For the purpose of this ordinance, certain words and terms are defined as follows: words used in the present tense include the future. Words in the singular include the plural, and the plural includes the singular.

15-1.

Abattoir: A commercial slaughterhouse.

15-2.

Accessory use or structure: A subordinate use or structure customarily incidental to and located upon the same lot occupied by the main use or building.

15-3.

Acreage: A parcel of land regardless of area, described by metes and bounds which is not a numbered lot on any recorded subdivision plat.

15-4.

Administrator, the: The official charged with the enforcement of the zoning ordinance. He may be any appointed or elected official is [if] by formal resolution designated to the position by the town council. He may serve with or without compensation as determined by council.

15-5.

Agricultural: The tilling of the soil, the raising of crops, horticulture forestry, and gardening including the keeping of animals and fowl, and including any agricultural industry or business, such as fruit packing plants, dairies or similar use.

15-6.

Alteration: Any change in the total floor area, use, adaptability or external appearance of an existing structure.

15-7.

Apartment house: A building used or intended to be used as the residence of three or more families living independently of each other.

15-8.

Automobile graveyard: Any lot or place which is exposed to the weather upon which more than five motor vehicles of any kind incapable of being operated, are placed. (Code of Virginia, 1938, p. 439; Michie Code 1942, Sec. 3030c.)

15-9.

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

15-10.

Boardinghouse: A building where, for compensation, lodging and meals are provided for at least five and up to 14 persons.

15-11.

Building: Any structure having a roof supported by columns or walls for the housing or enclosure of persons, animals or chattels; but under no circumstances is a mobile home to be considered a building.

15-12.

Building, accessory: A subordinate structure incidental to and located in any residential zoning district must be a freestanding building with a roof, supporting walls and foundation that is made of traditional building materials. No such accessory structure shall be used as a dwelling unless it complies with all applicable zoning and building codes. No trailer, bus, van, semi-trailer, cargo container or other entity made for highway use or for transporting goods shall be used as an accessory structure or storage buildings in a residential zoned district.

15-13.

Building, height of: The vertical distance measured from the level of the curb or the established curb grade opposite the middle of the front of the structure to the highest point of the roof if a flat roof; to the deck line of a mansard roof, or to the mean height level between the eaves and ridge of a gable, hip, or gambrel 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.

15-14.

Building, main: The principal structure or one of the principal building on a lot, or the building or one of the principal buildings housing the principal use on the lot.

15-15.

Cellar: A story having more than one-half of its height below grade and which may not be occupied for dwelling purposes.

15-16.

Commission, the: The planning commission of Crewe, Virginia.

15-17.

Dairy: A commercial establishment for the manufacture and sale of dairy products.

15-18.

District: Districts as referred to in the Code of Virginia, § 15.2-2280.

15-19.

Dwelling: Any structure which is designed for use for residential purposes, except hotels, boardinghouses, lodginghouses, tourist cabins, apartments, automobile trailers, and mobile homes.

15-20.

Dwelling, multiple-family: A structure arranged, or designed to be occupied by more than one family.

15-21.

Dwelling, two-family: A structure arranged or designed to be occupied by two families, the structure having only two dwelling units.

15-22.

Dwelling, single-family: A structure arranged or designed to be occupied by one family, the structure having only one dwelling unit.

15-23.

Dwelling unit: One or more room in a dwelling designed for living or sleeping purposes, and having at least one kitchen.

15-24.

Dump heap (trash pile): Any area of 100 square feet or more lying within 1,000 feet of a state highway, a residence, a dairy barn or food handling establishment where trash[,] garbage or other waste or scrap material is dumped or deposited without being covered by a sanitary fill.

15-25.

Family: One or more persons occupying a premises and living in a single dwelling unit, as distinguished from an unrelated group occupying a boardinghouse, lodginghouse, tourist home or hotel.

15-26.

Frontage: The minimum width of a lot measured from one side lot line to the other along a straight line on which no point shall be farther away from the street upon which the lot fronts than the building setback line as defined and required herein.

15-27.

Garage, private: Accessory building designed or used for the storage of not more than three automobiles owned and used by the occupants of the building to which it is accessory. On a lot occupied by a multiple-unit dwelling, the private garage may be designed and used for the storage of 1½ times as many automobiles as there are dwelling units.

15-28.

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

15-29.

General store, country: A single store, the ground floor area of which is 4,000 square feet or less and which offers for sale primarily, most of the following articles: bread, milk, cheese, canned and bottled-foods and drinks, tobacco products, candy, papers and magazines and general hardware articles. Gasoline may also be offered for sale but only as a secondary activity of a country general store.

15-30.

Golf course: Any golf course, publicly or privately owned, on which the game of golf is played, including accessory uses and buildings customary thereto, but excluding golf driving ranges as defined herein.

15-31.

Golf driving range: A limited area on which golf players do not walk, but onto which they drive golf balls from a central driving tee.

15-32.

Governing body: The town council of Crewe, Virginia.

15-33.

Guestroom: A room which is intended, arranged or designed to be occupied, or which is occupied, by one or more guests paying direct or indirect compensation therefor, but in which no provision is made for cooking. Dormitories are excluded.

15-34.

Historical area: As defined on the zoning map in which the provisions of the ordinance apply for protection of a historical heritage.

15-35.

Hog farm: A farm where hogs are kept and fed primarily on garbage transported from other places.

15-36.

Home garden: A garden in a residential district for the production of vegetables, fruits and flowers generally for use and/or consumption by the occupants of the premises.

15-37.

Home occupation: An occupation carried on by the occupant of a dwelling or an accessory building as a secondary use in connection with the occupation. Such occupation shall be subject to the regulations listed below. All home occupations shall be subject to the following limitations per article 10 of the zoning ordinance for an R1 District in the Town of Crewe.

1.

A home occupation must be conducted by the home occupation permit applicant within the dwelling which is the primary residence of the applicant or in an accessory building thereto which is normally associated with a residential use and shall be clearly subordinate to the principal use of the lot as a dwelling.

2.

Except for articles produced on the premises, no stock in trade shall be stored, displayed or sold on the premises.

3.

There shall be no exterior evidence that the properly is used in any way other than for a dwelling.

4.

No mechanical or electrical equipment shall be employed other than machinery or equipment customarily found in the home, associated with a hobby or avocation not conducted for gain or profit, or customary for a small office.

5.

No outside display or storage of goods, equipment or materials used in connection with the home occupation shall be permitted.

6.

The home occupation permit applicant and others persons who use the dwelling as their primary residence may be involved in the home occupation use. In addition, one nonresident person, whether paid or not for their services, may be involved in the home occupation use on the property provided that there is only one such person on the property and the hours of such attendance shall be limited to 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

7.

The dwelling in which the home occupation is being conducted shall be open for inspection to town personnel during reasonable hours.

8.

A permit for a home occupation is valid for only the original applicant and is not transferable to any resident, address or any other occupation. Upon termination of the applicant's residency, the home occupation permit shall become null and void.

9.

No signs shall be permitted.

10.

Other than reasonable visits or number of vehicles, there shall be no customers or clients parked or on the premises relative to the home occupation being conducted at the address.

11.

If there are any changes proposed in the dwelling or in the plumbing or the electrical system, appropriate permits will be required. Approval of this permit or of any other permit does not relieve the applicant from compliance with the provisions of any applicable ordinances of the Town of Crewe or the Commonwealth of Virginia.

12.

A permit for a home occupation shall be revocable by the zoning administrator because of the failure of the owner or operator of the use covered by the permit to observe all requirements of the permit and the zoning ordinance.

15-38.

Hospital: An institution rendering medical, surgical, obstetrical, or convalescent care, including nursing homes, homes for the aged and sanatoriums, but in all cases excluding institutions primarily for mental or feeble-minded patients, epileptics, alcoholic, or drug addicts. (Certain nursing homes and homes for the aged may be "home occupations" if they comply with the definition herein.)

15-39.

Hospital, special care: A special care hospital shall mean an institution rendering care primarily for mental or feeble-minded patients, epileptics, alcoholics, or drug addicts.

15-40.

Hotel: A building designed or occupied as the more or less temporary abiding place for 14 or more individuals who are, for compensation lodged, with or without meals, and in which provision is not generally made for cooking in individual rooms or suites.

15-41.

Junkyard: The use of any area of land lying within 100 feet of a state highway or the use of more than 200 square feet of land area in any location for the storage, keeping, or abandonment of junk including scrap metals or other scrap materials. The term "junkyard" shall include the term "automobile graveyard" as defined in Chapter 304, Acts of 1938, Code of Virginia.

15-42.

Kennel: A place prepared to house, board, breed, handle, or otherwise keep or care for dogs for sale or in return for compensation.

15-43.

Livestock market: A commercial establishment wherein livestock is collected for sale and auctioned off.

15-44.

Lot: A parcel of land occupied or to be occupied by a main structure or group of main structures and accessory structures, together with such yards, open spaces, lot width and lot areas as are required by this ordinance, and having frontage upon a street, either shown on a plat of record or considered as a unit of property and described by metes and bounds.

15-45.

Lot, corner: A lot abutting on two or more streets at their intersection. Of the two sides of a corner lot the front shall be deemed to be the shortest of the two sides fronting on streets.

15-46.

Lot, depth of: The average horizontal distance between the front and rear lot lines.

15-47.

Lot, double frontage: An interior lot having frontage on two streets.

15-48.

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

15-49.

Lot, width of: The average horizontal distance between side lot lines.

15-50.

Lot of record: A lot which has been recorded in the clerk's office of the circuit court.

15-51.

Manufacture and/or manufacturing: The processing and/or converting of raw, unfinished materials, or products, or either of them, into articles or substances of different character, or for use for a different purpose.

15-52.

Mobile home: A mobile home is a single-family trailer designed for transportation, after fabrication, on streets and highways on its own wheels or on flatbed or other trailers, and arriving at the site where it is to be occupied as a unit complete and ready for occupancy; except for minor and incidental unpacking and assembly operation, location on jacks or permanent foundations, connection to utilities and the like. A mobile home is not intended to be classed as a dwelling under the meaning as hereinbefore defined.

15-53.

Mobile home park or subdivision: Any area of two acres or more owned by one person or corporation designed to accommodate ten or more mobile homes intended for residential use where residence is in mobile homes exclusively.

15-54.

Mobile home stand: That part of a mobile home lot which has been reserved for the placement of the mobile home.

15-55.

Nonconforming lot: An otherwise legally platted lot that does not conform to the minimum area or width requirements of this ordinance for the district in which it is located either at the effective date of this ordinance or as a result of subsequent amendments to the ordinance.

15-56.

Nonconforming activity: The otherwise legal use of a building or structure or of a tract of land that does not conform to the use regulations of this ordinance for the district in which it is located, either at the effective date of this ordinance or as a result of subsequent amendments to the ordinance.

15-57.

Nonconforming structure: An otherwise legal building or structure that does not conform with the lot area, yard, height, lot coverage, or other area regulations of this ordinance, or is designed or intended for a use that does not conform to the use regulations of this ordinance for the district in which it is located either at the effective date of this ordinance or as a result of subsequent amendments to the ordinance.

15-58.

Off-street parking area: Space provided for vehicular parking outside the dedicated street right-of-way.

15-59.

Pen: A small enclosure used for the concentrated confinement and housing of animals or poultry; a place for feeding and fattening animals or poultry; a coop. Enclosed pasture or range with an area in excess of 100 square feet for each hog or small animal or 200 square feet for each larger animal shall not be regarded as a pen.

15-60.

Professional office: Buildings, not containing over 2,000 square feet in floor area, used by doctors, dentists, lawyers, engineers, architects, accountants and beauticians provided that no more than two persons can practice their professions in said building.

15-61.

Public water and sewer systems: A water or sewer system owned and operated by a municipality or county, or owned and operated by a private individual or a corporation approved by the governing body and properly licensed by the state corporation commission, and subject to special regulations as herein set forth.

15-62.

Required open space: Any space required in any front, side or rear yard.

15-63.

Restaurant: Any building in which for compensation food or beverages are dispensed for consumption on the premises, including, among other establishments, cafes, tea rooms, confectionery shops or refreshment stands.

15-64.

Retail stores and shops: Buildings for display and sale of merchandise at retail or for the rendering of personal services (but specifically exclusive of coal, wood, and lumber yards), such as the following, which will serve as illustration: drug store, newsstand, food store, candy shop, milk dispensary, dry goods and notions store, antique store and gift shop, hardware store, household appliance store, furniture store, florist, optician, music and radio store, tailor shop, barber shop, and beauty shop.

15-65.

Sawmill: A portable sawmill located on a private property for the processing of timber cut only from that property or from property immediately contiguous and adjacent thereto.

15-66.

Setback: The minimum distance by which any building or structure must be separated from the front lot line.

15-67.

Sign: Any display of any letters, words, numerals, figures, devices, emblems, pictures, or any parts or combinations thereof, by any means whereby the same are made visible for the purpose of making anything known, whether such display be made on, attached to, or as a part of a structure, surface or any other thing, including, but not limited to, the ground, any rock, tree, or other natural object, which display is visible beyond the boundaries of the parcel of land on which the same is made. A display of less than one square foot in area is excluded from this definition.

15-67-1.

Business. A sign which directs attention to a product, commodity, or service available on the premises.

15-67-2.

Home occupation. A sign not exceeding four square feet in area directing attention to a product, commodity, or service available on the premises, but which product, commodity, or service is clearly a secondary use of the dwelling.

15-67-3.

General advertising. A sign which directs attention to a product, commodity, or service not necessarily available on the premises.

15-67-4.

Location: A sign which directs attention to the approximate location of an establishment from which the advertised product may be obtained.

15-67-5.

Directional. A directional sign is one (one end of which may be pointed, or on which an arrow may be painted, indicating the direction to which attention is called) four square feet or less in area, giving the name only of the farm or business responsible for the erection of same.

15-68.

Sign structure: Includes the supports, uprights, bracing, and framework of any structure, be it single-faced, double-faced, v-type or otherwise, exhibiting a sign.

15-69.

Sign, temporary: A sign applying to a seasonal or other brief activity such as, but not limited to, summer camps, horse shows, auctions or sale of land. Temporary signs shall conform in size and type to directional signs.

15-70.

Store: See 14[15]-64, Retail stores and shops.

15-71.

Story: 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. If there be [is] no floor above it, the space between the floor and the ceiling next above it.

15-72.

Story, half: A space under a sloping roof, which has the line of intersection of roof decking and wall face not more than three feet above the top floor level, and in which space not more than two-thirds of the floor area is finished off for use.

15-73.

Street, road: A public thoroughfare which affords principal means of access to abutting property.

15-74.

Street, line: The dividing line between a street or road right-of-way and the contiguous property.

15-75.

Structure: Anything constructed or erected, the use of which requires permanent location on the ground, or attachment to something having a permanent location on the ground. This includes, among other things, dwellings, buildings, signs, etc.

15-76.

Tourist court, auto court, motel, autel, cabins, or motor lodge: One or more buildings containing individual sleeping rooms, designed for or used temporarily by automobile tourists or transients, with garage or parking space conveniently located to each unit. Cooking facilities may be provided for each unit.

15-77.

Tourist home: A dwelling where only lodging is provided for compensation for up to seven boarders (in contradistinction to hotels and boardinghouses) and open to transients.

15-78.

Travel trailer: A mobile unit regardless of length and weight which is designed for human habitation.

15-79.

Use, accessory: A subordinate use, customarily incidental to and located upon the same lot occupied by the main use.

15-80.

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 or size of yards and open spaces; establishment or expansion of a use otherwise prohibited shall not be allowed by variance nor shall a variance be granted because of the presence of nonconformities in the zoning division or district or adjoining divisions or districts.

15-81.

Wayside stand, roadside stand, wayside market: Any structure or land used for the sale of agricultural or horticultural produce, livestock, or merchandise produced by the owner or his family on their farm.

15-82.

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

15-82-1.

Front. An open space on the same lot as a building between the front line of the building (exclusive of steps) and the front lot or street line, and extending across the full width of the lot.

15-82-2.

Rear. An open, unoccupied space on the same lot as a building between the rear line of the building (exclusive of steps) and the rear line of the lot, and extending the full width of the lot.

15-82-3.

Side. An open, unoccupied space on the same lot as a building between the side line of the building (exclusive of steps) and the side line of the lot, and extending from the front yard line to the rear yard line.

(Ord. of 3- -1988; Ord. of 12-13-1999; Ord. of 12-14-2015)