Elevated Building:
A non-basement building built to have the lowest floor elevated above the ground level.
Emergency Shelter:
A facility providing temporary sleeping quarters and meals at no cost for more than 6 individuals. Employees and volunteers provide on site supervision.
Family:
One (1) or more individuals residing in a dwelling unit, living as a single housekeeping unit, and complying with the following rules:
| A. | Any number of individuals related by blood, marriage, or adoption may occupy a dwelling unit; |
| B. | Where some or all of the occupants are unrelated by blood, marriage, or adoption, the total number of occupants that are unrelated, shall not exceed 3. In applying this provision, children who are under the age of 23 and who are children of the owner or a person renting an entire dwelling unit from the owner shall be counted as a single occupant. In addition, in all cases, the limitation set out in subsection C. below shall apply. |
| C. | The presence of household employees or children in foster care shall not disqualify any premises otherwise satisfying the above rules. |
Family Care Home:
A dwelling that provides room and board for not more than 6 persons who because of age, illness, handicap, or specialized program, require personalized services or a supervised living arrangement in order to assure their safety and comfort. All family care home facilities shall be regulated by the State of North Carolina.
Farm:
See: "Agricultural Uses"
Feed Lines:
Cables used as the interconnecting media between the transmission/receiving base station and the antenna.
Financial Institutions:
A use where some or all of the following business services are provided to the public: banking, savings and loans, credit unions, security exchanges, safe deposit vaults, and investment services.
Flex Space:
Buildings designed and marketed as suitable for offices but with space available that is able to accommodate bulk storage, showroom manufacturing, assembly or similar operations. Generally, flex space has storefront type windows in the office area of the space.
Flood or Flooding:
A general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of normally dry land areas from the unusual and rapid accumulation of runoff of surface waters from any source.
Flood Boundary and Floodway Map (FBFM):
The maps provided by the National Flood Insurance Program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), dated January 2, 1979, and any revisions thereto, on which have been delineated both the areas of special flood hazard the risk premium zones (Zone A, AE or AO).
Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM):
The maps provided by the National Flood Insurance Program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, dated January 3, 1979, and any revisions thereto, on which have been delineated both the areas of special flood hazard and the risk premium zones.
Flood Insurance Study:
The official report provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, dated July, 1978, and any revisions thereto. The report contains flood profiles, as well as the Flood Boundary and Floodway Map and the water surface elevation of the base flood.
Flood Protection Elevation:
The natural base flood elevation plus 1 foot (See "Base Flood Elevation").
Floodway:
The area within the special flood hazard areas that has been identified on the Flood Boundary and Floodway Map, which area is the portion 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 1 foot.
Floodway Fringe:
The area within the special flood hazard area that has been identified on the Flood Boundary and Floodway Map, which area is adjacent to but not within the Floodway but is within the 100 year floodplain and is inundated by the base flood.
Floor area, Accessory Dwelling:
Area of finished living space used as the accessory dwelling, excluding: the primary dwelling, any unfinished area used
exclusively for storage or mechanical elements, uncovered steps and uncovered porches.
Floor area, Primary Dwelling:
Area of finished living space used as the primary dwelling, excluding: any accessory dwelling on the same lot, any
unfinished area used exclusively for storage or mechanical elements, uncovered steps, and uncovered porches.
Floor Area Ratio (FAR):
The ratio of building area to parcel area. Floor area ratio is a measure of non-residential land use intensity.
Forestry:
A woodland area used for growing trees, harvesting timber or replanting trees in accordance with a management plan endorsed by the NC Division of Forest Resources.
Foster Care Home:
A dwelling where a person performs the duties of a parent to the child of another by rearing the child and acting as a guardian.
Fraternity or Sorority House:
A structure used as a dwelling by fraternity and sorority members in association with a college or institution.
Frontage:
The dimension of a property or portion of a property that is adjacent to a street; side yards of corner lots are excluded.
Funeral Home:
A building used in the preparation of the dead for burial or cremation. Also a facility where funeral services are held, funeral vehicles are stored, and caskets and other funeral supplies are sold.
Garage, Commercial:
See: "Vehicle Repair Shop"
Garage, Private:
Any garage intended for, and used to park, the private motor vehicles of the families resident upon the premises.
Garage, Public:
Any garage intended for, and used to park vehicles which is not included within the definition of a private garage.
Geographic Search Area:
An area designated by a wireless provider or operator for a new base station facility, produced in accordance with generally accepted principles of wireless engineering.
Golf Course:
An area laid out for playing golf, which may include some or all of the following accessory facilities: clubhouses, putting greens, swimming and tennis facilities, concessions for food and supplies. Driving ranges may also be included, unless specifically excluded by provisions of this ordinance. This definition does not include Par 3 or miniature golf.
Gross Density:
The quotient of the total number of dwelling units divided by the total gross acreage of a site.
Gross Floor Area:
The area within the inside perimeter of the exterior walls with no deduction for corridors, stairs, closets, thickness of walls, columns or other features, exclusive of areas open and unobstructed to the sky.
Gross Tract Area or Gross Acreage:
The total area of a project including rights-of-way, open space, and dedicated public properties.
Group Home:
A dwelling operated under state regulations that provides room and board for more than 6 individuals who as a result of age, illness, handicap or some specialized program, require personalized services or a supervised living arrangement in order to assure their safety and comfort. All group home facilities shall be regulated by the State of North Carolina. Additional requirements may be imposed by the North Carolina Building Code.
Guest Room:
A room or suite used as living accommodations for 1 or more paying visitors.
Guyed:
A style of antenna-supporting structure consisting of a single truss assembly composed of sections with bracing incorporated. The sections are attached to each other, and the assembly is attached to a foundation and supported by a series of guy wires that are connected to anchors placed in the ground or on a building.
Handoff Candidate:
A wireless facility that receives call transference from another particular wireless facility, usually located in an adjacent first “tier” surrounding the initial wireless facility.
Hazardous Material or Hazardous Waste:
Materials, or mixtures containing those materials, which pose a physical, environmental or health hazard by virtue of their carcinogenic, corrosive, highly toxic, irritant, sensitizing or toxic properties as defined in 29 CFR 1910.1200. Included in this definition are materials included in EPA's most recent Priority Pollutants List and substances which are regulated, or caused to be regulated, under provisions of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA); the Comprehensive Emergency Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA); the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA); or any subsequent amendments of these Acts. For the purposes of this Section, hazardous materials shall include hazardous wastes, which are the byproducts resulting from the use of hazardous materials, materials which have been used to clean up spills of hazardous materials, and hazardous materials which have reached their shelf-life or have been used or contaminated. Also included in this definition are hazardous wastes regulated, or caused to be regulated by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (40 CFR 261, Subpart C and Subpart B).
Heavy Equipment:
Any vehicles that have a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW) of at least 13 tons, or any construction equipment, or any farm equipment.
Heliport:
An area of land, water, or structural surface designed for discharge or pickup of passengers or cargo from or by helicopters, plus accessory buildings and uses.
Helistop:
An area of land, water, or structural surface designed for discharge or pickup of passengers or cargo from or by helicopters, but excluding field service or maintenance.
Highest Adjacent Grade:
The highest natural elevation of the ground surface, prior to construction, next to the proposed walls of the structure.
Home Occupation:
Any occupation conducted by the inhabitants of the dwelling, which is secondary to the main use as a dwelling, and causes no change in the exterior of the dwelling. Home Occupations are further defined in Section 7.
Hospital:
An institution providing human health services primarily for in-patient medical and surgical care for the physically or mentally sick and injured and including related support facilities such as laboratories, out-patient departments, staff offices, food services, and gift shop.
Hotel, Motel:
A building or group of buildings containing 10 or more guest rooms, for transient guests, and containing registration facilities, on-site management, cleaning services and combined utilities.
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To reach Durham City/County Planning call 919-560-4137 or fax us at 919-560-4641