For the purpose of this chapter, certain words and terms used therein shall be interpreted or defined as follows: (Generally speaking, words used in the present tense include the future, words in the singular number include the plural, and the plural the singular, unless the natural construction of the word indicates otherwise.)

Accessory building or structure means a subordinate building, customarily incidental to and located upon the same lot occupied by the main building, including any free-standing solar panel. On any lot on which is located a dwelling, any building which is incidental to the conducting of any agricultural use shall be deemed to be an accessory building.

Alley means a permanent service way providing a secondary means of access to abutting properties, a public thoroughfare less than 30 feet wide.

Apartment means a building used or intended to be used as the residence of three or more families living independently of each other.

Basement means a story having part, but not more than half of its height below grade. A basement shall be counted as a story for the purpose of height regulations if it is subdivided and used for business purposes or for dwelling purposes by other than a janitor employed on the premises.

Boarder means one who boards (i.e., who is provided with regular meals or lodging with regular meals and lodging).

Boardinghouse means a building where for compensation, lodging or meals, either or both, are provided for at least five but not more than 14 persons.

Building means any structure having a roof supported by columns or walls, for the housing or enclosure of persons, animals, or possessions.

Building permit means permit issued by the building inspector prior to the commencement of building or demolishing a structure. See Section 9A3(a) and Section 9A3(b).

Carport means an open-sided automobile shelter sometimes formed by extension of a roof from the side of a building.

Cellar means a story having more than half of its height below grade.

Certificate of Occupancy means official certification by the Zoning Administrator or the County building inspector that a structure conforms to the provisions of the Zoning Ordinance and the Building Code and that the structure may be used or occupied. See Section 9A4.

Conditional Use Permit means permit issued by the town council upon recommendation from the Board of Zoning Appeals imposing specified reasonable conditions in the development of a piece of property in addition to the normal requirements for the zone in question. See Section 9B5.

Conditional Zoning means special re-zoning classification of land implemented by the town council upon recommendation of the planning commission imposing additional requirements over and above those normally provided for in the Zoning Ordinance. See Section 10B.

Condominiums means a multi-unit structure (as an apartment building) in which the units are individually owned.

Corner lot means a lot abutting upon two or more streets at their intersection.

Court means an open space enclosed wholly or in part by buildings or circumscribed by a single building.

Detached residence means a residence that is standing by itself and not sharing any wall with another building.

District means a territorial division; an area or section or zone with a distinguishing character.

Dwelling means any building or portion thereof which is designed for use for residential purposes; except hotels, boardinghouses, tourist houses, and trailers or mobile homes.

(1)

Multiple-family means a building arranged or designed to be occupied by more than one family living independently in separate areas.

(2)

Single-family means a building arranged or designed to be occupied by one family, the structure having only one dwelling unit.

(3)

Unit means one or more rooms in a dwelling designed for living or sleeping purposes, and having at least one kitchen.

Easement means a right given by the owner of land to another party such as utility companies for specific limited use of that land.

Encroachment means a part of a structure that extends beyond the defined limits. Example: an eave or a porch that extends beyond the flat wall of a building.

Equine treatment facility means A structure which is utilized for the temporary treatment of horses, (entailing medication, treatment or surgery) and the temporary boarding of such horses incident to said treatment. Boarding or keeping of horses for any other purposes shall not be permitted.

Free-standing solar panel means any device which is used to convert energy contained within the sun's rays into electricity, which is not mounted or attached to the roof of any other structure for support.

Garage, private, means an accessory building designed or used for the storage of not more than four automobiles owned and used by the occupants of the building to which it is accessory; provided that on a lot occupied by a multiple dwelling, the private garage may be designed and used for storage of 1½ times as many automobiles as there are dwelling units in the multiple dwelling.

Height of buildings means the vertical distance measured from the level of the curb or the established curb grade opposite the middle of the front of the building to the highest point of the roof. For buildings set back from the street line, the height shall be measured from the average elevation of the ground surface along the front of the building.

Historic Building means any building built before 1939 that has been prominently identified with or represents some significant aspect of the heritage of the town. In identifying a building as an historic building, the zoning administrator may seek the advice of the Pittsylvania Historical Society.

Home occupation means an occupation carried on by the occupant of a dwelling in a residential zone as a secondary use in connection with which there is no exterior display other than that allowed in this chapter; and not more than one person is employed other than members of the family residing on the premises.

Hotel catering to transients means a building designed or occupied as the abiding place of 15 or more individuals on a temporary basis who are, for compensation, lodged with or without meals, and in which provision is not generally made for cooking in individual rooms or suites.

Hotel not catering to transients means a building designed or occupied as the abiding place of 15 or more individuals with long-term leases who are, for compensation, lodged, with or without meals, and in which provision is not generally made for cooking in individual rooms or suites.

Housekeeping unit means dwelling unit.

Large solar energy facilities means any solar energy device not solely used to provide electricity to the premises upon which the device is attached, affixed, mounted, or installed.

Lessee means one who holds real or personal property under a lease; tenant.

Lodger means one who occupies a rented room in another's house. (Tourist home, boardinghouse, hotel).

Lot means a parcel of land occupied or to be occupied by a main building or group of buildings and accessory buildings, together with such minimum required yards, open spaces, lot width and lot area as are required by this ordinance, and having either frontage on a street or a perpetual unobstructed easement of access as required by this ordinance.

(1)

Depth means the average horizontal distance between the front and rear lot lines.

(2)

Lines means the boundaries of a lot.

(3)

Width means the average horizontal distance between the side lot lines.

Main building means the principal building or one of the principal buildings housing the principle use upon the lot.

Manufactured home means a structure transportable in one or more sections which is built on a permanent chassis and designed to be used with or without permanent foundation when connected to the required utilities, but excluding all prefabricated and premanufactured homes built to the requirements of either the BOCA Code or the Southern Building Code. The term also includes park trailers, travel trailers, and other similar vehicles placed on a site for greater than 180 days.

Mobile home. See trailer, mobile home, mobile quarters.

Non-conforming use of a building, structure, or lot means the use of any building or premises contrary to the use regulations of this chapter for the zone in which the building or premises is located. See section 2B.

Off-street parking means space provided for vehicular parking outside the dedicated street right-of-way.

Party line means a line which divides two adjoining properties and in which each of the owners shares rights.

Permit means authorized certificate allowing for the orderly development of property along certain guidelines specified in the Zoning Ordinance or allowable under certain reasonable conditions.

Perpetual unobstructed easement means a permanent easement which may not become obstructed or impassable.

Plat means a map or plan of a tract or parcel of land.

Final plat means a map of an approved proposal for development of a tract or parcel of land, properly filed and approved by the local government. Such a map will usually show surveyed lot lines, street rights-of-way, easements, distances, bearings, and angles pertaining to the exact dimensions of the parcel of land.

Projection means encroachment.

Public hearing means a meeting where issues of community importance are discussed and the public is afforded an opportunity to express opinions.

Public use means use as a public service for such purposes as schools, churches, playgrounds, parks, streets, walks and other public ways, fraternal or social or recreational or community center organizations.

Residence means the place where one actually lives, dwelling place.

Resident family means the family who resides in said residence.

Roof-mounted solar panel means any device which is used to convert energy contained within the sun's rays into electricity, which is mounted or attached to the roof of another structure for support, including solar panels supported by frames attached to the walls of dwellings or other buildings or structures.

Row houses means one of a series of houses connected by common sidewalls and forming a continuous group.

Run-off means water that flows on the surface of the land until it reaches a wetland or a watercourse.

Satellite dish means a television receiver of permanent or portable nature.

Semi-detached residence means residence forming one of a pair of residences joined into one building by a common sidewall.

Semi-public use means use conducted as a public service by a private nonprofit organization.

Setback means the distance by which any building or structure must be separated from the front lot line, measured horizontally.

Small solar energy facilities means any solar energy device solely used to provide electricity to the premises upon which the device is attached, affixed, mounted, or installed.

Special Use Permit means a permit issued by the town council upon recommendation from the Board of Zoning Appeals allowing for the location and erection of any one of a specific list of structures not ordinarily included in a given zoning district. See Section 9B3.

Story means that portion of a building, other than the basement, included between the surface of any floor and the surface of the floor next above it; or if there is no floor above it, the space between the floor and the ceiling next above it.

Street, road means a public thoroughfare which is the principal means of access to abutting properties.

Street line means the dividing line between a street or road and the contiguous property.

Structure means anything constructed or erected, the use of which requires permanent location on the ground, or attachment to something having permanent location on the ground, including signs, billboards, and poster panels.

Tenant means one who rents or leases from a landlord.

Tourist house means a dwelling open to transients where lodging only is provided for compensation for not exceeding 14 persons, in contradistinction to hotels and boardinghouses.

Town house means a single-family house of two or sometimes three stories that is usually connected to a similar house by a common wall; row house.

Trailer, mobile home, mobile quarters means a vehicle with or without motive power, transportable in one or more sections, eight body feet or more in width or 32 body feet or more in length and built on a permanent chassis and designed to be used with or without a permanent foundation when connected to the required utilities.

Truck garden means a farm devoted to the production of vegetables for market.

Unsafe structure means, as described in Section 2C of this ordinance, an unsafe structure is any building or structure which is unsafe, insanitary, or not provided with adequate egress, or which constitutes a fire hazard, or is otherwise dangerous to human life, or which, in relation to existing use, constitutes a hazard to safety or health by reason of inadequate maintenance, dilapidation, obsolescence, or abandonment and is considered to be a hazard and a menace.

Variance means a permit for the development of a lot issued by the Board of Zoning Appeals allowing for certain exceptions to be made to the strict terms of the Zoning Ordinance in cases where strict compliance would impose undue hardship on the property owner. See Section 10B.

Yard means an open space on a lot, other than a court, unoccupied and unobstructed from the ground upward, except as otherwise provided herein.

(1)

Front yard means an open space on the same lot with a building between the front line of the building (exclusive of steps) and the front lot line or street line and extending across the full width of the lot.

(2)

Rear yard means an open space on the same lot with a building between the rear line of the building (exclusive of steps) and the rear lot line or street line and extending across the full width of the lot.

(3)

Side yard means an open space on the same lot with a building between the side line of the building (exclusive of steps) and the side lot line or street line and extending from the front lot line to the rear lot line.

(4)

Minimum required yard means the smallest yard allowable under the Ordinances.

Zoning permit means a permit issued by the zoning administrator indicating that the submitted plans for property development comply with the Zoning Ordinance and that the use or structure proposed is allowed by the ordinance or has been allowed by the granting of a Variance by the Board of Zoning Appeals. See Section 9A3.

(Ord. of 2-12-1979, § 3; Ord. of 8-13-1990, § 3; Ord. of 2-23-1999, § 1; Ord. No. 2023.03.14, 3-13-2023)