§ 3.2. Definitions.

Unless otherwise expressly stated, the following terms shall have the meaning herein indicated.

Alley or service drive. A minor, permanent vehicular service access to the back or the side of properties otherwise abutting a street.

Amenity. The common areas, structures, buildings, improvements, and facilities that are owned or maintained by the homeowners association in a common interest within a subdivision. Amenities include, but are not limited to, recreation facilities, parking areas, driveways, private roads, common landscapes, drainage structures, and other common property. (Added 6-20-07)

Bike paths. These paths serve to separate bicycle riders from vehicle and pedestrian traffic. Bike paths can meander through wooded areas, traverse the edge of open areas, and may (in many instances) parallel existing roadways or walks.

Block. A parcel of land or lots entirely surrounded by public or private roads, other than alleys.

Board of commissioners. The Board of Commissioners of Fulton County, Georgia.

Buildable area. That portion of a lot where buildings and specified structures may be located after all minimum yards, buffers, landscape strips, and other setbacks have been met.

Building setback line. A graphic representation of the required minimum horizontal distance between a building and the related front, side, or rear property lines which establish the minimum space to be provided between the building and property line(s).

Crosswalk. A right-of-way dedicated to public use, four feet or more in width, that crosses a street and furnishes a specific area for pedestrian movements at an intersection.

Cul-de-sac. A street having only one connection to another street and being permanently terminated by a vehicular turn-around.

Cul-de-sac, temporary. A street having one end open to traffic and being temporarily terminated by a vehicular turn-around. This temporary termination is to provide connectivity to future developments.

Department. Department of planning and community services or future name as adopted by the board of commissioners. (Added 9-2-15)

Developer. Any person or legal entity undertaking development.

Director. Director of the department. (Added 9-2-15)

Driveway, access or shared. A paved area used for ingress or egress of vehicles, and allowing access from a street to a building, other structure or facility.

Driveway, single-family residential, access or shared (private drive). A paved or unpaved area used for ingress or egress of vehicles which allows access from a street to a building, other structure, or facility for no more than three single-family residential lots.

Easement. A grant by the property owner for use by the grantee of a portion of land for specified purposes.

Board of health. The Fulton County Board of Health or future name as adopted by the board of commissioners or authorized representative thereof. (Amended 5-16-18)

Homeowner's association. A corporation formed for the purpose of exercising the powers of the members of any common interest community or subdivision. (Added 6-20-07)

Land disturbance permit. An official authorization issued by the department, allowing defoliation or alteration of a site or the commencement of any construction activities, including, but not limited to, clearing, grubbing, dredging, grading, excavating, transporting, and filling of land, but not including agricultural practices as defined in O.C.G.A. § 1-3-3.

Lot. The basic lawful unit of land, identifiable by a single deed established by plat, subdivision, or as otherwise permitted by law, to be separately owned, used, developed, or built upon. In determining the area and dimension of a lot, no part of right-of-way of a road, crosswalk or required buffer per zoning condition or the zoning resolution may be included. (Amended 9-2-15)

Lot, corner. A lot abutting two or more streets at their intersection.

Lot, double/multiple frontage. A lot other than a corner lot abutting two or more streets that may or may not intersect at that lot.

Lot, minimum lot size. The smallest permissible lot area established by the zoning resolution or conditions of zoning.

Open space. Open space is the portion of the conservation subdivision that has been set aside for permanent protection. Activities within the open space are restricted in perpetuity through the use of an approved legal instrument. (Added 9-2-15)

Pavement. (1) A created surface, such as brick, stone, concrete, or asphalt, placed on the land to facilitate passage, gravel shall not be considered pavement; (2) that part of a street having an improved surface. (Added 9-2-15)

Plat. A map indicating the subdivision or re-subdivision of land, intended to be filed for recording.

Plat, final. A finished drawing of a subdivision that provides a complete and accurate depiction of all legal and engineering information required by the subdivision regulations. Certification for recording and ratification of the director's approval by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners is required.

Plat, minor. A finished drawing of a single family residential subdivision of no more than three lots that, at the time of subdivision, does not necessarily, but may involve a land disturbance permit, new roads, the extension of a utility or other municipal facility and depicts all legal and engineering information required by these subdivision regulations. (Amended 9-2-15)

Public works department. The Fulton Public Works Department or future name as adopted by the board of commissioners or authorized representative thereof. (Added 9-2-15)

Right-of-Way Dedication and Reservation Plan. An element of the Fulton County Comprehensive Transportation Plan maintained by the department of public works which includes guidelines and/or procedures for the dedication and reservation of rights-of-way along public roadways. (Amended 9-2-15)

Standard details. Illustrative minimum standards for land development activities authorized under the land development regulations of the county. These standards shall not supersede more restrictive prudent design requirements or good engineering practices as applied to specific situations on a case-by-case basis. All construction shall meet or exceed the Fulton County minimum standards established by the Georgia Department of Transportation.

Street classifications. The classification of streets based on functions, from high-traffic arterial roads to low traffic residential streets. The following are definitions intended to distinguish between different street classifications. All roadways are classified per the Georgia Department of Transportation:

A.

Freeway. A multi-lane roadway that has full access control and separation of directional traffic. Freeways accommodate large volumes of high speed traffic and provide efficient movement of vehicular traffic for interstate and major through travel.

B.

Arterial. A functional classification for a street or highway that provides the highest level of service at the greatest speed for the longest uninterrupted distance, with some degree of access control.

C.

Principal arterial. A roadway that has partial or no access control, and is primarily used for fast or large volumes of traffic. Emphasis is placed on mobility rather than access to adjacent land.

D.

Minor arterial. A roadway that has partial or no access control and is primarily used for inter-connectivity of principal arterials and placing more emphasis on access to adjacent land over mobility.

E.

Collector. A roadway that has partial or no access control and has more emphasis on access to adjacent land over mobility than arterials. The primary purpose is to distribute trips to and from the arterial system and allow access to the local roads.

F.

Local. Any roadway that has no access control, and places strong emphasis on access to adjacent land over mobility while service to through traffic is discouraged.

G.

Full access control. A street or highway to which owner or occupants abutting land have complete right of access.

H.

No access control. A street or highway to which owner or occupants abutting land have no right of access.

I.

Partial/limited access control. A street or highway to which owner or occupants abutting land have little or no right of access.

J.

Frontage street. A road that typically runs parallel to a partial access controlled roadway, a full access controlled facility, or a railroad. Frontage roads provide public access to the adjacent parcels, help control access to the major facility, and/or maintain circulation of traffic on each side of the major facility.

Street, residential. The following definitions are intended to distinguish between different categories of streets internal to residential subdivisions:

A.

Major subdivision street. A local road internal to a subdivision which serves 50 or more housing units. These units do not have to be directly served by the major subdivision street. Major subdivision streets are roads that serve as collectors for the subdivision traffic. Any residential street which accesses a collector or arterial road shall be considered a major subdivision street for the first 300 feet regardless of housing unit service.

B.

Minor subdivision street. A local road internal to a subdivision which serves fewer than 50 housing units and does not access a collector or arterial road.

C.

Housing unit service. The number of housing units served by a street or collection of streets shall be the aggregate number of housing units provided, or potentially to be provided, with driveway access directly from the street(s) plus the number of units utilizing or potentially utilizing the street(s) for through traffic movements. Such calculations shall be made beginning and ending at the same street intersection.

Stub-out road. A road having one end open to traffic and being temporarily terminated at the other. Stub-outs generally do not have a temporary vehicular turn-around. This temporary termination is to provide connectivity to future developments and may be constructed without curb and gutter provided such stub-out street meets the standards of the Fulton County Fire Department.

Subdivider. Any property owner, person, individual, firm, partnership, association, corporation, estate, trust, agent of property owner, or any other group or combination acting as a unit dividing or proposing to divide land so as to constitute a subdivision as herein defined

Subdivision, residential and non-residential. Any division of a lot, tract or parcel, regardless of its existing or future use, into two or more lots, tracts or parcels. The term "subdivision" may mean the act or process of dividing property, except that, where appropriate to the context, the term "subdivision" may be used in reference to the aggregate of all lots held in common ownership at the time of subdivision.

Traffic Mitigation Action Plan. A plan that studies and addresses the number of trips a subdivision will produce when such development results in the reduction of the level of service on any roadway currently functioning at "D" or worse in accordance with the County Transportation Standards. This plan shall include, but is not limited to, roadway improvements and other proposals such as providing transit access, transit use incentives, car/van pooling, bicycle path construction, off-site and internal sidewalk construction, and lunch trip reduction. Such plan shall mitigate the traffic impact in a manner that will show no negative impact on roads with level of service of "D" or worse.

Trails, pedestrian or others. Extended and usually continuous strips of land established independently of other routes of travel and dedicated, through ownership or easement, to recreational travel including hiking, horseback riding, etc.

Utility accommodations/guidelines and procedures. A county program maintained by the department of public works which includes installing, maintaining, repairing, operating, or using a pole line, buried cable, pipeline, or miscellaneous utility facility, and performing miscellaneous operations authorized by a utility permit.

Utility permit. An official authorization issued by the department of public works, allowing alteration of land within the right-of-way for the commencement of any construction activities pertaining to utility installation or relocation.

Zoning resolution. The Zoning Resolution of Fulton County, Georgia.

(Ord. No. 18-0340, Att. A, 5-16-18)