§ 3.2. Definitions.

(1)

"Accessory Use or Building:" A use or building customarily incidental and subordinate to the principal use or building and located on the same lot with such principal use or building.

(2)

"Buffer Strip:" Any institutional, commercial or industrial use, off-street loading areas, or off-street parking areas for five or more automobiles shall be separated from adjoining residential property by a continuous planted buffer strip or a solid brick, concrete block or stone wall or a uniformly painted board fence. Such buffer strip, if planted, shall be composed of healthy plants which possess growth characteristic of such a nature as to produce a dense, compact planting screen not less than six feet in height, or if wood, stone, block or brick shall not be less than six feet high.

(3)

"Building:" Any structure intended for shelter, housing or enclosure of persons, animals or chattels.

(4)

"Center Line of Streets:" A line surveyed and monumented as such, or, if a center line has not been surveyed and monumented, it shall be that line running midway between the outside curbs or ditches of the street.

(5)

"Condominium:" A building containing three (3) or more individually-owned dwelling units and related, jointly-owned common areas as defined by the laws of the State of Georgia.

(6)

"Dwelling:" A building, other than a mobile home or house trailer, designed, arranged or used for living and/or sleeping quarters, including single-family, two-family and apartment dwellings, but not including hotels, motels or boarding houses and meeting requirements of the Southern Standard Building Code [International Building Code].

(a)

"Dwelling, Single-Family:" A detached building designed exclusively for occupancy by one (1) family.

(b)

"Dwelling, Duplex:" A building designed exclusively for occupancy by two (2) families living independently of each other.

(c)

"Dwelling, Apartment:" A building designed for or occupied by three (3) or more families in individual dwelling units.

(7)

"Dwelling Unit:" One or more rooms with kitchen facilities designed as a unit for occupancy by one family for cooking, living and sleeping purposes.

(8)

"Home Occupation:" See Article Seven, Section 7.8, Home Occupation.

(9)

"Lot:" A parcel of land occupied or capable of being occupied by one or more buildings, including accessory buildings or uses incidental to them, and including such open spaces as are required by this ordinance.

(10)

"Mobile Home:" A detached single-family dwelling unit with all of the following characteristics:

(a)

Designed for long-term occupancy, and containing sleeping accommodations, a flush toilet, a bath, and kitchen facilities with plumbing and electrical connections which are adaptable to outside electrical disconnection or for direct connection to the mobile home electrical panel.

(b)

Designed to be transported after fabrication on its own wheels or on a separate chassis.

(c)

Arriving at the site complete and ready for occupancy and requiring only minor work before occupancy.

(d)

The term "mobile home" includes the term "house trailers" but does not include travel trailers or other recreational vehicles not used for year-round occupancy.

(e)

Constructed in accordance with the Federal Manufactured Construction and Safety Standards and bearing an insignia by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

(11)

"Mobile Home Park:" A parcel of land which is used or intended to be used for the rental or lease of spaces, lots or mobile home and the provision of services for two (2) or more mobile homes.

(12)

"Modular Home:" A factory-fabricated, single-family dwelling which is constructed in one or more sections and complies with the definition of "industrialized building." An industrialized building is defined as a closed construction building assembly, or system of subassemblies, or components thereof which may include structural, electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilating, or other service systems manufactured in manufacturing facilities for installation or erection with or without other specified components, as a finished building or as a part of a finished building, and shall include, but not be limited to, residential, commercial, institutional, storage and industrial structures. The unit must have attached an insignia of approval from the State Building Administrative Board (SBAB).

(13)

"Special Use:" A special use is a use that would not be appropriate generally or without certain restrictions or conditions throughout a zoning district but, if controlled as to number, area, location and relation to neighborhood, would promote the general welfare of the City. Such uses may be permitted as specific provision for such special uses are made in this ordinance.

(14)

"Townhouse:" A building containing two (2) or more attached dwelling units or groups of dwelling units, each dwelling unit being intended for individual ownership and without jointly-owned common areas.

(15)

"Yard:" An open space on the same lot with a principal building unoccupied except as permitted by this ordinance.

(a)

"Front Yard:" An open, unoccupied space on the same lot with a principal building, extending the full width of the lot and located between the street line and the front line of the building projected to the side lines of the lot.

(b)

"Rear Yard:" An open space on the same lot with a principal building, unoccupied except by a permitted accessory building or use, extending in the full width of the lot and located between the rear line of the lot and the rear line of the building projected to the side lines of the lot.

(c)

"Side Yard:" An open, unoccupied space on the same lot with a principal building located between the building and the side line of the lot and extending from the rear line of the front yard to the front line of the rear yard.

(16)

"Variance:" A variance is a relaxation of the terms of the zoning ordinance where such variance will not be contrary to the public interest and where, owing to conditions peculiar to the property and not the result of the actions of the applicant, a literal enforcement of the ordinance would result in unnecessary and undue hardship. As used in this ordinance, a variance is authorized only for height, area, and size of structure, for size of yards and open spaces, and for any rule or regulation herein involving distance, area, height, or any other dimensions. Establishment or expansion of a use otherwise prohibited shall not be allowed by a variance, nor shall a variance be granted because of the presence of nonconformities in the zoning district or uses in an adjoining zoning district.