Area, Gross.Gross area means the total land area included within the boundary of any parcel of land or lot, which boundaries are specified in the deed to the property, or as shown and delineated on a recorded final map, parcel map or record of survey on file in the office of the County Recorder.
Area, Net.Net area means the gross area of any parcel of land, less panhandles and all public and private easements for vehicular access within the parcel, excluding easements primarily for maintenance and emergency access. Panhandles are defined separately.
Building sitemeans that portion of a lot or parcel on which a residence may be placed so as to conform with the provisions of this chapter and all building, sanitary, zoning, and other laws or ordinances of the Town. The building site shall not include areas within required yard, creek and drainage setbacks, shall be outside of known fault zones and easements, and shall not include areas with slopes in excess of 30% unless the average slope of the property exceeds 30%. All proposed building sites shall be sufficient in area to accommodate the maximum floor area permitted for a proposed parcel.
Certificate of compliancemeans a document prepared and issued by the Town, and intended for recordation certifying that a parcel or parcels of property within the Town are lots lawfully created and existing in compliance with this title and the Subdivision Map Act and can be sold, leased or financed without further proceedings under this title.
Corridormeans the same as "panhandle." In addition, the term means a portion of land utilized primarily for vehicular access from the public or private vehicular right-of-way to the buildable area of two or more lots. Said portion of land may be in single ownership with granted easements, or may be in multiple ownerships with granted reciprocal easements.
Drivewaymeans a private way or route for use by vehicular traffic leading from a parking area, house, garage or other structure to a public or private right-of-way, and serving no more than two parcels or lots.
Easement, Buffer.Buffer easement means a portion of land which may be improved by the subdivider at Town discretion in such a manner as to delimit unattractive visual surroundings, reduce noise from surrounding lands or roadways, separate vehicular traffic from pedestrian and equestrian traffic for traffic safety purposes, or for any other reasons as may be determined by the Planning Commission and affirmed by the City Council.
Easement, Conservation.Conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement between a landowner and a qualified conservation organization or a public agency that protects the land in its natural, scenic, historical, agricultural, forested, or open space condition in perpetuity. A conservation easement permanently limits the extent and location of future structures and defines the type of land use(s) that can occur while allowing landowners to retain ownership and control of the property.
Easement, Open Space.Open space easement means an easement over a portion of land reserved for the express purpose of protecting natural vegetation, terrain, watercourses, and wildlife habitat and for the purpose of preventing or limiting drainage and erosion problems. This type of easement may be required by the Town as a condition of approval for the subdivision/development of parcels in designated open space conservation areas, on areas with a 30% or greater slope, on areas with heritage oak trees, or on other environmentally sensitive areas such as along drainages, creeks and riparian corridors. Limitations on the location and type of future structures, the placement of utilities, allowable uses and other variables are defined in an Agreement for Open Space Easement, while allowing landowners to retain ownership of the property.
Easement, Pathway.Pathway easement means a portion of land reserved for the express use of equestrian, pedestrian, or bicycle traffic, or any combination use thereof, as recommended by the Pathway Committee, determined by the Planning Commission and affirmed by the City Council.
Easement, Sanitary Sewer.Sanitary sewer easement means a portion of land reserved for the express use of sanitary related improvements, both immediate and future, and shall be determined as such by the City Engineer.
Easement, Slope Control.Slope control easement means a portion of land reserved immediately outside of and adjoining the right-of-way of a road which is of sufficient width to allow for the maintenance of the slope in order to prevent damage to the roadway and/or adjoining properties, and shall be determined as such by the City Engineer.
Easement, Storm Drain.Storm drain easement means a portion of land reserved for the express use of storm runoff or watercourse improvements both immediate and future, and shall be determined as such by the City Engineer.
Frontagemeans that portion of the length of a single parcel or lot which abuts public or private road rights-of-way.
Government Codemeans the Government Code of the State of California, or as amended.
Health Department and/or Health Officermeans the County of Santa Clara Department of Environmental Health and/or an employee of the Department of Environmental Health or his or her assistant(s) or authorized deputy(ies) acting as the Health Officer for and of the Town.
Improvementsare defined as the following:
(a) Utility improvements, though not limited to the following, mean storm drains, sanitary sewers, potable water systems, electrical, telephone, gas and fire protection systems, which the subdivider has agreed to install on lands which are offered for dedication as streets and/or easements as deemed necessary for the general use of lot owners in the subdivision and the local neighborhood;
Street improvements, though not limited to the following, mean pavement, curbs, combined curbs and gutters, landscaping, retaining walls, road dividers, erosion controls, sewage collection and disposal systems, storm drainage facilities, and flood control facilities;
Other improvements mean other specific improvements or types of improvements, the installation of which, either by the subdivider, by public agencies, by private utilities, by any other entity approved by the Town or by a combination thereof, is necessary or convenient to insure conformity to or implementation of the General Plan or any specific plan adopted pursuant to Division 1, Chapter 3, Article 8 of the California Government Code, commencing with Section 65450.
Lotmeans a unit or portion of land separated from other parcels or portions by description and accomplished by a recorded parcel map, record of survey map, or a recorded final subdivision map, or created legally by deed. The word "parcel" shall be considered the same as the word "lot".
Mapsshall be defined as the following:
(a) Preliminary map means a map prepared by a State-registered civil engineer or State-licensed land surveyor, for the purpose of showing the initial conceptual design of a proposed subdivision, and the existing conditions in and around it, and need not be based upon an accurate or detailed final survey of the property;
Tentative map means a map prepared by a State-registered civil engineer or State-licensed land surveyor for the purpose of showing the design of a proposed subdivision and the existing conditions of the property and its surroundings;
Final map or parcel map means a map prepared in accordance with the provisions of this chapter and the Subdivision Map Act, which map is designed to be placed on record in the office of the County Recorder.
Means of accessmeans a street, right-of-way, a public or private easement designed for ingress to and egress from any parcel of land to a public street.
Ownermeans any individual, firm, association, syndicate, co-partnership, corporation, trust, or any other legal entity having sufficient proprietary interest in the land sought to be subdivided to commence and maintain proceedings to subdivide the same, pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.
Panhandlemeans the portion of a lot which connects the buildable section of the lot to the public or private vehicular right-of-way. Said portion of land which accomplishes the above connection shall be used primarily for vehicular access to a single lot.
Parcelmeans all contiguous land which has not been separated by the means described in this chapter and held in one ownership as indicated in the records of the County Recorder.
Public utilitymeans private corporations or governmental jurisdictions authorized by law to establish and maintain any such works or facilities in, under, or over any public street, easement or right-of-way.
Reserve stripmeans those controlling the access to public ways and will not be approved unless such strips are necessary for the protection of the public welfare and/or substantial property rights and shall only be approved when the complete control and disposal of the land and all of its uses comprising such strips are placed completely within the exclusive control of the City Council.
Right-of-wayas used in this chapter, includes all or any part of the entire width of a road and/or street easement.
Roadmeans a way for vehicular traffic, whether designated as a road, lane, street, avenue, way, place, drive, cul-de-sac, thoroughfare, or otherwise, and includes any portion of a right-of-way for motor vehicle travel which affords the principal means of access to abutting property, including public and private rights-of-way and easements for ingress and egress purposes.
Road, Collector.Collector road means a road which, because of its design and location is intended to collect traffic from local and neighborhood connector roads and carry that traffic to the limited arterial road-way system. Collector roads are also designed with limited driveway access to provide principal connections from residential areas to arterials or expressways.
Road, Connector.Connector road means a road which, because of its design and location, connects adjacent residential land uses and generally connects one neighborhood area with another. Occasionally, a connector road will directly connect to an arterial road.
Road, Cul-de-Sac.Cul-de-sac road means any road having but one outlet for vehicular travel, the terminus of said road being within the subdivision, enclosed by parcels of land comprising lots or parcels of the subdivision, and having special facilities for the turning around of vehicular traffic.
Road, Dead-End.Dead-end road means any road having but one outlet for vehicular, pedestrian, and equestrian traffic which is designed to be continued as a through street at a later date and terminating one foot from the property adjoining the subdivision.
Road, Emergency Fire.Emergency fire road means any roadway designed expressly for use in the event of a fire and/or emergency either of a manmade or natural cause.
Road, Local.Local road means a road which, because of its design and location with respect to other roads, is used primarily for local traffic or access to the abutting property.
Road, Private.Private road means a road, way, or street in private ownership and under private maintenance, not offered for dedication as a public road, way, place or street, which affords the principal means of access to three or more lots or parcels which do not have frontage on a public street.
Road, Public.Public road means a road dedicated to, accepted by, and maintained by the Town, the County, or the State, including roads offered for dedication to the Town which have been improved, or for which an improvement security is in effect to improve the same. The term includes "Town road," "accepted road," "accepted public road," and "dedicated road."
Standardmean the specifications and standard drawings of the Town of Los Altos Hills for design and construction of improvements, which specifications and drawings have been approved by the City Council.
Subdividermeans any individual, firm, association, syndicate, partnership, corporation, trust, or any other legal entity, public, governmental, or otherwise, who proposes to divide, does divide, or causes to be divided, real property into a subdivision of land for himself, herself, for another, for itself, or for others except that employees and consultants of such persons or entities, acting in such capacity, are not "subdividers."
Subdivisionmeans and includes the division of any improved or unimproved real property or portion thereof, as shown on the latest equalized Santa Clara County assessment roll, as a unit or as contiguous units, which land is to be divided for the purpose of sale, lease or financing, or construction of improvements thereon, whether immediate or future. A subdivision includes all divisions of land which are excluded from the definition of subdivision in Section 66424 of the Government Code, or as amended. The separation of a single lot, parcel, or site from a larger lot, parcel, or site shall constitute a subdivision.
Subdivision Committeemeans a committee composed of the following persons or their designated representatives: the City Engineer, the Planning Director, other staff as appropriate, one member of the Planning Commission, as designated by the chair of that Commission, one member of the Environmental Design and Protection Committee, one member of the Open Space Committee, and one member of the Pathways Committee. A quorum of the Committee members is not required to conduct a meeting.
Substandard lotmeans a parcel of land that does not meet the minimum parcel size requirements in Section
10-1.501 of the Zoning Ordinance.
(§ 1, Ord. 572, eff. February 18, 2018)