For the purpose of this ordinance, certain words and terms that apply to the ordinance are defined in section 16.08, Definitions.

Words used in the present tense shall include the future, words used in the singular shall include the plural, and words used in the plural shall include the singular.

The word "shall" is mandatory and not discretionary.

The word "may" is permissive.

The word "lot" shall include the words piece, premises, tract, and parcel, and except when specifically stated otherwise, shall mean the lot on which a building or other improvement may be constructed, and which has been legally platted as required by the subdivision ordinance of the City of Bridge City and has been recorded in the deed records of Orange County, Texas.

The word "building" shall include any structure designed or built for the support, enclosure, shelter, or protection of persons or property of any kind.

The phrase "used for" shall include the phrases, arranged for, designed for, intended for, maintained for, and occupied for.

The following definitions are called for land [and] referred to in section 3-101 [sic] of this ordinance:

Accessory building or use: A subordinate use or building incidental to and located on the lot occupied by the main use or building. A building or use which contributes to the comfort, convenience, and necessity of the occupants of the principal building or principal use. "Accessory," when used in this text, shall have the same meaning as accessory use. An accessory building may be part of the principal building.

Alley: A minor public right-of-way which provides a secondary means of vehicular access to property at the rear or side of the property which has primary access on a public street.

Apartment: A dwelling unit in an apartment house.

Apartment house: Any building, or portion thereof, designed, built, or occupied as three or more dwelling units not for transient use. For purposes of this ordinance [a] condominium is considered an apartment house.

Automobile and trailer sales area: All area other than a street, used for the display, sale or rental of new or used automobiles, trucks, or trailers, where no repair work is done, except minor reconditioning of motor vehicles or trailers to be displayed, sold or rented on the premises. Such area shall not include automobile wrecking of [or] dismantling or the sale of salvaged parts, nor shall it include the storage of either new or used motor vehicles or trailers.

Automobile laundry/carwash: A building or portion thereof containing facilities for washing automobiles, using production line methods such as a conveyor, blower, steam cleaning device or other mechanical device.

Automobile storage: A surface of asphalt, concrete or approved stabilized material built in accordance with city parking lot standards, and used for vehicular storage and not as a street.

Automobile wrecking: The collecting and dismantling or wrecking of used motor vehicles or trailers, or the storage, sale or dumping of dismantled, partially dismantled, obsolete, or wrecked motor vehicles, trailers, or their parts.

Awning: A roof-like cover of temporary nature which projects from the wall of a building.

Bar: A place where liquor, beer, and wine are sold for consumption on the premises, and the majority of the gross receipts is from the sale of liquor, beer and wine.

Beer parlor: A place where beer and/or light wines are sold for consumption on the premises, and the majority of the gross receipts is from the sale of beer and/or light wines.

Block: A tract of land bounded by streets, or by a combination of streets and public parks, cemeteries, railroad rights-of-way, airport boundaries, bulkhead lines (or shorelines where no bulkhead lines have been established), or corporate boundary lines of the City of Bridge City.

Block face: A side of a block in which lots face an abutting street.

Board: Board shall mean the zoning board of adjustment.

Build: To erect, convert, enlarge, reconstruct, restore or alter a building or structure.

Buildable width: When applied to a building site, the width of the site exclusive of required yards.

Building: Any structure which is built for the support, shelter, or enclosure of persons, animals, chattels, or property of any kind.

Building, completely enclosed: A building which is separated on all sides from the adjacent open space, or other buildings and structures, by a permanent roof and exterior walls pierced only by windows and normal entrance and exit doors.

Building, detached: A building surrounded by yards or open space on its own building lot, or buildings in a building group which are physically separated from each other.

Building face: That portion of a building completely enclosed.

Building height: The vertical distance from curb level opposite the center of the front of the building to the elevation of the highest point of the roof. For the purpose of this ordinance, the measurement of a building height shall not include chimneys, spires, ornamental towers, antennas, monuments, cooling towers, tanks, water towers, fire towers, necessary mechanical appurtenances, stage towers or scenery lofts, or similar appurtenances.

Building line: A line which is the rear line of a required front yard. This line is generally parallel to the adjacent street right-of-way line and no building shall project beyond this line toward the street.

Building, principal: A nonaccessory building in which a principal use of the lot on which it is located is conducted. All residential uses, except bona fide servants' quarters, are principal uses.

Building, residential: A building which is arranged, designed, used, or intended to be used for residential occupancy by one or more families.

City: The City of Bridge City, Texas.

Clinic: A building in which a group of physicians, dentists, or physicians and dentists and allied professional assistants are associated for the purpose of treating and diagnosing ill or injured outpatients. The clinic may include a dental or medical laboratory and excludes animal clinics.

Club or lodge: An association of persons for the promotion of a nonprofit common objective, such as literature, science, politics, good fellowship and similar objectives, which meets periodically and which is limited to members.

Club, private: Quarters for a private organization, a principal purpose of which is the preparation and service of food and/or drink for members and their guests only.

Cluster subdivision: A development of single-family detached dwellings located on individual lots where the total land area of the subdivision, including streets, open spaces, and common areas, is not less that the total area if such dwelling were platted as a single-family development. Individual lots may be smaller than normally required of a single-family conventional subdivision.

Commission: The city planning and zoning commission of the City of Bridge City, Texas.

Comprehensive master plan: The officially adopted plan for the physical development of the City of Bridge City and includes any unit or part of such plan separately adopted and any amendment to such plans or parts thereof, which is also referred to as the "master plan" of the City of Bridge City, Texas.

Convent: A establishment, related to a church or school, for the housing of religious groups.

Council: The city council of the City of Bridge City, Texas.

Court: An open, unoccupied space, bounded on more than two sides by the walls of a building. An inner court is a court entirely surrounded by the exterior wall of a building. An outer court is a court having one side open [to] the a [sic] street, alley, yard, or other permanent open space.

Curb level: The mean elevation of the top of the established curb in front of a building. Where no [curbs] exist the mean elevation of the finished lot immediately adjacent to the front of the building shall be considered the curb level.

Customarily incidental use: A use of a building or premises, not involving the conduct of a business, which use is only secondary to the principal use and is indispensably necessary to the enjoyment of the premises for and of the principal uses permitted within a zoning district. A customarily incidental use may include a customary home occupation.

Dancehall: Any room, space or building primarily used and commonly resorted to for the purpose of dancing, and to which admission by the general public can be had by paying a fee or by the purchase, possession or presentation of a ticket or token, or, to which the public generally may gain admission with the payment of a fee directly of [or] indirectly or without payment of a fee.

Day nursery: Any type of group child day care program, including nurseries for children of working mothers, nursery schools, privately conducted kindergartens, when not a part of a public of [or] parochial school, land [and] programs covering after-school care for schoolchildren.

Development or to develop: "Development" shall mean the construction of one or more new buildings or structures on one or more building lots, the location of an existing building on another building lot, or the use of open land for a new use. "To develop" shall mean to create a development.

District, zoning: A zoning district is a part of the city as delineated on the official zoning district map wherein the regulations of this ordinance are uniform.

Dwelling: A building or a portion thereof designed or used exclusively for residential occupancy, including single-family dwellings, two-family dwellings, and multiple-family dwellings, but not including hotels and motels.

Dwelling, attached: A dwelling which is joined to another dwelling at one or more sides by a partial wall or walls.

Dwelling, detached: A dwelling which is entirely surrounded by open space on its building lot.

Dwelling, multiple: A building used or designed as a residence for three or more families or households living independently of each other.

Dwelling, single-family: A detached dwelling having accommodations for and occupied by only one family.

Dwelling, two-family: A detached building having separate accommodations for and occupied as, or to be occupied as, a dwelling for only two families.

Dwelling unit: One or more rooms arranged, designed, or used as separate living quarters for an individual family. Kitchen facilities, including at least a stove or cooking device, and a permanently installed sink, plus bath facilities, shall always be included for each dwelling unit.

Easement: A right granted for the purpose of limited public or semipublic use across, over, or under private property for a specified purpose or purposes.

Educational institution: Elementary, junior high, high schools, junior colleges, colleges, or universities or other schools giving general academic instruction in the several branches of learning and study required by the State of Texas.

Family: An individual, two, or more persons related by blood, marriage, or adoption; or a group of persons who are not related by blood or marriage, living if [in] a dwelling unit.

Gallery: A commercial establishment operated for the display of works of art, including the regular sale or distribution.

Garage, private: An accessory building designed or used for the storage of motor vehicles owned and used by the occupants of the building to which it is accessory.

Garage, public: A building or portion thereof, other than a private garage, designed or used for servicing, repairing, equipping, hiring, selling, or storing motor vehicles.

Garage, storage: Any premises, except those defined as a private or public garage, used exclusively for the storage of motor vehicles.

Gross floor area: When applied to a building, the area in square feet determined by measuring the outside dimensions of the building at each floor excluding the floor area of the basements or attics when not occupied or used.

Health service: A charitable or governmental operated facility offering to the public medical examination, diagnosis, and limited treatment not for profit.

Hobby: The engagement of a person in a branch of the fine arts or sciences for pleasure, conducted as spare time activity. Such activity shall not be engaged in for business profit, and any remuneration shall be secondary and incidental to the pursuit. Such activity shall be carried on within an enclosed or screened area and shall not involve any activity that requires open storage of automobiles, building materials, glassware or antiques, used furniture or other materials or goods.

Home occupations: Any occupation or activity which is clearly incidental and secondary to the use of the premises for dwelling purposes and which is carried on in the main dwelling unit or in a garage not exceeding two normal car bays and is not detrimental or injurious to the economic or aesthetic value of adjoining property. Customary home occupations shall not include barbershops, beauty shops, carpenter shops, electricians' shops, plumbers' shops, radio shops, tinners' shops, transfer or moving van offices, auto repairing, auto painting, child care other than relatives, furniture repairing, sign painting, food service of any kind, or any form of merchandising activity.

Hospital: A legally authorized institution in which there are complete facilities for diagnosis, treatment, surgery, laboratory, X-ray, nursing, and the prolonged care of bed patients.

Hotel: A building occupied as the more or less temporary abiding place of individuals who are lodged with or without meals, in which as a rule the rooms are occupied for hire, in which provisions are not made for cooking in any individual room, and in which there is a general kitchen.

Institution: A building occupied by a nonprofit corporation; a nonprofit establishment for public use.

Junk or salvage yard: A lot upon which waste or scrap materials are bought, sold, exchanged, stored, packed, disassembled, or handled, including but not limited to scrap iron and other metals, paper, rags, rubber tires, and bottles. A junk or salvage yard includes an automobile wrecking yard and an automobile parts yard. A junk or salvage yard does not include such uses conducted entirely within a completely enclosed building.

Kennel: An establishment for the loading and boarding of dogs, cats or other domestic household animals, at which establishment provisions are made for the enclosures of such animals in runs, cages, yards, or pens.

Lot: A physically undivided tract of land or parcel of land having frontage on a public street or other approved facilities and which is or in the future may be offered for sale, conveyance, transfer, or improvement; which is designated as a distinct and separate tract which has been properly recorded.

Lot area: That area of a horizontal plane bounded by the front, side, and rear lot lines of a building lot, including any portion of an easement which exists within such property lines and exclusive off-street rights-of-way.

Lot, corner: A lot situated at the intersection of two streets.

Lot, coverage: The amount of lot area covered by structures measured by the footprint of the foundation or slab.

Lot depth: The length of a line connecting midpoints of the front and rear lot lines.

Lot, double-frontage: A lot which is not a corner lot, which adjoins the right-of-way lines of two streets. Both right-of-way lines shall be deemed front lot lines.

Lot, interior: A lot other than a corner lot.

Lot line: A boundary of a lot.

Lot line, front: That boundary of a lot which is the right-of-way line of an existing or dedicated street.

Lot line, rear: Any boundary of a lot which is most distant from the front lot line and which is most nearly parallel to the front lot line.

Lot line, side: Any boundary of a lot which is not a front lot line or a rear lot line.

Lot of record: An area of land designated as a lot or [on] a plat of a subdivision recorded pursuant to statute with the county clerk of Orange County, Texas, or an area of land held in single ownership described by metes and bounds upon a deed recorded or registered with the county clerk of Orange County, Texas.

Lot, reverse corner: A corner lot, the rear lot line of which abuts the side lot line of the lot to its rear.

Lot width: The length of a line, drawn perpendicular to the lot depth line at its point of intersection with the building line, connecting the side lot lines.

Major arterial street: A street connecting a major collector street to a freeway or state highway; having two, three, or four 12-foot-wide lanes in each direction; having a total pavement width of 48 feet, 75 feet, or 96 feet and a right-of-way width of 100 feet to 160 feet; having a center median with protected turn lanes.

Major collector street: A street connecting residential areas to major arterials; having two 12-foot lanes in each direction; having a total pavement width of 48 feet and a right-of-way width of 80 feet to 100 feet; and may or may not have a center median.

Marquee or canopy: A roof-like structure of a permanent nature which projects from the wall of a building.

Minor collector street: A street serving multiple-family residential areas usually with one 17-foot-wide lane in each direction; having a total pavement width of 34 feet and a right-of-way width of 70 feet. No parking is permitted on the street.

Minor residential street: A street serving single-family residential areas usually with one 12-foot-wide lane in each direction; having a total pavement width of 27 feet and a right-of-way width of 60 feet. Parking is permitted on one side of the street only.

Mobile home: Mobile home means a transportable, single-family dwelling unit greater than 29 feet in length or eight feet in width, which is or may be mounted on wheels, suitable for or used for year-round occupancy and self-contained with water supply, waste disposal, and electrical conveniences similar to immobile housing, and requiring only connections to service outlets.

Mobile home park: Mobile home park means a parcel of land under single ownership which has been planned and improved for the placement of mobile homes, accessory uses and service facilities not prohibited by the zoning ordinance of the City of Bridge City.

Mobile home space: A plat of ground within a mobile home park designed for the accommodation of one mobile home.

Mobile home subdivisions: Mobile home [subdivision] means a parcel of land which is:

(a)

Under multiple ownership or which may be developed for multiple ownership;

(b)

Recorded in its entirety as a subdivision plat with the appropriate right-of-way dedications for streets, alleys and/or easements, lots and blocks; and

(c)

For the placement of mobile homes for nontransient use and accessory uses not prohibited by the zoning ordinance of the City of Bridge City.

Motel: A building or group of buildings designed, arranged or used for transient occupancy having living or sleeping accommodations with bathroom and closet space and parking of automobiles in close proximity to the quarters occupied by the owner of such automobile. The term "motel" shall include all establishments coming under the general classification of "drive-in hotel," "inn," "tourist court," and any other such establishment that houses visiting transient clientele. A motel furnishes customary hotel service, such as maid service, laundry, linens, telephone or desk service, and the use and upkeep of furniture. For the purposes of this ordinance, a motel is a nonresidential use.

Motor freight terminal: A building or area in which freight brought by motor truck is assembled and is stored for riding in interstate and intrastate shipment by motor truck. A motor freight terminal is a truck terminal.

Museum: An establishment operated as a nonprofit, noncommercial repository for a collection of scientific, natural, or literary curiosities or objects of interest or works of art, not including the regular sale or distribution of the objects collected.

Nonconforming use: A building or premises occupied by a use that does not conform to the regulations of use in the zoning district in which it is located.

Open space: That part of a building lot, including courts or yards, which is open and unobstructed from its lowest level to the sky, which is accessible to all residents upon a building lot, which is not part of a roof, and which does not include court recesses.

Open storage: The storage of any equipment, machinery, building materials, or commodities, including raw, semi-finished, and finished materials, the storage of which is not accessory to a residential use, and which is visible from any point on the building lot when viewed from ground level. Vehicular parking is not open storage.

Parking space: A surfaced area, enclosed or unenclosed, sufficient in size to store one automobile, with a surfaced driveway connecting the parking space with the street or alley, and permitting ingress and egress of an automobile.

Patio home subdivision: A development of single-family detached residences located on small lots planned for higher densities where the structure may be located on a side property line or other master planned approach.

Person(s): Every person, firm, copartnership, association, partnership, corporation or society; and shall include both singular and plural, and masculine shall include the feminine gender.

Place: An open, unoccupied area, other than a street, including a court, arcade, mall, or parking area that is permanently reserved as the principal means of access to abutting properties, which area shall not be within any required yard area or building, and which shall have been first approved by the commission as to size, surface, improvements, drainage, form and location, and shall not be subject to public maintenance.

Planned development plan: A development intended by developers on one contiguous piece of property and in a planned development zone.

Professional building: Any structure used solely for the housing of professional offices of recognized professions and incidental uses as provided in the district regulations.

Professions, recognized: Members of a recognized profession including those persons and customary staff normally considered as professional, and shall be deemed to include doctors, dentists, lawyers, architects, certified public accountants, registered engineers, and related professions registered under the laws of the State of Texas.

Recreational area: An area devoted to facilities and equipment for recreational purposes, swimming pools, tennis courts, playgrounds, community clubhouses, and other similar uses.

Residential use: Shall be construed to include single-family residential uses, two-family residential uses, and multiple-family residential apartment or townhouse uses.

Rest home or nursing home: A facility for the care of children or the aged or infirm, or a place of rest for those [with] bodily disorders, not containing equipment for surgical care or the treatment of disease or injury.

Screening device: Shall consist of a barrier of stone, brick, pierced brick or block, uniformly colored wood, or other permanent material of equal character, density, and acceptable design, at least six feet in height, where the structure is solid in preventing a view. Such screening device shall be continuously maintained.

Sign: A name, identification, description, display or illustration which is affixed to or represented directly upon a building, structure or piece of land, which directs attention to an object, project, place, activity, institution or business.

Small animal clinic: An establishment for the care and medical veterinary practice on [of] or for domestic household animals, conducted completely within an enclosed, soundproofed and air conditioned structure and not using any yard or open space for the activities defined.

Story: That part of a building between the surface of a floor and the ceiling immediately above. A basement is considered a story when more than one-half of such basement height is above the curb level.

Story, half: A space under a sloping roof at the top of the building, the floor of which is not more than two feet below the plate. Such space shall be counted as a half-story when not more than 60 percent of the floor area is used for rooms, bath or toilets. A half-story containing an independent dwelling unit shall be counted as a full story.

Street: A public right-of-way which provides vehicular access to abutting property or land, designated as either a street, highway, thoroughfare, major thoroughfare, freeway, parkway, avenue, land boulevard, road, place, drive, or however otherwise designated. A driveway or alley which serves only to give secondary vehicular access to a building lot or an accessory parking or loading facility, or to allow vehicles to take or discharge passengers at the entrance of a building, shall not be considered a street.

Structure: Anything constructed, the use of which requires permanent location of [on] the ground or attachment to something having a permanent location on the ground. See Building.

Townhouse: A row of single-family attached dwelling units, which for the purposes of this ordinance, shall, in aggregate, be considered a multiple-family use.

Travel trailer: A vehicular, portable structure built on a chassis, designed to be used as a temporary dwelling and to be towed behind a motor vehicle, being either of a gross weight of not more than 4,500 pounds or an overall length of not more than 28 feet.

Use: When applied to land or buildings, the purpose or activity for which the land or building thereon is designed, arranged, or intended, or for which it is occupied or maintained.

Use, principal: The main use of land or buildings as distinguished from the subordinate or accessory use.

Yard: An open space, other than a court, on a lot, unoccupied and unobstructed from the ground upward unless specifically otherwise permitted in this ordinance.

Yard, front: A yard extending along the whole length of the front lot line between the side lot lines and being a maximum horizontal distance between the front lot line and the main building or any projections thereof other than steps and unenclosed porches.

Yard, rear: A yard extending across the rear of a lot between the side lot lines and being the minimal distance between the rear lot line and the rear of the principal building or and [sic] projections thereof other than steps, unenclosed balconies, or enclosed porches.

Yard, side: A yard extending along the side lot line from the front yard to the rear yard, being the minimum horizontal distance between any building or projections thereof except steps and the side lot line.

Zoning administrator: The person otherwise duly designated to administer the provisions of this ordinance.

Zoning district map: The "zoning district map" is the map or maps incorporated into this ordinance as a part hereof by reference thereto.