Chapter 16.08
DEFINITIONS

Sections:

16.08.010    Definitions and interpretation of language.

16.08.010 Definitions and interpretation of language.

A. For the purposes of this title, certain terms or words used herein shall be interpreted as set out in this chapter.

1. The word “shall” is mandatory, the word “may” is permissive.

2. The present tense includes the future tense, the singular number includes the plural, and the plural number includes the singular.

3. Where terms are not defined, they shall have their ordinary accepted meanings within the context with which they are used.

B. The following definitions shall be used in the implementation of this title. Where terms are not defined, they shall have their ordinary accepted meaning within the context with which they are used.

1. “Alley” means a passage or way open to public travel and dedicated to public use affording generally a secondary access to abutting lots and not intended for general traffic circulation. Alleys are not considered streets under the terms of this title.

2. “Binding site plan” means a drawing to a scale of one inch equals 100 feet or larger which:

a. Identifies and shows the areas and locations of all streets, roads, improvements, utilities, open spaces, and any other matters specified by this title;

b. Contains inscriptions or attachments setting forth such appropriate limitations and conditions for the use of the land as are established by the city council; and

c. Contains provisions making any development be in conformity with the site plan.

3. “Block” means a group of lots, tracts or parcels within well-defined and fixed boundaries.

4. “Bond” means any form of financial security acceptable to the city attorney and in an amount consistent with the provisions of these regulations. All bonds shall be approved by the city council whenever a bond is required by these regulations.

5. “Boundary line adjustment” means a minor adjustment of one property line between two lots in which no third-party ownership or additional building site results.

6. “Commercial-industrial subdivision” means the division of land for the purpose of sale, lease, or transfer of ownership intended for the development of commercial and/or industrial uses.

7. “Commission” means the Colville planning commission.

8. “Council” means the Colville city council.

9. “County” means Stevens County.

10. “Cul-de-sac” means a local or residential street with only one outlet, and having a turnaround for the safe and convenient reversal of direction.

11. “Dedication” means a deliberate appropriation of land by an owner for any general and public uses, reserving no other rights than are compatible with the full exercise and enjoyment of the public uses to which the property has been devoted. The intention to dedicate shall be evidenced by the owner by the presentment for filing of a final plat or a short plat showing the dedication, and the acceptance by the public shall be evidenced by the approval of such plat for filing by the appropriate governmental unit.

12. “Easement” means authorization by a property owner for the use by another, for a specified purpose, of a designated portion of the property.

13. “Easement, perpetual access” means the right of use by others, granted for a portion of property for the purpose of gaining access to an adjoining parcel and has no term limit; it will remain in effect indefinitely regardless of the ownership status of either the primary parcel or any other parcel(s) that benefit from the use of the easement.

14. “Final plat” means the final drawing of the subdivision and dedication prepared for filing for record with the county auditor and containing all elements and requirements set forth in these regulations and Chapter 58.17 RCW.

15. “Frontage” means that portion of a lot abutting on a public street and ordinarily regarded as the front of the lot.

16. “Grade” means the deviation of a street or lot or portion of a lot from the horizontal, specified in percentage terms.

17. “Land division” means a process by which individual lots, parcels, or tracts are created. Land divisions include short plat and subdivision.

18. “Lot” means a fractional part of subdivided lands having fixed boundaries, being of sufficient area and dimension to meet zoning requirements for width and area to be considered suitable for development. The term shall include tracts and parcels.

19. “Lot, corner” means a lot situated at the intersection of two or more streets. A lot abutting on a curved street or streets shall be considered a corner lot if straight lines drawn from the foremost points of the side lot lines to the foremost point of the lot meet at an angle of less than 135 degrees.

20. “Lot depth” means the horizontal distance from the midpoint of the front property to the midpoint of the rear property line.

21. “Lot improvement” means a physical betterment of real property, or any part of such betterment, including any building, structure, or improvement of the land.

22. “Lot width” means the dimension of the lot line at the street right-of-way line; or, in an irregularly shaped lot, the dimension across the lot at the building setback line; or, in a corner lot, the narrow dimension of the lot at a street or building setback line.

23. “Model home” means a dwelling unit used initially for display purposes which typifies the type of units that will be constructed in a subdivision.

24. “Nonresidential subdivision” means a subdivision whose intended use is for other than residential purposes, such as commercial or industrial.

25. “Owner” means any person, group of persons, firm or firms, corporation or corporations, or any legal entity having legal title to or sufficient proprietary interest to the land proposed to be subdivided.

26. “Person” means a firm, association, organization, partnership, trust, company or corporation, as well as an individual.

27. “Planned unit development (PUD)” means a development which is preplanned in its entirety, with subdivision and zoning controls applied to the project as a whole rather than to individual lots. A PUD is characterized by a unified site design, subject to a site plan review, and approved in accordance with CMC Title 17, Zoning, and these regulations.

28. “Plat” means a map or representation of a subdivision, showing the division of a tract or parcel of land into lots, blocks, streets and alleys or other divisions and dedications.

29. “Plat administrator” means the director of the Colville planning department.

30. “Preliminary plat” means a neat and accurate drawing (at a scale of one inch equals 100 feet or larger) of a proposed subdivision, showing the general layout of streets and alleys, lots, blocks, restrictive covenants and similar elements, which shall furnish a basis for the review of the general layout of a subdivision, in accordance with this title.

31. “Replat” means any alteration, redesign, revision, or other adjustment to a subdivision which affects lot lines, streets, dedications or other subdivision features, or which corrects defects or deficiencies and does not increase the number of lots from the original as set forth in Chapter 58.12 RCW.

32. “Required improvement” includes, but is not limited to, any drainage system, roadway, signs, sidewalk, parks, open space, community facilities, lot improvement, sewer or water system, fire protection, or other facility for which the city may ultimately assume the responsibility for maintenance and operation, or which may affect an improvement for which the city’s responsibility is already established.

33. “Right-of-way” means a strip of land occupied or intended to be occupied by a street, crosswalk, railroad, road or alley, utility line, water or sewer main, shade trees, or other similar public or community uses.

34. “Sale or lease” means any immediate or future transfer of ownership, or any possessory interest in land, including contract of sale, lease, devise, intestate succession or transfer of an interest in a subdivision or portion thereof, whether by metes and bounds, deed, contract, plat, map, devise, intestate succession, or other written instrument.

35. “Setback” means the minimum distance required between a property line and a structure or building.

36. “Short plat” means a map or representation of a short subdivision.

37. “Short subdivision” means the division or redivision of land involving four or fewer lots, tracts, parcels, sites or divisions for the purpose of sale, lease or transfer of ownership.

38. “Sketch plat” means a sketch preparatory to the preparation of a preliminary plat.

39. “Street” means the entire width of land between the boundary lines of every public way, used either immediately or in the future for the purpose of vehicular and/or pedestrian traffic, pathways for bikes, placement of utilities and access to abutting properties, and generally designated as follows:

a. “Collector street” means a street designed to move traffic from local or residential streets to arterials and secondary arterials.

b. “Local street” means a street designed and intended to provide access from individual properties to other streets.

c. “Primary arterial” is a general term denoting a street designed primarily for through traffic carrying heavy loads and large volumes of traffic, usually on a continuous route.

d. “Secondary arterial” means a street designed and intended to collect traffic from less intensively used streets and distribute it to primary arterials or focal points in the city.

40. “Street, dead-end” means a street or portion of a street with only one vehicular traffic outlet.

41. “Subdivider” means any person who, having an interest in land, causes it, directly or indirectly, to be subdivided.

42. “Subdivision” means the division or redivision of land involving five or more lots, tracts, parcels, sites or divisions of less than five acres in size for the purpose of sale, lease or transfer of ownership.

43. “Vacation” means the abandonment of an easement or right-of-way.

44. “Variance” means a change, modification or variation in the requirements, rules or regulations in this title. (Ord. 1488 NS § 2, 2012; Ord. 1159 NS § 1, 1997).