Chapter 20.86 DEFINITIONS

For the purpose of this division, unless it is clearly evident from the context that a different meaning is intend ed, certain words and terms are defined in this chapter. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.020 Interpretation.

The planning commission shall review and determine any questions involving the proper interpretation of any terms, words or phrases not mentioned in this chapter. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.026 Abutting.

“Abutting” means adjoining with a common boundary line of eight feet or more in a singular direction. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.028 Adjacent.

“Adjacent” means adjoining with a common boundary line of eight feet or more in a singular direction. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.030 Alley.

“Alley” means a public right-of-way, not greater than thirty feet in width, which affords a secondary access to abutting property. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.040 Arterial street.

“Arterial street” means a public street, the primary purpose of which is to provide for through traffic movement between areas and/or across the city with direct access to abutting property. It is subject to required control of entrances, exits and curb cuts. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.045 Binding site plan.

“Binding site plan” means the combined documents of general and specific binding site plans, and processes and requirements thereof. Where appropriate to the context, the term may also refer to the land to be divided. (Ord. 1052 § 1(A), 1991)

20.86.050 Block.

“Block” means a group of lots, tracts or parcels within well defined and fixed boundaries. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.060 Board.

“Board” means the board of public works as defined by the City Charter. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment) (part), 1991)

20.86.061 Boundary line adjustment.

“Boundary line adjustment” means the relocation of a boundary line between adjoining lots, tracts, parcels or sites of land (separate legal land units) which does not create a new or greater number of legal land units, does not leave any building on an affected legal land unit in violation of the city zoning or subdivision ordinances after the boundary line adjustment is made; does not create a lot size which would violate the city zoning regulations regarding minimum lot sizes and is approved in writing by the Sumas city utility superintendent. (Ord. 1033 § 2, 1991)

20.86.070 Building.

“Building” includes “structure.” (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.080 Building setback line.

“Building setback line” means a line on a plat or map indicating limit behind which buildings or structures may be erected. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.085 City manager.

“City manager” means the mayor of the city of Sumas, or such person as he may designate or appoint as city manager. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.090 City engineer.

“City engineer” means the city manager or his appointed representative responsible for the design and construction of streets and utilities for the city. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.100 Cluster subdivision.

“Cluster subdivision” means a subdivision in which minimum-lot-size requirements may be diminished so as to provide desirable open space without increasing the overall density of dwelling units above one unit per seven thousand five hundred square feet of land area. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.110 Collector street.

“Collector street” means a roadway designed to carry medium volumes of vehicular traffic, provide access to the major street system, and collect the vehicular traffic, from the intersecting minor streets. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.120 Commission.

“Commission” means the city planning commission. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.125 Comprehensive plan.

“Comprehensive plan” means the comprehensive plan for the city, as amended. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.130 Controlling corner.

“Controlling corner” means all angle points of the perimeter of a subdivision or separate divisions of a subdivision. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.140 Corner lot.

“Corner lot” means a lot abutting upon two or more streets at their intersection, or upon two parts of the same street, such street or parts of the same street forming an interior angle of less than one hundred thirty-five degrees within the lot lines. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.145 Council.

“Council” means the city council of the city of Sumas. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.150 Covenant.

“Covenant” means a binding and solemn agreement made by two or more individuals, parties, etc., to do or keep from doing a specified thing or things. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.160 Cul-de-sac.

“Cul-de-sac” means a street intersecting another street at one end and permanently terminated by a vehicular turnaround at the other end. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.165 Curbline.

“Curbline” means the line separating the street curb from the planting strip or sidewalk. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.170 Dedication.

“Dedication” means the deliberate appropriation of land by an owner for any general and public uses, reserving to himself no other rights than such as are compatible with the full exercise and enjoyment of the public use 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 thereon; and the acceptance by the public shall be evidenced by the approval of such plat for filing by the appropriate governmental unit. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.180 Easement.

“Easement” means a grant by the property owner for use by the public, a corporation or person(s) of a parcel of land for specific purpose. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.190 Final plat.

“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 this division. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.191 Fire marshal.

“Fire marshal” means the fire chief for the city of Sumas as designated by Whatcom County fire protection district No. 14. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.192 Flag lot.

“Flag lot” means a parcel of land created by subdivision and which includes a narrow projection or “flagpole” to the public right-of-way. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.194 Flagpole.

“Flagpole” means a narrow projection of land used as access to a flag lot. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.200 Full standard street.

“Full standard street” means a street complete with full width surfacing, with curbs, gutters, drainage and sidewalks on both sides equal to the class of street required. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.205 General binding site plan.

“General binding site plan” means a a scaled drawing and appropriate attachments containing information, as specified by this title, which pertains to the development and use of the entire site, subject to the binding site plan application. (Ord. 1052 § 1(B), 1991)

20.86.210 Greenbelt.

“Greenbelt” means a parcel of land, usually of strip or ribbon shape, left in a natural or artificially landscaped state, excluding all development except recreation. The primary purpose of a greenbelt is to buffer and separate areas of development and/or interconnect larger recreation sites. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.220 Health department.

“Health department” means the Bellingham-Whatcom County department of health. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.230 Interior lot.

“Interior lot” means a lot which has frontage on one street only. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.240 Local or minor access street.

“Local or minor access street” means a street providing vehicular access to abutting properties. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.250 Lot.

“Lot” means a fractional part of subdivided lands having fixed boundaries, being of sufficient area and dimension to meet minimum requirements of this division. “Lot” includes the words “tracts” and “parcel.” (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.260 Marginal access street.

“Marginal access street” means a street which is parallel to and adjacent to a major arterial, which provides access to the properties abutting it and which separates the abutting properties from high-speed vehicular traffic. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.270 Metes and bounds.

“Metes and bounds” means a description of real property which starts at a known point and describes the bearings and distances of the line forming the boundaries of the property and is completed when the description returns to the point of beginning. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.280 Monument.

“Monument” means a concrete mass from twelve to eighteen inches in length with a diameter of six inches.

The top of the monument shall contain a readily definable point such as (A) a punched brass cap, (B) a copper rod extending the full length of the monument, or (C) some other point which meets the specifications of the city engineer. It must also contain one-half-inch reinforcing steel or other magnetic material, except where enclosed in an iron monument case. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.290 Open space.

“Open space” means a parcel of land, excluding building sites, parking area and access routes, which is designated and maintained as an area for leisure, recreation and other activities normally carried on outdoors. “Open space” includes greenbelt and recreational areas. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.295 Owner.

“Owner” means an individual, firm, association, syndicate, partnership or corporation having any proprietary interest in land sought to be subdivided under these regulations or other applicable law. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.300 Pavement width.

“Pavement width” means the actual paved surface, measured between faces of curbs of streets or from edge to edge of alley road surface. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.302 Planned zone.

“Planned zone” means a zoning district in which an overall master plan is required before development can occur. As part of the provisions of a planned zone, the minimum lot size and dimensional requirements may be modified according to the provisions of the approved plan. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.305 Planning commission.

“Planning commission” means the city planning commission. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.310 Plat.

“Plat” means a map or representation of a subdivision, showing thereon the division of a tract or parcel of land into lots, blocks, streets and alleys or other divisions and dedications. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.320 Plat certificate.

“Plat certificate” means a title report by a title insurance company certifying ownership, deed restrictions, covenants, etc., of the land being subdivided. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.330 Preliminary plat.

“Preliminary plat” means a neat and approximate drawing of a proposed subdivision showing the general layout of streets and alleys, lots, blocks and restrictive covenants to be applicable to the subdivision, and other elements of a plat or subdivision which shall furnish a basis for the approval or disapproval of the general layout of a subdivision. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.340 Public health official.

“Public health official” means the district health officer, Bellingham-Whatcom County department of health. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.350 Right-of-way or R/W.

“Right-of-way” or “R/W” means a strip of land dedicated to and maintained by the city for street and utility purposes and on a portion of which a street is built. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.360 Short plat.

“Short plat” means the map or representation of a short subdivision. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.370 Short subdivision.

“Short subdivision” means the division of land into four or less legal land units (i.e., lots, tracts, parcels sites or divisions of land for the purpose of sale or lease), including resubdivision of previously platted land, and parcels of real property divided for the purpose of sale or townhouse units; provided, however, that an approved boundary line adjustment shall not be construed a short subdivision. (Ord. 1033 § 1, 1991; Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.375 Specific binding site plan.

“Specific binding site plan” means a scaled drawing and appropriate attachments containing information, as specified by this title, which pertains to the creation, development and use of one or more subdivisions of land being created from the general binding site plan. (Ord. 1052 § 1(C), 1991)

20.86.380 Street.

“Street” means a dedicated and accepted public right-of way for vehicular traffic. “Street” includes “road,” “drive” or “boulevard.” (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.390 Subdivider.

“Subdivider” means any person, firm or corporation who subdivides or develops any land deemed to be a subdivision as defined in this chapter. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.400 Three-quarter standard street.

“Three-quarter standard street” means the one-half of the full standard street, defined in Section 20.86.200, abutting on the developers property plus a ten foot surfaced driving lane. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)

20.86.410 Through lot.

“Through lot” means a lot, other than a corner lot, abutting more than one street. (Ord. 1032 (Attachment A) (part), 1991)