Chapter 18.25 DEFINITIONS

Words in the present tense include the future, words in the singular number include the plural, and words in the plural number include the singular. The word “building” includes the word “structure,” and the word “shall” is mandatory and directory. The term “city council” shall mean the city council of the city of Willows, and the term “planning commission” shall mean the planning commission of the city of Willows. [Ord. 731-17 § 1, 11-14-17; Ord. 695-11 § 1, 7-12-11; Ord. 632-91 § 6.01, 10-22-91].

18.25.010 A definitions.

“Abutting” means land having a common property line or separated only by an alley, easement or private road.

“Access” means the place by which pedestrians and/or vehicles have usable ingress and egress to a property or use.

“Accessory building” is a detached subordinate building, the use of which is incidental to that of the main building on the same lot or to the use of the land.

“Accessory use” is a use of land or building incidental or subordinate to the principal use or building on the same lot.

Adult Entertainment Business. See WMC 18.115.010(1).

“Agency” is an office or commercial establishment in which goods, material, or equipment are received for servicing, treatment, or processing elsewhere.

“Alley” is a public or permanent private way or land less than 40 feet in width which affords a secondary means of access to abutting property.

“Amendment” means any change, modification, deletion, or addition to the wording, text or substance of the zoning regulations or any change, modification, deletion, or addition to the application of the zoning regulations to property within the city of Willows, including any alteration in the boundaries of a zone, in the manner prescribed by law.

“Apartment house” is any building or portion thereof which is designed and built for occupancy of three or more families.

Automobile/Equipment Repair.

(a) Major. General repair, rebuilding or reconditioning of engines; motor vehicle, farm equipment truck or trailer collision service including body, frame or fender straightening or repair; overall painting or body shop.

(b) Minor. Upholstering, replacement of parts and motor service, not including removal of the motor, to passenger cars and trucks not exceeding one and one-half tons capacity, but not including any operation under “automobile repair, major.”

“Automobile service station” means a place which provides for the servicing, washing and fueling of motor vehicles, including minor automobile repairs, and sales of merchandise incidental thereto. [Ord. 731-17 § 1, 11-14-17; Ord. 695-11 § 1, 7-12-11; Ord. 632-91 §§ 6.02 – 6.12, 10-22-91].

18.25.020 B definitions.

“Basement” is a space partly or wholly underground and having more than one-half of its height, measured from its floor to its finished ceiling, below the average adjoining grade. If the finished floor level directly above a basement is more than six feet above grade at any point, such basement shall be considered a story.

“Bed and breakfast” means a building or portion thereof occupied as a residence wherein guest rooms, including the service of breakfast, intended for occupancy by transient visitors are provided for compensation.

“Boardinghouse” is a building or portion thereof, other than a hotel, where regular meals for three or more persons are provided for compensation or profit.

“Building” is any structure having a roof supported by columns and/or walls and intended for the housing or shelter of any persons, animals, or property.

“Building height” is the vertical distance measured from the average level of the highest and lowest point of that portion of the lot covered by the building to the highest point of the roof, ridge, or parapet wall.

“Building, main” means a building or structure which is devoted to a principally permitted or conditionally permitted use.

“Building site” is the land area of a lot which may be occupied by permitted uses or buildings. [Ord. 731-17 § 1, 11-14-17; Ord. 695-11 § 1, 7-12-11; Ord. 632-91 §§ 6.13 – 6.19, 10-22-91].

18.25.030 C definitions.

“Carport” means a structure designed and constructed to cover a parking space, having no more than two permanent walls and being attached to or standing apart from a main building.

“CEQA” means California Environmental Quality Act, commencing with Section 21000 of the Public Resources Code.

“Communication equipment building” shall mean buildings housing electrical and mechanical equipment necessary for the conduct of a public communications business with or without personnel.

“Conditional use” means a use subject to a use permit. Such use shall be permitted when all specific additional restrictions are completed and permanently satisfied in conformance with an approved use permit. The use will remain conditional so long as the permit requirements are complied with, but shall become an illegal use if the conditions are not complied with.

“Condominium project” means a condominium project as defined in Section 1350 of the Civil Code of the state of California, a community apartment project as defined in Section 11004 of the Business and Professions Code, or a stock cooperative per Section 11003.2 of the Business and Professions Code of the state of California.

“Cottage industry” means an accessory use of a nonresidential nature which is performed within a legal structure on the lot, by an occupant of the dwelling unit, and which is clearly incidental and secondary to the residential use of the property. Home occupations are subject to the home occupation regulations. [Ord. 731-17 § 1, 11-14-17; Ord. 695-11 § 1, 7-12-11; Ord. 632-91 §§ 6.20 – 6.25, 10-22-91].

18.25.040 D definitions.

“Day care” means the care, supervision, or guidance of a child or group of children unaccompanied by their parent for a period of less than 24 hours per day.

“Density” means the number of dwelling units per acre.

“Development” means, on land, in or under water, the placement or erection of any solid material or structure; discharge or disposal of any dredged material or of any gaseous, liquid, solid or thermal waste; grading, removing, dredging, mining or extraction of any materials; change in the density or intensity of use of land, including, but not limited to, subdivision pursuant to the Subdivision Map Act (commencing with Section 66410 of the Government Code), and any other division of land, including lot splits, except where the land division is brought about in connection with the purchase of such land by a public agency for public recreational use; change in the intensity of use of water, or of access thereto; construction, reconstruction, demolition or alteration of the size of any structure, including any facility of any private, public or municipal utility; and the removal or harvesting of major vegetation other than for agricultural purposes, kelp harvesting, and timber operations which are in accordance with a timber harvesting plan submitted pursuant to Government Code Section 4511 et seq.

“Dwelling” is a building designed for and intended to be occupied as living quarters by a family or by families in individual dwelling units.

“Dwelling group” is two or more detached dwellings, other than commercial hotel or motel units located upon a building site, together with all open spaces as required by this title. Dwellings shall be considered detached if they do not have a common wall.

“Dwelling, multiple-family” is a building or portion thereof used and designed for and intended to be occupied as living quarters by three or more families living independently of each other.

“Dwelling, single-family” is a building designed for and intended to be occupied as living quarters by one family.

“Dwelling, two-family” means a building containing not more than two kitchens and designed and used to house not more than two families living independently of each other. [Ord. 731-17 § 1, 11-14-17; Ord. 695-11 § 1, 7-12-11; Ord. 632-91 §§ 6.26 – 6.33, 10-22-91].

18.25.050 E definitions.

“Easement” means a recorded right or interest in the land of another, which entitles a holder thereof to a use, privilege, or benefit of said land.

“Emergency shelter” means housing with minimal supportive services for homeless persons that is limited to occupancy of six months or less by a homeless person. Such a facility may have individual rooms, but is not developed with individual dwelling units, with the exception of a manager’s unit. No individual or household may be denied emergency shelter because of an inability to pay.

“Employee housing” means housing consisting of no more than 36 beds in a group quarters or 36 units or spaces designed for use by a single household. [Ord. 731-17 § 1, 11-14-17; Ord. 695-11 § 1, 7-12-11; Ord. 632-91 § 6.34, 10-22-91].

18.25.060 F definitions.

“Family” means all persons living in a household who are related by birth, marriage, or adoption.

“Family day care center” refers to any facility which provides to more than 12 persons nonmedical care on a less than 24-hour basis.

“Family day care home” means an occupied residence in which a person living at the residence provides day care for 12 or fewer children (including those residing at the subject location) on a less than 24-hour basis.

“Fill” means a deposit of earth or other material by artificial means.

“Flood” means a general and temporary condition of a partial or complete inundation of normally dry lands as a result of unusual and rapid accumulation of surface waters from any source.

“Floodplain” means the area subject to inundation by the 100-year or base flood.

“Floodway” means the channel of a river or other waterways and the adjacent land areas that must be reserved in order to discharge the base flood without cumulatively increasing the water surface elevation more than one foot.

“Floor area” means the total of the gross horizontal areas of all floors including usable basements and cellars below the roof and within exterior walls of principal or accessory buildings.

“Frontage” means the length of any property line of a lot which abuts a legally accessible street right-of-way. [Ord. 731-17 § 1, 11-14-17; Ord. 711-15 § 1, 6-9-15; Ord. 695-11 § 1, 7-12-11; Ord. 632-91 §§ 6.35 – 6.43, 10-22-91].

18.25.070 G definitions.

“Garage, commercial” is a building, other than a private garage, used for the parking, repair, or servicing of motor vehicles.

“Garage, private” is an attached or detached accessory building or portion of a main building designed and/or used only for the shelter or storage of motor vehicles. A garage is a building having a permanent roof and fully enclosed with a door.

“Garage, public” is designed and/or used on a commercial basis for the storage only of vehicles.

“Grade, finished” means the finished surface of the ground after grading for development.

“Grade, natural” means the surface of the ground prior to grading for development.

“Greenhouse” means a facility for the indoor propagation of plants, constructed with transparent or translucent panels.

“Group dwelling” means a group of more than five persons not constituting a family sharing a nonprofit, single dwelling unit and common housekeeping facilities.

“Guest house” means a detached accessory building which does not contain kitchen facilities and which is designed for use by nonpaying transient visitors to the occupants of the residence on the lot. [Ord. 731-17 § 1, 11-14-17; Ord. 695-11 § 1, 7-12-11; Ord. 632-91 §§ 6.44 – 6.51, 10-22-91].

18.25.080 H definitions.

“Home occupation” means an accessory use of a nonresidential nature which is performed within a legal structure on the lot, by an occupant of the dwelling unit, and which is clearly incidental and secondary to the residential use of the property. Home occupations are subject to the home occupation regulations.

“Hospital” means an institution which specializes in giving clinical, temporary and emergency services of a medical or surgical nature to injured persons and which operates 24-hour inpatient services. Any hospital must be licensed by the State Department of Health.

“Hotel” is any building or portion thereof containing six or more guest rooms intended or designed to be hired out for compensation and to be occupied by six or more guests. This definition shall include hotels, lodging and rooming houses, dormitories, Turkish baths, bachelor hotels, studio hotels, public and private clubs and any such building of any nature whatsoever so occupied, designed, or intended to be so occupied, except jails, hospitals, asylums, sanitariums, orphanages, detention homes and similar buildings where human beings are housed or detained under legal restraint.

“Household” means all persons who occupy a housing unit. The occupants may be a single family, one person living alone, two or more families living together, or any groups of related or unrelated persons who share living arrangements. [Ord. 731-17 § 1, 11-14-17; Ord. 711-15 § 1, 6-9-15; Ord. 695-11 § 1, 7-12-11; Ord. 632-91 §§ 6.53 – 6.55, 10-22-91].

18.25.090 I definitions.

Reserved.

18.25.100 J definitions.

“Junkyard” is any area of 200 square feet or more used for the storage of junk or scrap materials or for the wrecking or dismantling of automobiles or other vehicles or machinery. This definition includes wrecking yards. [Ord. 731-17 § 1, 11-14-17; Ord. 695-11 § 1, 7-12-11; Ord. 632-91 § 6.56, 10-22-91].

18.25.110 K definitions.

“Kennel” means any premises where five or more small domestic animals, not sick or injured, are boarded for compensation or cared for or trained or kept for sale or breeding purposes.

“Key lot” is an interior lot, a side lot line of which is all or part of the rear lot line of an adjoining corner lot. [Ord. 731-17 § 1, 11-14-17; Ord. 695-11 § 1, 7-12-11; Ord. 632-91 §§ 6.57, 6.58, 10-22-91].

18.25.120 L definitions.

“Loading space” means an area, other than a street or an alley, on the same lot with a building or group of buildings, which is permanently reserved for the temporary parking of commercial vehicles while loading and unloading merchandise or materials.

“Lodging house” is a building or portion thereof, other than a hotel, where regular meals for three or more persons are provided for compensation or profit.

“Lot” is a parcel of land used or capable of being used under the regulations of this title and including both the building site and all required yards and other open spaces and frontage as defined in this chapter.

Except as otherwise provided, a lot having an area, frontage, width or depth less than the minimum prescribed for the zone in which the lot is located, as depicted on a subdivision map duly approved and recorded prior to adoption of the ordinance codified in this title, may be used for any use permitted in the zone, but shall be subject to all other standards for the zone in which the lot is located.

“Lot, corner” is a lot located at the junction of two or more intersecting streets, with a boundary line thereof bordering on each of such streets. The shortest such street frontage shall constitute the front of the lot.

“Lot coverage” means the percentage of lot size covered by any structure excluding structures not extending above grade.

“Lot depth” means the horizontal distance between the rear lot line and the front lot line, measured back from the midpoint of the side lot lines.

Lot, Key. See “Key lot.”

“Lot line” means any property line bounding a lot. [Ord. 731-17 § 1, 11-14-17; Ord. 695-11 § 1, 7-12-11; Ord. 632-91 §§ 6.59 – 6.65, 10-22-91].

18.25.130 M definitions.

“Manufactured home,” for purposes of this title, means a structure that was constructed on or after June 15, 1980, is transportable in one or more sections, is eight body feet or more in width or 40 body feet or greater in length in the traveling mode or when erected on site, is 320 or more square feet, is built on a permanent chassis and designed to be used as a single-family dwelling with or without a foundation when connected to the required utilities, and includes the plumbing, heating, air conditioning, and electrical systems contained therein. “Manufactured home” does not include a trailer, travel trailer, camp trailer, trailer coach, house car, automobile trailer or motor home. The term, as used in this title, is synonymous with the term “mobile home.” This definition is not intended to supersede or conflict with the California Health and Safety Code Section 18007 definition of this term.

“Mobile home” means a vehicle other than a motor vehicle which is designed and equipped for human habitation and for being drawn by a motor vehicle and which exceeds eight feet in width or is 40 feet or greater in length and requires a special permit or chauffeur’s license or both to be moved upon public highways. “Mobile home” does not include a trailer, travel trailer, camp trailer, trailer coach, house car, automobile trailer, or motor home.

“Mobile home park” means a lot or a parcel of land where mobile home sites are rented or leased or offered for rent or lease for the accommodation of two or more mobile homes.

“Motel” means a building or group of buildings comprising individual living quarters or dwelling units for accommodation of transient guests, which is designed so that parking is on the same building site. This definition includes auto courts, tourist courts, and motor hotels but does not include accommodations for mobile homes or trailers. [Ord. 731-17 § 1, 11-14-17; Ord. 695-11 § 1, 7-12-11; Ord. 632-91 §§ 6.66 – 6.69, 10-22-91].

18.25.140 N definitions.

“Nonconforming building or use” is a building or use which was lawfully existing at the time provisions of this title became effective and thereby created a situation in which the building or use is in nonconformity with any such provisions. [Ord. 731-17 § 1, 11-14-17; Ord. 695-11 § 1, 7-12-11; Ord. 632-91 § 6.70, 10-22-91].

18.25.150 O definitions.

“Open space, minimum” means the percentage of lot area which must be maintained in grass or other living vegetation.

“Outdoor advertising” is any outdoor display of advertising material in any form upon any physical structure or natural object. [Ord. 731-17 § 1, 11-14-17; Ord. 695-11 § 1, 7-12-11; Ord. 632-91 §§ 6.71, 6.72, 10-22-91].

18.25.160 P definitions.

“Parking lot” is an area of land, a yard, or other open space on a lot used for or designed for use by standing motor vehicles.

“Parking space” means an unobstructive space or area other than a street or alley which is permanently reserved and maintained for the parking of the motor vehicle.

“Path” means a dedicated public way intended for pedestrian movement.

“Permit” means any license, certificate, approval or other entitlement for use granted or denied by any public agency.

“Planned development” is a development which encourages design flexibility by resulting in a comprehensive development equal to or better than a traditional “lot by lot” land use development.

“Public utility” means a company or corporation regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission. [Ord. 731-17 § 1, 11-14-17; Ord. 695-11 § 1, 7-12-11; Ord. 632-91 §§ 6.73 – 6.78, 10-22-91].

18.25.170 Q definitions.

Reserved.

18.25.180 R definitions.

“Recreational vehicle” means a motor home, travel trailer, truck camper or camping trailer with or without native power, designed for human habitation for recreational or emergency occupancy, with a living area less than 320 square feet excluding built-in equipment such as closets, cabinets, kitchen units, bath and toilet rooms.

“Residential care facility” or “assisted living development” means facilities providing meals/food service, social and personal care and transportation, 24-hour supervision or monitoring for children, the elderly, and people whether or not related, with limited ability for self-care, but where medical care is not a major element. Includes children’s homes, transitional houses, orphanages, rehabilitation centers, self-help group homes.

“Right-of-way” means an area or strip of land either public or private on which an irrevocable right of passage has been recorded for the use of vehicles and/or pedestrians.

“Rooming house” is a building or portion thereof, other than a hotel, where regular meals for three or more persons are provided for compensation or profit. [Ord. 731-17 § 1, 11-14-17; Ord. 695-11 § 1, 7-12-11; Ord. 632-91 §§ 6.79 – 6.81, 10-22-91].

18.25.190 S definitions.

“Second dwelling unit” means an attached or a detached residential dwelling unit that provides complete independent living facilities for one or more persons, on the same parcel as a legal single-family residence, including permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation. A second dwelling unit also includes manufactured homes, as defined in Section 18007 of the Health and Safety Code, and efficiency units, as defined in Section 17958.1 of the Health and Safety Code.

“Service station” means a place which provides for the servicing, washing, and fueling of motor vehicles, including minor automobile repairs, and sales of merchandise incidental thereto.

“Setback” means a required specified distance between buildings or structures or structures and a lot line(s), measured perpendicular to a horizontal plane extending across the complete length of the lot line(s).

Setback, Front, Rear, Side. See “Yard.”

“Setback line” is a line established by this title to govern the placement of buildings with respect to streets and alleys.

“Sign” means a structure, whether located inside or outside a building, with the primary purpose of conveying an idea, advertisement, endorsement, identification, or information by means of visual symbols, letters, illustration, or any other means of directing attention or communication. A sign includes display surfaces together with such improvements as are utilized in supporting, maintaining, and illuminating the display surfaces and is subject to the sign regulations.

“Single-room occupancy (SRO)” means a type of residential hotel offering one-room units for long-term occupancy by one or two people. The unit may have a kitchen or bath facilities, but not both in the same room.

“Stable, commercial” is a stable for horses to be let, hired, or used on a commercial basis.

“Stable, private” is a stable for horses to be used by the owners thereof.

“Storage container” means a building measuring 120 square feet or larger, typically consisting of a prefabricated storage or shipping container, fully enclosed, and including units designed to serve as commercial shipping containers, truck trailers or boxes.

“Street” is a public or permanent private way 40 feet or more in width which affords a primary means of access to property.

“Structural alteration” is any change in the supporting members of a building, as bearing walls, columns, beams or girders and floor joints, ceiling joists or roof rafters.

“Structure” is anything constructed or erected upon the ground or attached to a structure having location on the ground.

“Subdivision” is a division of land as defined in Government Code Section 66424 of the Subdivision Map Act.

“Supportive housing” means housing with no limit on length of stay that is occupied by the target population and that is linked to on-site or off-site supportive services that assist the housing resident in retaining the housing, improving his or her health status, and maximizing his or her ability to live and, when possible, work in the community. [Ord. 731-17 § 1, 11-14-17; Ord. 695-11 § 1, 7-12-11; Ord. 685-09 § 1, 8-11-09; Ord. 632-91 §§ 6.82 – 6.92, 10-22-91].

18.25.200 T definitions.

“Tourist court” is any building or portion thereof containing six or more guest rooms intended or designed to be hired out for compensation and to be occupied by six or more guests. This definition shall include hotels, lodging and rooming houses, dormitories, Turkish baths, bachelor hotels, studio hotels, public and private clubs, and any such building of any nature whatsoever so occupied, designed, or intended to be so occupied, except jails, hospitals, asylums, sanitariums, orphanages, detention homes, and similar buildings where human beings are housed or detained under legal restraint.

“Trailer” is any vehicle without motive power or designed to be drawn by a motor vehicle and to be used in such a manner as to permit temporary occupancy thereof as sleeping quarters, or the conduct of any business, trade or occupation, or use as a selling or advertising device, or use for the storage or conveyance of tools, equipment or machinery, and so designed that it is mounted on wheels and may be used as a conveyance on highways and streets. “Trailer” shall include the terms “camp trailer,” “trailer coach,” “automobile trailer,” and “house trailer,” except when “house trailer” falls within the definition of “mobile home.” For the purpose of this title trailers shall be considered structures when such trailers are parked in mobile home parks or trailer camps and are used on such sites for human habitation, offices, wash houses, storage, or similar auxiliary services necessary to the human habitation of the court or camp. “Trailer” shall include “recreational vehicle,” which is defined in Section 18010 of the California Health and Safety Code as follows:

A motor home, travel trailer, truck camper or camping trailer, with or without motive power, designed for human habitation for recreational or emergency occupancy with a living area less than 320 square feet, excluding built-in equipment such as wardrobes, closets, cabinets, kitchen units or fixtures, bath and toilet rooms.

“Trailer court” is any area or tract of land which is rented or held out for rent for one or more trailers of the camping, weekend, or temporary occupancy-during-vacation type of use. As distinguished from a mobile home park, a trailer camp is usually located in or adjacent to a recreation or resort facility and is primarily designed to serve as a seasonal facility or as a place of temporary residence for persons who have a permanent residence established elsewhere.

“Transitional housing” means housing which provides temporary housing, often with supportive services, to formerly homeless persons for a period that is typically between six months and two years.

“Travel trailer” means a motor home, travel trailer, truck camper, or camping trailer, with or without motive power, designed for human habitation for recreational or emergency occupancy, with a living area less than 320 square feet excluding built-in equipment such as closets, cabinets, kitchen units, bath and toilet rooms. [Ord. 731-17 § 1, 11-14-17; Ord. 695-11 § 1, 7-12-11; Ord. 632-91 §§ 6.93 – 6.96, 10-22-91].

18.25.210 U definitions.

“Use” means the purpose for which land, a building, or a structure is occupied, arranged, designed, or intended or for which it is or may be occupied and maintained.

“Use, principal permitted” means the specific and primary use of land or a main building which is compatible with the purpose of the zone and which is permitted in the zone. [Ord. 731-17 § 1, 11-14-17; Ord. 695-11 § 1, 7-12-11; Ord. 632-91 §§ 6.97, 6.98, 10-22-91].

18.25.220 V definitions.

Reserved.

18.25.230 W definitions.

Reserved.

18.25.240 X definitions.

Reserved.

18.25.250 Y definitions.

“Yard” is the land unoccupied or unobstructed, except for such encroachments as may be permitted by this title, surrounding a building site.

“Yard, front” is a yard extending across the full width of the lot measured between the street line (of the lot line connected to a street by legal access) and the nearest line of the main building or enclosed or covered porch. The front yard of a corner lot is the yard adjacent to the shorter street frontage.

“Yard, rear” is a yard extending between the side yards of the lot and measured between the rear line of the lot and the rear line of the main building or enclosed or covered porch nearest the rear line of the lot.

“Yard, side” is a yard on either side of the lot extending from the front yard to the rear lot line, the width of each yard measured between the sideline of the lot and the nearest part of the main building or enclosed porch. [Ord. 731-17 § 1, 11-14-17; Ord. 695-11 § 1, 7-12-11; Ord. 632-91 §§ 6.99 – 6.102, 10-22-91].

18.25.260 Z definitions.

“Zone” means a mapped portion of the city to which a uniform set of regulations applies. [Ord. 731-17 § 1, 11-14-17; Ord. 695-11 § 1, 7-12-11; Ord. 632-91 § 6.103, 10-22-91].