Chapter 17.08 DEFINITIONS

Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, all terms used in this title which are defined in the Subdivision Map Act are used in this title as having the same meaning as ascribed hereto in the Subdivision Map Act unless from the context hereof it clearly appears that a different meaning is intended. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.1, 1972)

17.08.020 Access rights.

“Access rights” means the right, claim, title, or privilege of access, by pedestrians, equestrians, or vehicles, to a parcel of land has been granted by a written permanent and recorded easement, dedication, or offer of dedication for a public or private street or way. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.2, 1972)

17.08.030 Alley.

“Alley” means a public way for pedestrian, equestrian, or vehicle use which affords only a secondary means of access to abutting properties. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.3, 1972)

17.08.040 Approved.

“Approved” means approved by the planning commission and/or the city council or by the person or department having jurisdiction on such matters, unless otherwise specified. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.4, 1972)

17.08.050 Arterial street.

“Arterial street” means a divided highway primarily for through traffic to which access from abutting property is kept at a minimum. Intersections with other streets or highways shall be limited to approximately one-quarter mile intervals. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.5, 1972)

17.08.060 Article.

“Article” means an article of the ordinance codified herein unless some other statute or other ordinance is referred to. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.6, 1972)

17.08.070 Block.

“Block” means an area of land within a subdivision which area is entirely bounded by streets, highways, or ways, except alleys and the exterior boundary or boundaries of the subdivision. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.7, 1972)

17.08.080 City.

“City” means the city of Norco. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.8, 1972)

17.08.090 City council.

“City council” means the city council of the city of Norco. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.9, 1972)

17.08.100 City engineer.

“City engineer” means the engineer or his representative, as designated by the city council, to discharge for the city of Norco those duties prescribed hereinafter to be performed by the city engineer. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.10, 1972)

17.08.110 City standards.

“City standards” refers to specific and general plans, ordinances, standard streets, and highway plans, standard streets and highway specifications, water standard plans, water specifications, sewer standard plan, and sewer specifications, and all other standards, plans and specifications setting standards of the city of Norco as adopted by the council. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.11, 1972)

17.08.120 Collector street.

“Collector street” means a street which is intended to serve extensive residential land use, multiple family dwellings, or to convey traffic through a subdivision to roads of equal capacity or greater. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.12, 1972)

17.08.130 County.

“County” means the county of Riverside. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.13, 1972)

17.08.140 County engineer.

“County engineer” means the Riverside County engineer. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.14, 1972)

17.08.150 County health officer.

“County health officer” means the health officer of Riverside County. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.15, 1972)

17.08.160 County recorder.

“County recorder” means the recorder for Riverside County. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.16, 1972)

17.08.170 County surveyor.

“County surveyor” means the county surveyor for Riverside County. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.17, 1972)

17.08.180 Cul-de-sac street.

“Cul-de-sac street” means a street having access at only one end and with special construction provided at the other end for adequate turning radius for vehicular traffic. The further extension of such street is precluded by the land division design. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.18, 1972)

17.08.190 Dead-end street.

“Dead-end street” means a street having access only at one end and with no special construction provided at the other end for turning around of vehicular traffic. The street may be extended in the future into adjoining property. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.19, 1972)

17.08.200 Director of planning.

“Director of planning” means the director of planning for the city of Norco as authorized by Chapter 3, Title 7, of the Government Code, Statutes of the State of California. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.20, 1972)

17.08.210 Division of Highways.

“Division of Highways” means the Division of Highways of the Department of Public Works of the state of California. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.21, 1972)

17.08.220 Division of land or land division.

(a) “Division of land” means any real property, improved or unimproved, or portion thereof, shown on the latest equalized county assessment role as a unit or as a contiguous unit, which is divided for the purpose of sale, lease, gift, or financing, or the conveyance of undivided interest coupled with the right of exclusive occupancy, whether immediate or future.

(b) The combined meaning of “subdivision” and “minor land division,” as herein defined, are included in the meaning of “division of land.”

(1) The financing or leasing of apartments, offices, stores, or similar space within an apartment building, industrial building, commercial building, or mobile home park;

(2) Gas, oil, or mineral leases;

(3) Land dedicated for cemetery purposes under the California Health and Safety Code;

(4) The division of land caused by the acquisition of a property interest by a public utility or governmental agency;

(5) the division of land caused by the acquisition of a property, interest by a public utility for operating public utility purposes, or the conveyance of land by a public utility to a continuous ownership;

(6) The leasing of land for agricultural purposes provided no building permit nor city sewer services are required for such lease;

(7) The division of land divided into lots or parcels each having a gross area of not less than sixty acres. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.22, 1972)

17.08.230 Double frontage.

“Double frontage” means a lot having frontage on two parallel or nearly parallel streets. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.23, 1972)

17.08.240 Expressway.

“Expressway” means a divided highway for through traffic to which access from abutting property is restricted. Intersections with other streets or highways shall be limited to approximately one-half mile intervals. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.24, 1972)

17.08.250 Final map.

“Final map” means a map showing the division of land for either a “subdivision” or a “minor land division” and is prepared in accordance with the provisions of the “Subdivision Map Act” of the state of California and with the provisions of this title, which map is designed to be placed on record in the office of the county recorder. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.25, 1972)

17.08.260 Flood control work.

“Flood control work” or drainage work shall include all means of conveying or storing storm waters, including natural watercourses, improved drainage channels, retarding basins, closed conduits, or pipes, and authorized or existing flood control channels. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.26, 1972)

17.08.270 Flood hazard.

“Flood hazard” means a substantial possibility of damage to life or property by overflow water, ponded water, or other water on the surface of the land or by debris or silt carried in such water. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.27, 1972)

17.08.280 Freeway.

“Freeway” means a highway upon which the abutter’s right of access is controlled, and which provides separated grades at intersecting streets and is designated as a “freeway” by the California State Division of Highways or other governmental agency. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.28, 1972)

17.08.290 Frontage road.

“Frontage road” is defined in Section 17.08.570, Service road. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.29, 1972)

17.08.300 General plan.

“General plan” means a general or master plan, or any element thereof, adopted by the city, and as defined in the Conservation and Planning Law, Article 7, of Chapter 3, of Title 7, of the Government Code, state of California. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.30, 1972)

17.08.310 Highway.

“Highway” is defined in Section 17.08.610, Street. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.31, 1972)

17.08.320 Improvements.

“Improvements” means all street work, equestrian trails, water system work, sewer system work, flood control and drainage works, street light installations, utility installations, and any other required works as specified in the conditions of approval of the tentative map as a requirement for the land divider to construct or install as a condition precedent to the acceptance of the final map thereof. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.32, 1972)

17.08.330 Industrial street.

“Industrial street” means a street primarily intended for pedestrian or vehicular access to abutting properties used for industrial purposes. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.33, 1972)

17.08.340 Inundation.

“Inundation” means ponded water or water in motion of sufficient depth to damage life or property or to deposition of silt or debris. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.34, 1972)

17.08.350 Land divider.

“Land divider” means a person who causes the division of land. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.35, 1972)

17.08.360 Limited vehicular access.

“Limited vehicular access” means the owners or occupants of abutting lands to a public way, other than as pedestrians or equestrians, have access only at specifically designated points. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.36, 1972)

17.08.370 Local street.

“Local street” means a street intended wholly or principally for traffic originating or terminating at residential properties within the immediate vicinity of the street. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.37, 1972)

17.08.380 Lot.

“Lot” means a parcel of real property with a separate and distinct number or other designation shown on an approved map such as a final map, parcel map, record of survey, other plot, or described as a separate and distinct lot by a metes and bounds description, which is filed in the office of the county recorder. (Ord. 524 Sec. 1, 1984: Ord. 233 Sec. 2.38, 1972)

17.08.390 Major street.

“Major street” means a street intended for the movement of major volumes of traffic through the city or serving to collect traffic from two or more intersecting secondary streets. Access from abutting properties shall be kept at a minimum and intersections with other streets shall be limited to approximately one-eighth mile intervals. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.39, 1972)

17.08.400 Master plan.

“Master plan” is defined in Section 17.08.300, General plan. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.40, 1972)

17.08.410 May.

“May” is permissive. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.41, 1972)

17.08.420 Minor land division.

“Minor land division” means a “division of land” which is divided under the following conditions:

(1) Any parcel or parcels of land which are divided into four or less parcels which creates any parcel under sixty acres in area. Any conveyance of land to a governmental agency, public entity, or public utility, shall not be considered a division of land for the purpose of computing the number of parcels;

(2) The whole parcel before division contains less than five acres, each parcel created by the division abuts upon a public street or highway and no dedication or improvements are required;

(3) Any parcel or parcels divided into lots or parcels, each having a gross area of twenty acres or more, and each of which has an approved access to a maintained public street or highway;

(4) Any parcel or parcels of land having approved access to a public street or highway which comprises part of a tract of land zoned for industrial or commercial development, and which has the approval of the planning commission as to street alignment and widths;

(5) Any parcel or parcels of land divided into lots or parcels, each having a gross area of not less than forty acres, or quarter-quarter section, and not larger than sixty acres. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.42, 1972)

17.08.430 Net area.

Net area excludes dedications and easements for access of ingress or egress from property or for easements for street or pedestrian/equestrian purposes irrespective whether easements are public or private. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.43, 1972)

17.08.440 Non-access.

The term “non-access” labeled on a recorded map means that access rights have been relinquished by appropriate dedication certificate on the final map. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.44, 1972)

17.08.450 Non-vehicular access.

The term “non-vehicular access” labeled on a recorded map means that vehicular access rights have been relinquished by appropriate dedication certificate on the final map. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.45, 1972)

17.08.460 Parcel of land.

“Parcel of land” means a contiguous quantity of land or real property in the possession of, or owned by, or recorded as the property of the same claimant or person. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.46, 1972)

17.08.470 Parcel map.

The term “parcel map” means a map showing the division of land for a “minor land division” and is prepared in accordance with the provisions of the “Subdivision Map Act” and with the provisions of this title and which map is designed to be placed on record in the office of the county recorder. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.47, 1972)

17.08.480 Parkway.

“Parkway” means that property within a street that lies between the portion reserved for vehicular traffic and the right-of-way line. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.48, 1972)

17.08.490 Part-width street.

“Part-width street” means any street the improved width of which is less than the width necessary for a normal full width street as required by the city standards. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.49, 1972)

17.08.500 Person.

“Person” means any individual, firm, co-partnership, joint venture, association club, social club, fraternal organization, corporation, estate, trust, business trust, receiver, syndicate, county, city, municipality, district, or other political subdivision, or any other group or combination acting as a unit. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.50, 1972)

17.08.510 Planning commission.

“Planning commission” means the planning commission of the city of Norco. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.51, 1972)

17.08.520 Private street.

“Private street” means any parcel of land not dedicated as a public street, but used or intended to be used for the exclusive use of a limited and specified number of people for ingress or egress from, a lot or lots which may or may not have frontage on a public street. Access to the private street by the public may be controlled by the land division design, posting, or gating. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.52, 1972)

17.08.530 Public way.

“Public way” includes street, highway, avenue, boulevard, parkway, road, trail, lane, walk, alley, channel, viaduct, subway, tunnel, bridge, public easement, public right-of-way, and other ways in which the right-of-way has been dedicated or deeded to a public agency for such purpose. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.53, 1972)

17.08.540 Right-of-way.

“Right-of-way” means the entire width of property of a “public way.” (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.54, 1972)

17.08.550 Secondary street.

“Secondary street” means a street for the movement of large volumes of traffic through the city or serving to collect traffic from two or more intersecting collector streets. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.55, 1972)

17.08.560 Section.

“Section” means a section of this title, unless some statute or other ordinance is referred to. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.56, 1972)

17.08.570 Service road.

“Frontage road” or “service road” means a local street which is parallel to and adjacent to freeways, expressways, arterial highways, major highways, and secondary highways and which provides access to abutting properties and protection from through and fast traffic. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.57, 1972)

17.08.580 Shall.

“Shall” is mandatory. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.58, 1972)

17.08.590 Singular--Plural.

Words used in the singular number include the plural and words used in the plural number include the singular. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.59, 1972)

17.08.600 Specific plan.

“Specific plan” means a specific plan, or any element thereof, adopted by the city, as defined in the Conservation and Planning Act, Article 10, Chapter 3, Title 7, of the Government Code, state of California. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.60, 1972)

17.08.610 Street.

“Street” means a public or private way which is intended for the primary use of vehicular and pedestrian/equestrian traffic. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.61, 1972)

17.08.620 Subdivider.

“Subdivider” means a person who causes the division of land for a subdivision. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.62, 1972)

17.08.630 Subdivision.

“Subdivision” means a “division of land” which does not qualify as a “minor land division.” (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.63, 1972)

17.08.640 Subdivision Map Act.

Subdivision Map Act” means the Subdivision Map Act as set forth in Division 2 of Title 7 of the Government Code of the state of California (Ord. 783, Sec. 29, 2001; Ord. 233 Sec. 2.64, 1972)

17.08.650 Tentative map.

“Tentative map” means a map prepared in accordance with the provisions of the “Subdivision Map Act” of the state of California and with provisions of this title for the purpose of showing the design of a proposed division of land, the existing conditions in and around it, and it need not be based upon a detailed final survey of the property. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.65, 1972)

17.08.660 Tract map.

“Tract map” means a map showing the division of land for a “subdivision” and is prepared in accordance with the provisions of the “Subdivision Map Act” and with the provisions of this title and which map is designated to be placed on record in the office of the county recorder. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.66, 1972)

17.08.670 Trail.

“Trail” means a passageway intended for pedestrian/equestrian use only. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.67, 1972)

17.08.680 Vehicular access rights.

“Vehicular access rights” means the right, easement or access of the owners or occupants of abutting lands to a public way other than as pedestrians. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.68, 1972)

17.08.690 Watercourse.

“Watercourse” means any natural or man-made channel where water is concentrated and/or collected from a tributary drainage area. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.69, 1972)

17.08.700 Zoning ordinance.

“Zoning ordinance” means Ordinance 243, as adopted by the city of Norco and all subsequent amendments thereto, establishing land use classifications and regulating the use of property therein, defining the terms used in the ordinance, providing for the adjustment, enforcement and amendment thereto and prescribing penalties for its violation. (Ord. 233 Sec. 2.70, 1972)