<div class="chunk-title">Sec. 29-33. - Definitions.</div>
<div class="chunk-content">
            <p class="p0">
               The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the
               meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates
               a different meaning:
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Appeal</span> means a request for a review of the building inspector's interpretation of any provision
               of this article or a request for a variance.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Area of shallow flooding</span> means a designated AO or VO zone on the county's flood insurance rate map (FIRM)
               with base flood depths from one to three feet where a clearly defined channel does
               not exist, where the path of flooding is unpredictable and indeterminate, and where
               velocity flow may be evident.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Area of special flood hazard</span> is the land in the floodplain within the county subject to a one percent or greater
               chance of flooding in any given year.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Base flood</span> means the flood having a one percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given
               year.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Board of adjustment</span> means the county board of adjustment, charged with the responsibility of hearing
               and deciding appeals and requests for variances from the requirements of this article.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Breakaway walls</span> means any type of walls, whether solid or lattice, and whether constructed of concrete,
               masonry, wood, metal, plastic or any other suitable building material, which are not
               part of the structural support of the building and which are so designed as to break
               away, under abnormally high tides or wave action, without damage to the structural
               integrity of the building on which they are used or any buildings to which they might
               be carried by floodwaters.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Building</span> means the same as "structure."
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Building inspector</span> means the building inspector of the county, charged with the responsibility of administering
               and implementing this article in compliance with the provisions as contained in this
               article.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Coastal high-hazard area</span> means the area subject to high-velocity waters, including but not limited to hurricane
               wave wash or tsunamis. The area is designated on a FIRM as zone V1-30.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Development</span> means any manmade change to improved or unimproved real estate, including but not
               limited to buildings or other structures, mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving,
               excavation or drilling operations. Development shall not be construed or interpreted
               to include any bona fide farming activities.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Existing mobile-manufactured home park or subdivision</span> means a mobile-manufactured home park or subdivision for which the construction of
               facilities for servicing the lot on which the mobile-manufactured home is to be affixed,
               including, at a minimum, the installation of utilities, either final site grading
               or the pouring of concrete pads, and the construction of streets, has been completed
               before the effective date of the ordinance from which this article derives.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Expansion to an existing mobile-manufactured home park or subdivision</span> mean the preparation of additional sites by the construction of facilities for servicing
               the lots on which the mobile-manufactured homes are to be affixed, including the installation
               of utilities, either final site grading or pouring of concrete pads, or the construction
               of streets.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Flood</span> and <span class="ital">flooding</span> mean a general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of normally
               dry land areas from the overflow of inland or tidal waters and/or the unusual and
               rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any source.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Flood hazard boundary map (FHBM)</span> means an official map of a community, issued by the Federal Emergency Management
               Agency, where the boundaries of the areas of special flood hazard have been designated
               as zone A.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Flood insurance rate map (FIRM)</span> means an official map of the county on which the Federal Emergency Management Agency
               has delineated both the areas of special flood hazard and the risk premium zones applicable
               to the county.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Flood insurance study</span> is the official report provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The report
               contains flood profiles, as well as the flood hazard boundary-floodway map and the
               water surface elevation of the base flood.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Floodplain</span> and <span class="ital">floodprone area</span> mean any land susceptible to being inundated by water from any source.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Floodway</span> means the channel of a river or other watercourse 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.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Habitable floor</span> means any floor usable for living purposes, which includes working, sleeping, eating,
               cooking or recreation, in any combination. A floor used only for storage purposes
               is not a habitable floor. The term "lowest floor," as used in this article, shall
               be construed or interpreted as being a habitable floor.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Mean sea level</span> means the average height of the sea for all stages of the tide.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Mobile-manufactured home</span> means a structure, transportable in one or more sections, which is built on a permanent
               chassis and designed to be used with or without a permanent foundation when connected
               to the required utilities. It does not include recreational vehicles or travel trailers.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Mobile-manufactured home subdivision</span> means a parcel or contiguous parcels of land divided into two or more lots for rent
               or sale and in which mobile-manufactured homes have been established as the principal
               structures.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">New construction</span> means structures for which the start of construction commenced on or after the effective
               date of this article [April 3, 1978].
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">New mobile-manufactured home park or subdivision</span> means a mobile-manufactured home park or subdivision for which the construction of
               facilities for servicing the lot on which the mobile-manufactured home is to be affixed,
               including at a minimum the installation of utilities, either final site grading or
               the pouring of concrete pads, and the construction of streets, will be completed on
               or after the effective date of this article [April 3, 1978].
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Sand dunes</span> means naturally occurring accumulations of sand in ridges or mounds landward of the
               beach.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Special flood hazard area</span> means an area having special flood or flood-related hazards as shown on the county's
               flood hazard boundary map (FHBM) or federal insurance rate map (FIRM).
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Start of construction</span> means the first placement of permanent construction of a structure, other than a
               mobile-manufactured home, on a site, such as the pouring of slabs or footings or any
               work beyond the stage of excavation, including the relocation of a structure. Permanent
               construction does not include the installation of streets and/or walkways; nor does
               it include excavation for a basement, footings, piers or foundations, or the erection
               of temporary forms; nor does it include the installation on the property of accessory
               buildings, such as garages or sheds not occupied as dwelling units or not as part
               of the main structure. For a structure, other than a mobile-manufactured home, without
               a basement or poured footings, the start of construction includes the first permanent
               framing or assembly of the structure or any part of the structure on its piling or
               foundation. For mobile-manufactured homes not within a mobile-manufactured home park
               or subdivision, start of construction means the affixing of the mobile-manufactured
               home to its permanent site. For mobile-manufactured homes within mobile-manufactured
               home parks and subdivisions, start of construction is the date on which the construction
               of facilities for servicing the site on which the mobile-manufactured home is to be
               affixed, including, at a minimum, the construction of streets, either final site grading
               or the pouring of concrete pads, and installation of utilities, is completed.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Structure</span> means a walled and roofed building that is principally above ground, as well as a
               mobile-manufactured home.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Substantial improvement</span> means, for a structure built prior to the enactment of this article [April 3, 1978]
               any repair, reconstruction or improvement of a structure, the cost of which equals
               or exceeds 50 percent of the market value of the structure either before the improvement
               or repair is started or, if the structure has been damaged and is being restored,
               before the damage occurred. For the purposes of this definition, substantial improvement
               is considered to occur when the first alteration of any wall, ceiling, floor or other
               structural part of the building commences, whether or not that alteration affects
               the external dimensions of the structure. The term does not, however, include either
               any project for improvement of a structure to comply with existing state or local
               health, sanitary or safety code specifications which are solely necessary to ensure
               safe living conditions, or any alteration of a structure listed on the National Register
               of Historic Places or a state inventory of historic places.
               </p>
            <p class="p0">
               <span class="ital">Variance</span> is a grant of relief to a person from the requirements of this article which permits
               construction in a manner otherwise prohibited by this article where specific enforcement
               would result in unnecessary hardship.
               </p>
            <p class="historynote0">
               (Code 1978, Â§ 4-74)
               </p>
            <p class="refcross0" block_type="hang"><b>Cross referenceâ€” </b>
               Definitions generally, <a href="" data-chunk-id="COOR_CH1GEPR_S1-2DERUCO" class="section-link" data-product-id="11337">Â§ 1-2</a>.
               </p></div>