. The term does not
include private, illicit sales of goods or services by an individual
who is not registered as a bona fide retail or service business entity
with the Texas Secretary of State.
(x) A facility containing small individual storage units
of five hundred square feet or less for rent or lease, restricted
solely to the storage of items, such as motor vehicles, trailers,
boats, household goods, and sundry personal property. This definition
shall not include uses such as the conduct of sales, business, living
or habitation, band or musical practice or performance, or any other
activity other than storage within the individual storage units.
A singular automobile space, within or underneath a building
or structure, that provides a technician, customer, and/or automated
system adequate space to safely and efficiently service one vehicle.
This definition does not include overhead doors.
The required distance between any point on private land and
the nearest point at the edge of the nearest public street right-of-way.
Where a public way crosses a railroad right-of-way, the setback distance
is to be measured from the public right-of-way line extended across
the railroad right-of-way.
A line defining an area on the lot between the property line
and the building line, within which no building shall be constructed,
encroach or project, except as specifically authorized in an adopted
City ordinance or within this GDC.
Exterior Side Setback Line:
A side setback adjacent to a street right-of-way line.
Front Setback Line:
A line parallel to the street right-of-way line which the
building takes its primary access from and faces.
Interior Side Setback Line:
A side setback that is not adjacent to a street right-of-way.
Side Setback Line:
A line parallel to an adjacent lot, property line, or street
right-of-way on a corner lot, up to which the building sides.
Rear Setback Line:
A line parallel to an adjacent lot, alley, or street, for
double frontage lots, to which the building backs up and from which
it has its rear or secondary access.
(x) Any use included within the meaning of “sexually oriented business,” as defined in Article VIII, of Chapter 26 of the City Code.
(x) Any shelter or cover, fabric, or solid material designed
to provide shade or protection from weather elements.
(x) A standardized, reusable shipping or storage vessel used
in the transportation of freight or the storage of goods, and that
is capable of being mounted and moved on a rail car, a truck, or a
ship.
(x) A structure specially designed for the safe discharge
and use of rifles, shotguns, pistols, archery devices, and other types
of firearms for the purpose of sport shooting, target practice, competitions,
firearms education, or military or law enforcement training, entirely
enclosed within a building. The term may include, as an accessory
use, the sales of handguns and other firearms, ammunition, sport shooting,
and hunting supplies.
(x) An area specially designed for the safe discharge and
use of rifles, shotguns, pistols, archery devices, and other types
of firearms for the purpose of sport shooting, target practice, competitions,
firearms education, or military or law enforcement training in which
some or all of the operation occurs outside (that is, not entirely
enclosed within a building). The term may include, as an accessory
use, the sales of handguns and other firearms, ammunition, sport shooting,
and hunting supplies.
A paved pathway, normally located within public right-of-way
or within a pedestrian easement that is typically used by pedestrian
traffic, bicycles, and other non-motorized personal conveyances.
That quality in buildings and structures, or parts thereof,
which represents characteristics of a style or period of design and
construction and which reflect, through integrity of location, design,
materials, and workmanship the community’s heritage, including
its historical, architectural, and cultural values.
The drawings and technical specifications that conform to Chapter 3, Article 6, Division 1 of this GDC. Site engineering drawings, including bid documents and contract conditions, where applicable, provide a graphic and written description of the character and scope of the work to be performed in construction of a development.
A scaled and detailed drawing that conforms to the requirements of this GDC, specifically Chapter 4, Article 1, Division 1, and that shows the roads, parking, footprints of all buildings, existing trees, proposed landscaping, parkland, open space, grading and drainage, and similar features needed to verify compliance with the City’s approved Comprehensive Plan and development standards.
(x) An indoor establishment that cleans, repairs, refurbishes
or rents out non-automotive electric or gas-powered equipment with
only one-cylinder engines (such as lawn mowers, air compressors, and
chainsaws). Includes no outside display or storage, unless such is
allowed (by right or by SUP) and approved in the zoning district wherein
the business is located. (Also see definitions for the various types
of Outside Display and Outside Storage.)
(x) A commercial establishment to which the public is admitted
or invited which: (i) as its principal business purpose, offers for
sale, distribution or exchange, for any form of consideration, any
items, instruments, devices, equipment, accessories, or products that
are intended, designed or marketed for use in the smoking or inhaling
of any substance, including but not limited to tobacco, salts, incense,
marijuana, hashish, hashish oil, cocaine or other controlled substances
as defined in the Texas Health and Safety Code; and (ii) holds itself
out, taking into account its business operations, its general inventory,
and its commercial promotions whether on or off-premise, as encouraging
or promoting the use of cannabis, illegal or controlled substances,
or on which controlled substances are sold, marketed, or displayed
even if marked as being sold for “novelty” or not for
human consumption purposes. This definition does not include, and
categorically excludes, commercial establishments that derive more
than seventy-five percent of their revenue from the sale of the following
tobacco products contained in the original manufacturer package: cigarettes,
cigars, pipe tobacco, snuff, or chewing tobacco.
(x) A nonprofit facility operated by an organization that
provides services such as training, counseling, health, or the distribution
of food or clothing. This term includes but is not limited to a facility
offering life skills training, substance abuse counseling, and relocation
and housing services. This term does not include any use that provides
for any type of permanent or temporary overnight housing or shelter,
or any type of retail sales of goods or services.
See Refuse Container.
A modification of zoning standards authorized by the City’s Board of Adjustment that is applicable to particular types of development within any zoning district in a manner consistent with the overall intent of the zoning regulations and for which express standards are prescribed in Chapter 2, Article 2, Division 5 of this GDC.
A zoning action authorizing the establishment of a use that
may be suitable only in certain locations in a zoning district, or
that is allowed only when subject to standards and conditions that
assure compatibility with adjoining uses.
A uniform perennial vegetative cover established and maintained
with a coverage density of seventy percent or greater, or an approved
equivalent stabilization measure (such as rip-rap, gabions, or geotextiles)
on unpaved areas not covered by a permanent structure.
(x) A business establishment with one or more structures
or land that is used to keep equine livestock on a commercial basis,
for compensation, for one or more of the following purposes: sale,
hire, breeding, boarding, or training.
(x) A detached Accessory Building for the keeping of equine livestock owned by the occupants of the premises and not kept for remuneration, hire, or sale. (See Section 22.09 in Article 1 of Chapter 22 in the City Code for regulations pertaining to the keeping of livestock on private property, particularly minimum acreage requirements).
A facility that provides confined areas where cattle, horses,
or other livestock are held for short periods of time, fed filler-type
feed, and are generally awaiting transport. ((x) - Shown within the Land Use Matrix in Chapter 2 under Stockyards, Livestock
Auctions and Livestock Hauling)
A porch with steps that is located approximately at the level
of the first floor of a structure and intended to provide access to
a residential unit.
That portion of a building included between the surface of
any floor and the surface of the floor next above it, or if there
is no floor above it, then the space between the floor and the ceiling.
The entire width between property lines where any part thereof
is open to the use of the public, as a matter of right, regardless
of the type of property interest held by the City, for the purpose
of vehicular traffic. This definition includes public as well as private
streets.
The urban design element that establishes the character for
the major part of the public realm. The streetscape is composed of
thoroughfares (travel lanes for vehicles and bicycles, parking lanes
for cars, sidewalks for pedestrians) as well as the visible private
frontages (such as building facades and elevations, porches, setbacks,
fences, and awnings) and the amenities within the public frontages
(street trees and plantings, benches, streetlights, bike facilities,
or other furnishings).
Anything constructed or erected on the ground or attached
to the ground, that has a permanent location on the ground in some
definite manner. Examples include, but are not limited to, buildings,
towers, fences, carports, canopies, sheds, cabins, mobile homes, and
other similar things. Note that all buildings are structures, but
not all structures are buildings. Also see Building.
A color-intrinsic, exterior plaster material composed primarily
of cement and sand applied in a three-stage process, at least three-quarters
of an inch (0.75") in thickness, to form a hard covering for exterior
walls. (See the definition for Masonry Construction in Article 6 of Chapter 4 of this GDC)
(x) A business establishment, not exceeding five thousand
square feet in floor area, that provides a fully enclosed space within
a building and necessary supplies and equipment to produce individually
crafted artworks or craft items. The term includes incidental retail
sale of items produced on the premises and of supplies and crafting
tools needed to produce same, as well as instruction in their creation.
(x) A business establishment, not exceeding five thousand
square feet in floor area, that provides a fully enclosed space within
a building for practice and instructional classes in gymnastics, exercise
or fitness routines, the martial arts, dance, music, theatre, and
other performing arts. (See Health & Fitness Gym for facilities that are over five thousand square feet in size.)
An act by an owner of land who divides the tract into two
or more parts to lay out a subdivision of the tract, including an
addition to a municipality, to lay out suburban, building, or other
lots, or to lay out streets, alleys, squares, parks, or other parts
of the tract intended to be dedicated to public use or for the use
of purchasers or owners of lots fronting on or adjacent to the streets,
alleys, squares, parks or other parts. A division of a tract of land
under this definition includes a division regardless of whether it
is made by using metes and bounds description in a deed of conveyance
or in a contract for a deed, by using a contract of sale or other
executor contract to convey, or by using any other method. A division
of land under this definition does not include a division of land
into parts greater than five acres, where each part has access and
no public improvement is being dedicated.
Any person or any agent of the person dividing or proposing
to divide land so as to constitute a subdivision. In any event, the
term “subdivider”‘ is restricted to include only
the owner, equitable owner, or authorized agent of the owner or equitable
owner of land to be subdivided.
The term may have the following meanings, depending on context:
(i) property for which a plat has been recorded; (ii) an area of subdivided
lots; or (iii) pertaining to the act of subdividing land (see the
definition of Subdivide).
The total of all repairs, reconstruction, or improvements
of a structure that: (i) have occurred less than twelve months prior
to application for a permit for a proposed repair, reconstruction,
or improvement; (ii) increases the floor area of an existing structure
by fifty percent or more; or (iii) the cost of equals fifty percent
or more of the market value of an existing structure, either:
Before the improvement or repair is started, or
If the structure has been damaged, and is being restored, before
the damage occurred.
For the purposes of this definition, “substantial improvement”
is considered to occur when the first alteration of any wall, ceiling,
floor, or other structural part of the building commences, whether
or not the alteration affects the external dimensions of the structure.
The term does not, however, include either:
Any project for improvement of a structure to comply with existing
or local health, sanitary, or safety code specifications which are
solely necessary to assure safe living conditions, or
Any alteration of a structure listed on the National Register
of Historic Places or a State Inventory of Historic Places.
A land surveyor or a registered professional land surveyor,
licensed by the state of Texas to practice the profession of surveying.
(x) An establishment that offers either tattooing or body
piercing. Tattooing is the practice of producing an indelible mark
or figure on the human body by scarring or inserting a pigment under
the skin using needles, scalpels or other related equipment, but does
not include tattooing for medical purposes (such as for reconstructive
or plastic surgery) or the application of permanent cosmetics (see Permanent Cosmetics). Body piercing is the creation of an opening in an individual’s body, other than in an individual’s earlobe, to insert jewelry or other decoration. (Also see Subsection 2.52(A)(6) in Chapter 2 of this GDC.)
(x) The business of preparing, stuffing, and mounting the
skins, heads, antlers, or other external parts of animals, or birds,
and fish for display.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
The City’s technical standards, specifications, documents,
and regulations that apply to development, together with all tables,
drawings, and other attachments. All City standards described or referred
to in this GDC are adopted by reference and are a part of this GDC
in the same way as if they were set out at length herein, and include
(but not be limited to) the following:
The Standard Specifications for Public Works Construction
in North Central Texas edition adopted per the Technical
Standards Manual, published by the North Central Texas Council
of Governments (NCTCOG), as amended by the City of Garland;
The City’s Engineering Department Standard Construction
Details, as amended;
The City’s Geodetic Control Network (GCN);
The City’s Traffic Management Standards, as amended; and
The City’s Technical Standards Manual, as amended.
(x) A building used for the transmission and exchange of
communications messages and signals (including those transmitted by
wire, fiber-optics, or other non-wireless technology). The term does
not include outdoor equipment yards or wireless service towers (see Antenna, Commercial).
See Antenna or Microwave Reflector, and Antenna Support Structure.
A satellite office-related work facility incorporating sufficient
technology to permit employees to reduce their commute trip or to
work closer to home (classified as an Office, General).
(x) A building or structure, of either permanent or temporary
construction (including a recreational vehicle or a trailer), used
in conjunction with a development or construction project for display
purposes, as a field office, or for accommodating temporary supervisory,
sales, or security personnel related to the active development or
construction project.
An antenna and any associated support structure or equipment
(including equipment such as a support pole or a vehicle) that is
placed or used on a temporary basis only, usually in conjunction with
a special event, news coverage, or emergency situation, or in case
of equipment failure or temporary augmentation of permanent communications
equipment.
(x) A building or part of a building devoted to the showing
of motion pictures or for dramatic, musical, or live theatrical performances
with a seating capacity of over seven hundred persons.
(x) A building or part of a building devoted to the showing
of motion pictures or for dramatic, musical, or live theatrical performances
with a seating capacity of seven hundred persons or less.
A roadway that is classified as a Type “D” or
above on the City’s adopted Major Thoroughfare Plan.
Any device designed for the purpose of anchoring a mobile
home or manufactured home to ground anchors, as required by Texas
Occupations Code, Chapter 1201.
(x) A premises for the loading and unloading of passengers
for a publicly-owned and operated transit system (such as DART). The
term includes overnight parking of passengers’ vehicles. The
term does not include a bus stop.
(x) A premises for the loading and unloading of passengers
from group transportation vehicles (such as buses), that is operated
for profit by a commercial passenger transportation business. The
term includes a pick-up or drop-off type of operation only. The term
does not include overnight parking or long-term storage of transportation
vehicles, except for the occasional overnight parking of a vehicle
that has become inoperable for a maximum of twenty-four hours, or
any type of overnight accommodations.
(x) A premises for the loading and unloading of passengers
from group transportation vehicles (such as buses), and also including
the temporary or short-term parking of such vehicles, that is operated
for profit by a commercial passenger transportation business. The
term may include limited overnight accommodations and personal hygiene
facilities (such as showers) for company employees and drivers only
(not for passengers) and overnight parking of transportation vehicles
that are either out-of-service (yet operable) or that are awaiting
a trip segment for up to seven calendar days.
(x) A large-scale motor fuel sales facility of over five
thousand square feet that primarily involves fueling and travel services
for tractor trucks and the trucking industry.
See Heavy Load Vehicle.
(x) An establishment that provides major and minor repairs
to trucks, buses, trailers, and other heavy load vehicles for a fee.
The term includes no outside storage except the parking of vehicles
being repaired, which may remain on-site for no longer than ninety
calendar days.
(x) The rental of new or used panel trucks, vans, and other
heavy load vehicles that are in operable condition. The term does
not include truck or bus repair services.
(x) An area for the temporary parking or long-term storage
of operable (that is, no junked, wrecked, or inoperable) trucks, buses,
RVs, trailers, boats, and other types of special and heavy load vehicles,
owned by others, for a fee.
(x) A facility for the automated, self-serve or full-service
washing and detailing of heavy load vehicles for a fee. The term is
limited to uses where the overnight storage of vehicles or trailers
are limited to those vehicles or trailers that are being cleaned and
no longer than two nights at any given visit.
The Texas Department of Transportation.
An establishment that provides for the pick-up or delivery,
laundering, sale, or leasing of uniforms to individuals or businesses.
The term may include uses such as on-site laundering of, and alterations
and repairs to, uniforms and linens, which are provided to customers
by the business. (Classified as Laundry Plant, Commercial in the Land Use Matrix in Chapter 2 of this GDC.)
Previously owned or used goods including, but not limited
to, clothes, shoes, office or household furnishings, linens, draperies,
dishes, domestic kitchen appliances, and other similar items. The
term does not include the sales of any car, truck, recreational vehicle,
boat, trailer, truck, motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle, personal watercraft,
or other automotive or motorized vehicle (which are covered as used
vehicle sales).
(x) A single-tenant retail establishment that primarily sells
used goods in which all sales, display, and storage occur within a
fully enclosed building. The term includes a resale or thrift shop,
consignment store, military surplus store, and rummage shop, but does
not include a flea market or indoor shopping mall (see Flea
Market and Indoor Shopping Mall).
A business that provides an essential commodity or service,
such as electric, gas transmission, and local telephone, and that
is generally substantially regulated by the Texas Public Utility Commission,
Railroad Commission, or Federal Communications Commission.
(x) A private, commercial transportation service (not operated
by the City of Garland or other public entity such as DART) that specializes
in the dispatch and provision of specialty non-heavy-load vehicles
such as ambulances, hearses, limousines, taxis, and paratransit vehicles
for a fee. The term may include facilities for accessory uses such
as the storage and maintenance of such vehicles, office space, and
sleeping quarters for employees who are on-call. The term only includes
outside storage where allowed in the zoning district wherein the business
is located and is limited to vehicles dispatched by the business unless
otherwise approved by SUP.
An automated machine that is located outside of the building
and that is designed to sell and dispense non-consumable goods for
a fee. The term includes machines that distribute visual media, flowers,
newspapers or magazines, postage, or mailing supplies.
A request for relief, based upon constitutional standards, from one or more standards of this GDC based on an assertion that the petitioner has acquired a vested right requiring the City to review and decide the application under standards in effect prior to the effective date of the standards of this GDC. A vested rights petition is regulated under Chapter 5, Article 1, Division 5 of this GDC.
(x) An establishment where a veterinarian maintains treatment
facilities for the medical or surgical treatment of diseased or injured
animals of all sizes (may include livestock), including boarding facilities.
Some or all of the establishment’s activities may occur outdoors
(including overnight), in outdoor pens, runs, or corrals.
(x) An indoor-only establishment where a veterinarian maintains
treatment facilities for the medical or surgical treatment of diseased
or injured animals, including boarding facilities. The term does not
include outdoor activities, except for short breaks, a maximum of
sixty minutes, for animals currently being treated. For the purpose
of this definition, small animal shall be defined as any animal that
is no larger than the largest breed of dogs, including fish, birds,
reptiles and mammals (no livestock).
(x) An establishment where a veterinarian maintains treatment
facilities for the medical or surgical treatment of diseased or injured
animals, including boarding facilities. The term includes activities
that may occur outdoors, generally for an extended period of time
(including overnight). For the purpose of this definition, small animal
shall be defined as any animal that is no larger than the largest
breed of dogs, including fish, birds, reptiles and mammals (no livestock).
(x) A facility that is designed to allow patrons to order,
pay for, and obtain goods by walking up to an exterior service window
or portal while not physically entering the building.
(x) An establishment with at least twenty-five percent of
its total floor area devoted to office and showroom space (that is,
an establishment where a maximum of seventy-five percent of its total
floor area is devoted to storage and warehousing that is not generally
accessible to the public). The term includes sales offices, retail
or wholesale sales areas, and display areas (showrooms) for products
sold and distributed from the warehousing area.
See Distribution Center, Large and Distribution Center, Small.
(x) A wind-driven energy conversion system that converts
wind energy into electricity through the use of a wind turbine/rotor
(blades), a tower (freestanding, engineered, monopole structure only
upon which the wind turbine/generator is mounted – no lattice-type
or guyed tower structures allowed), and associated control or conversion
electronics, that has a rated capacity of not more than 10 kw output
at any given time, and that is intended for on-site production and
consumption of electricity.
See Antenna or Microwave Reflector, and Antenna Support Structure.
(x) An establishment or place of business engaged in towing
or transporting all types of vehicles (including automobiles, trucks,
buses, and RVs) either behind the towing vehicle or placed on top
of a flat-deck transport vehicle. The term includes the temporary
storage of vehicles for no longer than fourteen calendar days. The
term does not include long-term vehicle storage or salvage operations.
Open space on the lot or building plot on which a building
is situated, between the property line and the setback line, which
is open and unobstructed to the sky by any structure except as provided
below.
The open, unoccupied, and unobstructed space located in front of the front building line of the principal building(s), calculated as the minimum horizontal distance between the front property line and the front building line of the principal building(s). Refer to Chapter 2, Article 6, Division 1, Illustration 2-13, for a diagram related to this definition.
The open space (unoccupied and unobstructed except for allowed appurtenances, accessory buildings or dwellings) located behind the rear building line of the principal building(s), calculated as the minimum horizontal distance between the rear property line and the rear building line of the principal building(s). Refer to Chapter 2, Article 6, Division 1, Illustration 2-13, for a diagram related to this definition.
The open (unoccupied, unobstructed) space located on either side of the principal building(s), calculated as the minimum horizontal distance between the side property line and the side building line of the principal building(s). Any lot line which is not a front or rear lot line is a side lot line. Where a lot has only three lot lines, those lot lines which do not front upon a street shall be deemed side lot lines. Refer to Chapter 2, Article 6, Division 1, Illustration 2-13, for a diagram related to this definition.
As defined by administrative rule of the Department of Family
and Protective Services (DFPS), or as amended, a single independent
home that is the primary residence of the foster parent(s) and licensed
to provide care for six or fewer children up to the age of eighteen
years. In the event of a conflict between this definition and DFPS’s
definition, as amended, the DFPS’s definition shall control.
As defined by administrative rule of the Department of Family
and Protective Services (DFPS), as amended, a single independent home
that is the primary residence of the foster parent(s) and licensed
to provide care for seven to twelve children up to the age of eighteen
years. In the event of a conflict between this definition and DFPS’s
definition, as amended, the DFPS’s definition shall control.
As defined by administrative rule of the Department of Family
and Protective Services (DFPS), as amended, a caregiver at least eighteen
years old who provides care in his own home for compensation and has
a current and valid Issuance Letter issued by DFPS for three or fewer
children unrelated to the caregiver, ages birth through thirteen years.
Regular care is provided, which is care provided for at least four
hours a day, three or more days per week, and more than nine consecutive
weeks. The total number of children in care, including children related
to the caregiver, shall not exceed twelve. In the event of a conflict
between this definition and DFPS’s definition, as amended, the
DFPS’s definition shall control.
A classification within which the development regulations
specified are uniform, and which is assigned to a particular area
of the City by delineation upon the Zoning District Map, which is
a part of this GDC.
The officially certified map or maps, on which the boundaries
of the various zoning districts are shown, and which is a part of
this GDC.
Any zoning district designated other than residential zoning by Chapter 2 of this GDC, as amended.
Any zoning district designated as a residential district in Chapter 2 of this GDC, as amended.
(x) A facility consisting of a zoological garden or a collection
of live animals for display to the public.
(Ordinance 6773 adopted 5/19/15; Ordinance 6944 adopted 11/21/17; Ordinance
6979, sec. 3, adopted 4/17/18; Ordinance 7001, sec. 2, adopted 8/7/18; Ordinance 7079, sec. 44, adopted 8/20/19; Ordinance 7104, sec. 1, adopted 11/5/19; Ordinance 7107, sec. 86, adopted 12/3/19; Ordinance 7176, sec. 3, adopted 9/15/20; Ordinance 7352 adopted 8/16/22; Ordinance 7405 adopted 2/21/2023; Ordinance
7495 adopted 1/9/2024; Ordinance 7497 adopted 1/9/2023)
