Town of West Hartford, CT Definitions and Word Usage

The following definitions shall apply in the interpretation and enforcement of this chapter:

A detached building or structure in a secondary or subordinate capacity from the main or principal building or structure on the same premises.

APPROPRIATE AUTHORITY

That person within the governmental structure of the Town of West Hartford who is charged with the administration of the designated code.

APPROVED

Approved by the local or state authority having such administrative authority.

ASHES

The residue from the burning of combustible materials.

ATTIC

Any story situated wholly or partly within the roof, and so designed, arranged or built as to be used for business, storage or habitation.

BASEMENT

A portion of a building located partly underground but having less than half its clear floor-to-ceiling height below the average grade of the adjoining ground.

BUILDING

A fixed construction with walls, foundation and roof, such as a house, factory or garage, which is either vacant or used for any type of occupancy or use.

BULK CONTAINER

Any metal garbage, rubbish and/or refuse container which is equipped with fittings for hydraulic and/or mechanical emptying, unloading and/or removal.

CELLAR

A portion of a building located partly or wholly underground and having half or more than half of its clear floor-to-ceiling height below the average grade of the adjoining ground.

CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEM

A single system supplying heat to one or more dwelling unit(s).

CHIMNEY

A vertical masonry shaft of reinforced concrete or other approved noncombustible, heat-resisting material enclosing one or more flues for the purpose of removing products of combustion from solid, liquid or gaseous fuel.

DILAPIDATED

No longer adequate for the purpose or use for which it was originally intended or decayed or rotted and beyond repair.

DIRECTOR OF HEALTH

The legally designated health authority of the Town of West Hartford or a representative authorized to act by said Director.

DWELLING

A house or building, or portion thereof, or any enclosed space wholly or partly used or intended to be used for living, sleeping, cooking and/or eating by one or more families or households, provided that temporary housing, as hereinafter defined, shall not be classified as a dwelling. Industrialized housing and modular construction which conform to nationally accepted industry standards and are used or intended for use for living, sleeping, cooking and eating purposes shall be classified as dwellings.

DWELLING UNIT

A dwelling, or portion thereof, forming a single habitable unit with facilities used or intended to be used for living, sleeping, cooking and/or eating purposes.

EGRESS

An arrangement of exit facilities to assure a safe means of exit from a building.

EXTERMINATION

The control and elimination of insects, rodents or other pests by eliminating their harborage places; by removing or making inaccessible materials that may serve as their food; by poisoning, spraying, fumigating, trapping or by any other recognized and legal pest elimination methods approved by the local or state authority having such administrative authority.

FAIR MARKET VALUE

A price at which both buyers and sellers are willing to do business.

FAMILY

One or more individuals related by blood, marriage or legal adoption living together and sharing common living, sleeping, cooking and eating facilities. (See also "household.")

FLUSH WATER CLOSET

A toilet bowl which is flushed with water which has been supplied under pressure and which is equipped with a water-sealed trap above the floor level.

GARBAGE

Putrescible animal and vegetable wastes resulting from the handling, preparation, cooking and consumption of food.

GRADE

The finished ground level adjacent to a required window.

GUEST

An individual who shares a dwelling unit in a nonpermanent status for not more than 30 days.

HABITABLE ROOM

A room or enclosed floor space used or intended to be used for living, sleeping, cooking or eating purposes, excluding bathrooms, water closet compartments, laundries, furnace rooms, pantries, kitchenettes and utility rooms of less than 50 square feet of floor space, foyers or communicating corridors, stairways, closets, storage spaces and workshops, hobby and recreation areas.

HEATED WATER

Water heated to a temperature of not less than 110° F. at the outlet.

HEATING DEVICE

All furnaces, unit heaters, domestic incinerators, cooking and heating stoves and ranges and other similar devices.

HOUSEHOLD

One or more individuals living together in a single dwelling unit and sharing common living, sleeping, cooking and eating facilities. (See also "family.")

INFESTATION

The presence within or around a dwelling of any insects, rodents or other pests.

KITCHEN

Any room used for the storage and/or preparation of foods and containing the following equipment: sink and/or other device for dishwashing; stove or other device for cooking; refrigerator or other device for cool storage of food; cabinets and/or shelves for storage of equipment and utensils; and counter or table for food preparation.

KITCHENETTE

A small kitchen or an alcove containing cooking facilities.

LEAD-BASED PAINT

Any paint containing more lead than the level established by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission as being the safe level of lead in residential paint and paint products.

LITTER

"Garbage," "refuse" and "rubbish" as defined in this section and all other waste material which, if thrown or deposited as herein prohibited, tends to create a danger to public health, safety and welfare. Litter shall not include clean excavated earth, unless the same may be objectionable by reason of dust or foul odors, or fill material approved by the Director of Public Works. Litter shall not include sand, salt or other appropriate chemicals upon any icy or slippery condition.

MULTIPLE DWELLING

Any dwelling containing more than two dwelling units.

OCCUPANT

Any individual, over one year of age, living, sleeping, cooking or eating in or having possession of a dwelling unit or a rooming unit, except that in dwelling units a guest shall not be considered an occupant.

OPERATOR

Any person who has charge, care, control or management of a building, or part thereof, in which dwelling units or rooming units are rented.

ORDINARY SUMMER CONDITIONS

A temperature 10° F. below the highest recorded temperature in the locality for the prior ten-year period.

ORDINARY WINTER CONDITIONS

A temperature 15° F. above the lowest recorded temperature in the locality for the prior ten-year period.

OWNER

Any person who, alone or jointly or severally with others, shall have:

(1)

Legal title to any premises, dwelling or dwelling unit, with or without accompanying actual possession thereof; or

(2)

Charge, care or control of any premises, dwelling or dwelling unit, as owner or agent of the owner, or an executor, administrator, trustee or guardian of the estate of the owner. Any such person thus representing the actual owner shall be bound to comply with the provisions of this chapter and of rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto to the same extent as if he or she were the owner.

PERMISSIBLE OCCUPANCY

The maximum number of individuals permitted to reside in a dwelling unit.

PERSON

Includes any individual, firm, corporation, association, partnership, cooperative or governmental agency.

PLUMBING

Includes all connections to water, sewer or gas lines.

PREMISES

A platted lot or part thereof or unplatted lot or parcel of land or plot of land, either occupied or unoccupied by any dwelling or nondwelling structure, and includes any such building, accessory structure or other structure thereon, or any part thereof. The term "premises," where the context requires, shall be deemed to include any and all buildings, dwellings, parcels of land or structures contained within the scope of this chapter.

PRIVACY

The existence of conditions which will permit an individual or individuals to commence and carry out an activity without interruption or interference, either by sight or sound by other individuals.

PROPERLY CONNECTED

Connected in accordance with all applicable codes and ordinances of the Town of West Hartford as from time to time amended; provided, however, that the application of this definition shall not require the alteration or replacement of any connection in good working order and not constituting a hazard to life or health.

RAT HARBORAGE

Any conditions or place where rats can live, nest or seek shelter.

RATPROOFING

A form of construction which will prevent the ingress or egress of rats to or from a given space or building or from gaining access to food, water or harborage. It consists of the closing and keeping closed of every opening in foundations, basements, cellars, exterior and interior walls, ground or first floors, roofs, sidewalk gratings, sidewalk openings and other places that may be reached and entered by rats by climbing, burrowing or other methods; by the use of materials impervious to rat gnawing; and by other methods approved by the Director of Health.

REFUSE

All putrescible and nonputrescible solid wastes (except body wastes), including garbage, rubbish, ashes, street cleanings, dead animals, abandoned automobiles and solid market and industrial wastes.

REFUSE CONTAINER

Any container that is constructed of metal or other durable material impervious to rodents and that is capable of being serviced without hydraulic and/or mechanical emptying, unloading and/or removal, or such other containers as have been approved by the appropriate authority.

RUBBISH

Nonputrescible solid wastes consisting of both combustible and noncombustible wastes, such as paper, wrappings, cigarettes, cardboard, tin cans, yard clippings, leaves, wood, glass, bedding, crockery and similar materials, but shall not include properly maintained compost.

SAFETY

The condition of being reasonably free from danger and hazards which may cause accidents or disease.

SMOKE DETECTOR

A device certified by a testing laboratory approved by the federal government, which device detects visible or invisible particles of combustion.

SPACE HEATER

A self-contained device of either the convection type or the radiant type and intended primarily to heat only a limited space or area, such as one room or two adjoining rooms.

STRUCTURE

That which has been or is built or constructed and which is or should be fastened, anchored or attached to or which rests on a building, foundation or on the ground, including any buildings, fences, fire escapes, railings, towers, sidewalks or stairways.

SUPPLIED

Paid for, furnished by, provided by or under the control of the owner, operator or agent.

TEMPORARY HOUSING

Any tent, trailer, mobile home or any other structure used for human shelter which is designed to be transportable and which is not attached to the ground, to another structure or to any utility system on the same premises for more than 30 days within any six-month period.

TOXIC SUBSTANCE

Any chemical product applied on the surface of or incorporated into any structural or decorative material which constitutes a potential hazard to human health at acute or chronic exposure levels.

VARIANCE

A difference between that which is required or specified and that which is permitted.

Meaning of certain words. Whenever the words "dwelling," "dwelling unit," "rooming units," "premises" and "structure" are used in this chapter, they shall be construed as though they were followed by the words "or any part thereof." Words used in the singular include the plural, and the plural the singular; the masculine gender includes the feminine and the feminine the masculine.