When used in this ordinance, the following words and phrases shall have the meaning given in this article. Terms not herein defined shall have their customary dictionary definitions where not inconsistent with the context. The term "shall" is mandatory. When not inconsistent with the context, words used in the singular number include the plural and those used in the plural number include the singular. Words used in the present tense include the future.

Abutting: Having property or district lines in common, or having property separated by only an alley. Separation by a street right-of-way is not considered abutting.

Accessory building or use: A building or use which: is subordinate to and serves a principal building or principal use; is subordinate in area, extent, or purpose to the principal building or use served; contributes to the comfort, convenience or necessity of occupants of the principal building or principal use; and is located on the same lot as the principal building or principal use.

Agriculture: The cultivation or growth of a field or horticultural crop, including dairying, livestock and poultry raising, farm forestry, and other similar enterprises or uses.

Agriculturally related uses: Those activities that predominantly use agricultural products, buildings or equipment, such as pony rides, corn mazes, pumpkin rolling, barn dances, sleigh/hay rides, and educational events, such as farming and food preserving classes, etc.

Agricultural products: Includes but is not limited to, crops; fruit, cider and vegetables, floriculture, herbs, forestry, husbandry, livestock and livestock products; aquaculture products, horticultural specialties, etc.

Agriculturally related products: Items sold at a farm market to attract customers and promote the sale of agricultural products. Such items include, but are not limited to, all agricultural and horticultural products, animal feed, baked goods, ice cream and ice cream based desserts and beverages, jams, honey, gift items, food stuffs, clothing and other items promoting the farm and agriculture in the state, and value-added agricultural products and onsite production.

Agricultural tourism and/or -tourism: Shall mean the practice of visiting and agribusiness, horticultural or agricultural operation, including, but not limited to, a farm, orchard, winery, greenhouse, hunting preserve, a companion animal or livestock show, for the purpose of recreations, education, or active involvement in the operation, other than as a contractor or employee of the operation.

Airport: Any area of land, water or mechanical structure which is used for the landing and takeoff of aircraft, including any appurtenant structures and areas which are used or intended to be used for airport buildings, other airport facilities, rights-of-ways or easements.

Alley: A private or public thoroughfare, which affords only a secondary means of access to a building or abutting property and is not intended for general traffic circulation.

Alteration: Any change in the supporting members of a building, any modification or change in construction, any addition which increases the area or height, any change in use from that of one district classification to another, or movement of a building from one location to another.

Animal hospital: A facility operated by a licensed veterinarian specifically for the practice of veterinary medicine.

Antique shop: A store or shop for the sale of relics, objects of ancient times or of an earlier period, works of art, pieces of furniture or decorative objects made at a much earlier period than present.

Apartment house: A multifamily dwelling located on a parcel of land under a single ownership, designed for use by three or more housekeeping units, living independently of each other, and doing their own cooking on the premises.

Appeals board: The planning commission will hear all appeals and variance requests. Any appeal from the planning commission decision will be de novo to the city council. Any appeal from the city council decision will be by certiorari on the record from the city council to the superior court of the county.

Architectural features, exterior: The architectural style, general design and general arrangement of the exterior of a building or other structure, including but not limited to, the kind or texture of the building material and the type and style of all windows, doors, signs and other appurtenant architectural fixtures, features, details or elements relative to the foregoing.

Area of shallow flooding: A designated AO or VO zone on a community's flood insurance rate map (FIRM) with base flood depths from one to three feet where a clearly defined channel does not exist, where the path of flooding is unpredictable and indeterminate, and where velocity flow may be evident.

Art gallery: A facility, structure or building used for the display of sculptures, paintings, photographs or other artistic works for public viewing with only incidental sales.

Automated teller: An accessory facility through which certain banking functions such as deposits and withdrawals can be completed without the personal assistance of a bank employee.

Bakery bake shop: The use of a structure or building for the production and retail sale of bakery products, including but not limited to breads, cakes, pastries and doughnuts. Wholesale bakeries are not included in this definition.

Basement: That portion of a building located wholly or partly underground but having less than one-half of its height above the grade.

Bed and breakfast inn: A dwelling unit, or portion thereof, where short-term lodging rooms, with or without meals, are provided for compensation, and where the operator of the inn resides on the premises.

Berm: An earthen structure used as a screening device in conjunction with the planting of grass, shrubbery and trees.

Boarding house: A building, where for compensation, both lodging and meals are provided for persons, provided that a single- family dwelling shall not be deemed to be a boarding house by reason of a contribution to or expense sharing arrangement with the owner or tenant occupying the dwelling by a person related by blood or marriage.

Broadcasting studio: A room or suite or rooms operated as a radio or television broadcasting studio or station with local broadcast capability or intended for satellite distribution of programs.

Buffer: A landscaped open space and/or screen located between land uses for the purpose of visibly separating uses through distance and to shield or block noise, light, glare, or visual or other nuisances; that portion of a given lot, not covered by buildings, pavement, parking, access and service areas, established for the purpose of screening and separating properties, the width of which is measured from the common property line and extending the developed portion of the common property line. A buffer consists of trees, shrubs and other natural vegetation undisturbed by grading or site development and replanted where sparsely vegetated or where disturbed for approved access and utility crossings.

Buildable area: The portion of a lot remaining after required yards, buffers and building setbacks have been provided, where construction of principal buildings is permitted.

Building: Any structure, either temporary or permanent, above or below ground, having a roof or other covering, and designed, built, or used as a shelter or enclosure for persons, animals, or property of any kind, including tents, awnings, or vehicles used for purposes of a building.

Building addition: Any walled and roofed expansion to the perimeter of a building in which the addition is connected by a common load-bearing wall other than a firewall. Any walled and roofed addition which is connected by a firewall or is separated by independent perimeter loadbearing walls is new construction.

Building, elevated: A non-basement building built to have the lowest floor elevated above the ground level by means of fill, solid foundation perimeter walls, pilings, columns (posts and piers), shear walls, or breakaway walls.

Building height: The vertical distance from the average grade to the highest point of the coping of a flat roof or to the deck line of a mansard roof or the average point of a pitch or hip roof. The term "as engineered" denotes that building height for the structure has been established by the architectural and engineering team responsible for the design of said structure.

Building official: See "Planning Director or designee."

Building, principal: A building or structure in which is conducted the main use of the property on which the building or structure is located. In any residential district, any structure containing a dwelling unit shall be defined to be the principal building on the lot on which said structure is located.

Building setback line: A line establishing the minimum allowable distance between the main or front wall of a building, including any covered porches, and the street right-of-way or property line when measured perpendicularly thereto. In the case of corner lots or double frontage lots, front yard requirements shall be observed for those areas adjacent to street rights-of-way.

Bulk: A term used to describe the size and shape of a building or structure and its relationship to other buildings, to the lot area for a building and to open spaces and yards.

Bus terminal: An area and building where buses stop to load and unload passengers and luggage or packages and which may include the sale of bus tickets.

Campground: Land containing two or more campsites which are located, established or maintained for occupancy by people in temporary lodging units such as camp tents, or cabins, for recreation, education or vacation purposes.

Car wash: An establishment engaged in the business of washing domestic vehicles with self-serve, automated or staffed facilities.

Carport: An accessory structure or portion of a principal structure, consisting of a roof and supporting members such as columns or beams, unenclosed from the ground to the roof on at least two sides, and designed or used for the storage of motor vehicles or boats.

Cemetery: Land used or intended to be used for the burial of the dead and dedicated for cemetery purposes, but not including crematories and mortuaries.

Centerline of street: That line designated as the center of a public street. If a centerline has not been surveyed, it shall be the line running midway between the outside curbs, ditches or pavement ends of such street.

Certificate of occupancy: A legal document issued by the planning director or designee indicating that the building and use or reuse of a particular building or land is in conformity with all applicable codes and regulations, and that such building or land may be occupied for the purpose stated therein.

Church: An institution that people regularly attend to participate in or hold religious services, meeting and other purposes, including education, day care and recreation facilities when owned and operated by such church.

Circus: The temporary use of land offering entertainment and instruction in the form of such things as thrill rides, games of chance and skill, educational exhibits, display of oddities and the like. The term also includes carnivals and fairs.

City engineer: The engineer of the city, or his authorized representative.

Clinic: A building designed and used for the diagnosis and treatment of patients that does not include overnight care facilities.

Club: A building or facilities owned or operated by a group for social, educational or recreational purposes, but not customarily for profit or to render a service that is customarily carried on for gain.

Cluster development: A subdivision, planned development, or grouping of lots or dwellings arranged in such a way that open space is maintained throughout the area, that sensitive lands such as wetlands and steel slopes remain undeveloped, and that lot layout requires a reduced amount of street and utility placement.

College: A degree-granting establishment, accredited or qualified, which provides formal academic education and generally requiring for admission at least a high school diploma or equivalent academic training. Accessory uses under this definition include but are not limited to dormitories, cafeterias, bookstores, research facilities, sports facilities and auditoriums.

Commercial-residential group project: One or more buildings containing both a permitted commercial operation(s) and a residential use(s) within such building(s). It is typically characteristic of a commercial-residential group project to have the residential unit or units occupied by the owners, operators, lessees, or employees of the shop, business or office which occupies the same building or project.

Commercial use: Any primary or principal use of property for profit.

Common open space: Publicly or privately owned undeveloped open space intended for aesthetic, recreation, public safety, or other conservation purposes, to be used by the owners or residents of a particular development or the public in general.

Compatibility: The characteristics of different uses or activities that permit such uses or activities to be located near each other in harmony and without conflict. Some elements affecting compatibility include: intensity of occupancy as measured by dwelling units per acre or gross square footage per acre; pedestrian or vehicular traffic generated; volume of goods handled, and such environmental affects as noise, vibration, odor, glare, air pollution or radiation.

Comprehensive plan: Those coordinated plans or portions thereof which have been prepared by or for the governing body for the physical development of the jurisdiction; or any plans that designate plans or programs to encourage the most appropriate use of the land in the interest of public health, safety and welfare.

Conditional use: A use which would not be appropriate without restriction throughout a zoning district and is not automatically permitted by right within a zoning district, but which may be permitted within a zoning district subject to meeting specific conditions (such as controls on number, size, area, location and activities) contained in these regulations or required by the governing body in accordance with the regulations established herein.

Conditional zoning: The granting or adoption of zoning for property subject to compliance with restrictions as to use, size, density or actions stipulated by the governing body to mitigate adverse impacts that are anticipated without imposition of such conditions.

Condominium (residential building): A building or complex of multiple-unit dwellings in which a tenant holds full title to his unit and joint ownership in the common grounds.

Contractor's establishment: An establishment engaged in the provision of construction activities including but not limited to plumbing, electrical work, building, paving, carpentry and other such contracting activities, including the storage of materials and the overnight parking of commercial vehicles.

Convalescent home: A home for the care of children or the aged or infirm, or a place of rest for those suffering bodily disorders, wherein two or more persons are professionally cared for.

Convenience store: A small retail store, 5,000 square feet or less, which sells convenience items as its primary sales. A convenience store may include the sale of gasoline and diesel fuel, but such sales shall be accessory to the primary sale of convenience goods.

Conventional construction: A building constructed on the building site from basic materials delivered to the site and from lumber cut on the job. A conventional building is subject to local codes and ordinances.

Conversion: Any change in the original use or purpose of a building or lot to a different use.

Cul-de-sac: A street having one end open to traffic and being permanently terminated by a vehicular turn-around.

Curb cut: A provision for vehicular ingress and/or egress between property and an abutting public street.

Day care center: A childcare facility, pre-kindergarten, play or other special school for young children (other than at public or private elementary schools) providing, for compensation, care and maintenance to seven or more children under age 17 for a period of 12 hours or less, typically during normal daytime hours. A day care center of six children or less is considered to be a home occupation.

Deciduous: Falling off or shedding seasonally or at a certain stage of development in the life cycle.

Density: The number of dwelling units developed, or to be developed, per gross acre of land, or the gross square footage of a building per acre of land.

Department store: A retail facility which offers the sale of various goods and merchandise and serves a regional market as opposed to a facility serving only neighborhood markets. A department store is typically at least 40,000 square feet in area and serves as an anchor for smaller retail stores and shops, usually located in a shopping mall or center.

Development: Any manmade change or improved or unimproved real estate including, but not limited to buildings or other structures, mining, dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavation, drilling operations, or permanent storage of materials or equipment.

Developmentally disabled person: A person with a disability resulting in substantial functional limitations in such person's major life activities which disability is attributable to mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, or autism or is attributable to any other condition related to mental retardation because such condition results in impairment of general intellectual functioning or adaptive behavior similar to that of mentally retarded persons.

District, zoning: A geographical area or areas, designated with the use of symbols on the official zoning map, wherein uses of land are restricted in type, size, height and other limitations as established in these regulations.

Dormitory: A building that is owned and/or operated by an educational institution, the primary purpose of which is to provide living accommodations for individuals associated with the institution, but which does not include individual kitchen facilities.

Drive-in: A retail or service enterprise wherein service is provided to the customer within a motor vehicle on the outside of the principal building.

Drive-in theater: A facility designed for the outdoor projection of motion pictures onto a permanent screen to be viewed from the patron's auto.

Dry cleaners: An establishment engaged in providing laundry, dyeing and dry-cleaning services to individual customers.

Dry cleaning plant: An establishment engaged in providing laundry, dyeing and dry-cleaning services on a large scale for institutions, businesses or other such establishments.

Dwelling: A building, other than a manufactured home or house trailer, designed, arranged or used for residential use.

Dwelling, multifamily: A building designed for or occupied exclusively by two or more single housekeeping units with separate kitchen or housekeeping facilities for each family or housekeeping unit, including apartments, duplexes, row houses, condominiums, town houses, and similar housing types but not including motels, hotels, lodging houses, hospitals, nursing homes, or public institutions such as prisons and mental institutions.

Dwelling, single-family: A building designed or arranged to be occupied by one single housekeeping unit only as a residence.

Dwelling unit: A building, or portion thereof, designed, arranged and used for living quarters for one or more persons living as a single housekeeping unit with cooking facilities, but not including manufactured homes and units in hotels or other structures designed for transient residence.

Easement: A nonpossessory interest in land; a grant by a property owner for the use by the public, a corporation or persons, of a portion of land for a specified purpose or purposes.

Exterminator: An establishment engaged in the service of killing insects, mice, rats or other pests.

Facade: The exterior wall of a building exposed to public view or that wall viewed by persons not within the building.

Factory-built housing: Georgia law has now changed "factory-built housing" to "industrial building." See "industrialized building."

Family: An individual, or two or more persons related by blood, marriage, adoption or guardianship, or a group of not more than four unrelated persons, occupying a single dwelling unit and using the same cooking facilities; provided however that domestic servants employed on the premises may be housed on the premises without being counted as a separate family or families. Any group which is licensed by the State of Georgia, or any political subdivision thereof, which contains up to six developmentally disabled persons and up to two supervisors or surrogate parents residing on the premise at one time shall constitute a family.

Farm: An area of land principally devoted to agriculture.

Farm supply store: An establishment engaged in the retail sale of animal feeds, fertilizers, agricultural chemicals, pesticides, seeds and other such farm supplies.

Fence: A structural barrier for enclosure, screening or demarcation, presenting a solid face or having openings amongst or between its constituents' members; also, a wall separate from or extending from a building.

Flea market: The use of land, structures or buildings for the sale of produce or goods, usually second or cut-rate.

Flood, base: The flood having a one percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year, also known as the 100-year flood.

Flood, flooding: A general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of normally dry land areas from the overflow of inland waters or the unusual and rapid accumulation or runoff of surface waters from any source.

Flood hazard area, special: Special flood hazard areas are those lands subject to periodic flooding and shown on the flood insurance rate map and/or flood hazard boundary map as a numbered or unnumbered "A" zone, subject to a one percent or greater chance of flooding in any one given year.

Flood hazard boundary map (FHBM): An official map of a community, issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, where the boundaries of the areas of special flood hazard have been designated as zone A.

Flood insurance rate map (FIRM): An official map of a community, on which the Federal Emergency Management Agency has delineated both the areas of special flood hazard and the risk premium zones applicable to the community.

Flood insurance study: The official report provided by the Federal Insurance Administration containing flood profiles as well as the flood hazard boundary-floodway map and the water surface elevation of the base flood.

Flood proofing: Any combination of structural and nonstructural additions, changes, or adjustments to structures which reduce or eliminate flood damage to real estate or improved real property, water and sanitary facilities, structures and their contents.

Floodplain: An area within the flood contour elevations subject to periodic flooding as designated by federal, state, regional, county or local studies.

Flood way: The channel 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 one foot.

Floor: The top surface of an enclosed area in a building (including basement), i.e., top of slab in concrete slab construction or top of wood flooring in wood frame construction. The term does not include the floor of a garage used solely for parking vehicles.

Floor area: The sum of the gross horizontal area of several floors of a building, measured from the exterior faces of the exterior walls, or from the centerline of walls separating two buildings, but not including:

1.

Attic space providing headroom of less than seven feet;

2.

Basement or cellar, unless finished and heated for occupancy;

3.

Uncovered steps or fire escapes;

4.

Private garages, carports, or porches;

5.

Accessory water towers or cooling towers; and

6.

Accessory off-street parking or loading spaces.

Floor, habitable: Any floor usable for living purposes, which includes sleeping, working, eating, cooking or recreation, or a combination thereof. A floor used for storage only is not a habitable floor.

Floor, lowest: The floor of least elevation including basement and garage.

Funeral home: A building or part thereof used for human funeral services, which may contain space and facilities for: embalming and the performance of other services used in preparation of the dead for burial; performance of autopsies; storage of caskets; and chapel services.

Furniture finishing and repair: An establishment engaged in the stripping, cleaning, painting, staining, sealing, varnishing, or other like refinishing of the wood or metal components of furniture or the replacement or repair of broken or missing portions of a piece of furniture.

Garage: An accessory building or portion of a principal building used only for the private storage of motor vehicles and other personal property as an accessory use.

Glare: A sensation of brightness within the visual field that causes annoyance, discomfort, or loss in visual performance and visibility.

Governing body: The mayor and city council of the City of Dawsonville, duly elected by the citizens within the jurisdiction.

Grade: The average of the finished ground levels at the center of all walls of a building.

Greenhouse: A building designed or used for growing or propagating plants, with walls or roof usually designed to transmit light. Greenhouses shall not be construed to include commercial horticultural activities.

Guest house: A lodging unit for temporary guests in an accessory building. No such lodging unit shall contain independent cooking or kitchen facilities and shall not be rented or otherwise used as a separate dwelling.

Height, building: The vertical distance measured from the grade to the highest point of the coping of a flat roof; to the deck lines of a mansard roof; or to the mean height level between the eaves and ridge of a gable, hip or gambrel roof.

Heliport: An area, either at ground level or elevated on a structure, licensed or approved for the landing and takeoff of helicopters, and including auxiliary facilities such as parking, waiting room, fueling and maintenance equipment.

Helistop: A heliport, but without auxiliary facilities such as parking, waiting room, fueling and maintenance equipment.

Historic structure: Any structure that is: listed individually in the National Register of Historic Places (a listing maintained by the department of interior) or preliminarily determined by the secretary of the interior as meeting the requirements for individual listing on the national register; certified or preliminarily determined by the secretary of the interior as contributing to the historical significance of a registered historic district or a district preliminarily determined by the secretary to quality as a registered historic district; individually listed on a state inventory of historic places in states with historic preservation programs which have been approved by the secretary of the interior; or individually listed on a local inventory of historic places in communities with historic preservation programs that have been certified either by an approved state program as determined by the secretary of the interior, or directly by the secretary of the interior in states without approved programs.

Home occupation: Any use, occupation or activity conducted entirely within the dwelling by the residents thereof, which is clearly incidental and secondary to the use of the dwelling for residence purposes and does not change the character thereof, and in connection with which there is no display, no stock-in-trade nor commodity sold or stored on the premises; and where only those persons residing on the premises are employed specifically in connection with the home occupation. Provided further, that no mechanical equipment is installed or used except such as is normally used for domestic purposes.

Hospital: An institution providing health services, for in-patients and medical or surgical care of the sick or injured, including as an integral part of the institution, such related facilities as laboratories, out-patients department, training facilities, central service facilities and staff offices.

Hotel: A public commercial lodging facility intended for use as temporary residence including meals, entertainment and various personal services provided for compensation to persons traveling for business, tourism or other visitation purposes in which ingress and egress from all rooms is made through an inside lobby or office supervised by a person in charge at all hours.

Household pet: An animal which is customarily kept for company or pleasure within a home or yard which is not exhibited to the public, nor raised for commercial purposes. Household pets include domestic canines, felines, tropical birds, fish, rabbits, rodents and other animals customarily sold in pet stores.

Industrialized building: Any structure or component thereof or any modular home that is wholly or in substantial part made, fabricated, formed or assembled in manufacturing facilities for installation or assembly on a building site and that has been manufactured in such a manner that all parts or processes cannot be inspected at the installation site without disassembly, damage, or destruction and that does not have a permanent chassis.

Inoperable vehicle: Any motorized vehicle, other than those vehicles temporarily disabled, incapable of immediately being driven. Any motorized vehicle without a current vehicle registration tag shall be considered an inoperable vehicle.

Junk/salvage yard: Any property involving the abandonment, parking, storage or disassembly of junked or inoperable vehicles or junked machinery, the abandonment, storage, sale, or resale of used auto parts, tires, scrap iron, metal, used plumbing fixtures, old stoves, refrigerators and/or other old household appliances, used brick, wood, or other building/structural materials, used paper, rags or other scrap materials.

Kennel: The housing, breeding, boarding or training of four or more dogs, cats, or other domestic animals, whether or not it is operated for the purpose of providing income or revenue.

Laboratory: A place devoted to experimental study, such as testing and analyzing, but not including the manufacturing of product or products.

Land-disturbing activity: Any grading, scraping, excavating, or filling of land; clearing of vegetation; any other alteration of land which causes land and stream bank erosion, siltation or water pollution; and any construction, rebuilding or alteration of a structure.

Landfill: An area wherein solid wastes are placed, compacted and covered but specifically excluding hazardous or radioactive wastes.

Landscape strip: That portion of a given lot, not covered by buildings, pavement, parking, access and service areas, established as landscaped open space, the width of which is measured from a given property line and extending the developed portion of the property line. A landscape strip, as distinguished from a buffer, may be disturbed by grading or side development but shall be maintained as landscaped open space. A landscape strip may consist of grass lawns, decorative planting, berms, walls, fences or other approved features designed and arranged to produce an aesthetically pleasing effect within and outside of the development.

Landscaping: Changing, rearranging or adding to the original vegetation or scenery of a piece of land to produce an aesthetic effect appropriate for the use to which the land is put. It may include reshaping the land by moving the earth, as well as preserving the original vegetation.

Landscaping service: An establishment engaged in performing a variety of lawn and landscaping services such as lawn fertilizing, mowing, spraying and planting, and the planting and maintenance of landscaping.

Land use: Any use of the land including, but not limited to, commercial, industrial, residential, agriculture, recreation, public utilities placement, forest management, or natural uses.

Land use district: Land use districts are areas of land within the city which have different development standards and criteria. These differences are intended to promote the separation of incompatible uses and to retain the character of the community.

Laundromat: A business that provides home-type washing and drying machines for hire to be used by customers on the premises.

Library: A building in which literary, musical, artistic or reference materials are kept for use but not generally for sale.

Loading and unloading space: A space, typically with dimensions of 12 feet by 60 feet, logically and conveniently located for pickups and/or deliveries or for loading and/or unloading, scaled to delivery vehicles to be used, and accessible to such vehicles.

Lodging house: A fraternity house, sorority house, dormitory, or other such building designed and occupied, with or without separate kitchen or housekeeping facilities for each unit.

Lot: For purposes of the ordinance, a lot is a parcel of land of at least sufficient size to meet minimum districts requirements for use, coverage, and area and to provide such yards and other open spaces as are herein required. Such lot shall have frontage on an improved public street, or on an approved private street or easement, and may consist of:

1.

A single lot of record;

2.

A portion of a lot of record;

3.

A combination of complete lots of record, of complete lots of record and portions of lots of records, or of portions of lots of record;

4.

A parcel of land described by metes and bounds; provided that in no case of division or combination shall any residual lot or parcel be created which does not meet the requirements of this ordinance.

Lot area: The total horizontal area within the lot lines of a lot, exclusive of public street rights-of-way.

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

Lot coverage: The part or percent of a lot occupied by buildings and structures, including accessory buildings and structures, but not including unenclosed parking areas.

Lot depth: The mean horizontal distance from the front lot line to the rear lot line.

Lot, double frontage: Any lot, other than a corner lot, which has frontage on two streets that do not intersect at a point abutting the property.

Lot, flag: A tract or lot of land of uneven dimensions in which the portion fronting on a public street is less than the required minimum width for construction of a building or structure on that lot.

Lot frontage: The width in linear feet of a lot where it abuts the right-of-way of any public street.

Lot line, front: For an interior lot, a line separating the lot from the street; and for a corner lot, a line separating either (but not both) frontage of the lot from the street.

Lot line, rear: For an interior lot, a line separating one lot from another on the opposite side of the lot from the front lot line; for corner lot either (but not both) interior lot line separating one lot from another; and for an irregular or triangular shaped lot, a straight line ten feet in length that is parallel to and at the maximum distance from the front lot line.

Lot line, side: For an interior lot, a line separating one lot form the abutting lot or lots fronting on the same street; for corner lots, a line other than the front lot line separating the lot from the street or a line separating the lot from the abutting lot along the same frontage.

Lots of record: Whenever a lot or plat has been legally and duly recorded with the county clerk of superior court prior to the effective date of the zoning ordinance and actually exists as so shown or described, it shall be deemed a lot of record. In addition, lots legally recorded that met zoning standards in place at the time of recordation, but do not meet standards currently in place are also considered lots of record. Although said lot may not contain sufficient land area or lot frontage to meet the minimum lot size requirements of the current zoning such lot may be used as a building site provided that all other requirement of the district are met and that building plans are consistent with all state and local health codes.

Lot width: The horizontal distance between side lot lines measured at the minimum required front yard (regulatory front building setback) line.

Mail order office: An establishment which engages in the taking of requests for mail order or catalog merchandise by telephone, but not including the storage or distribution of such merchandise. The establishment where orders are picked up or taken in person is not considered a mail order office.

Manufactured (mobile) home: A HUD-code manufactured or mobile home. Manufactured homes are structures transportable in one or more sections and which is built on a permanent chassis and designed to be used as a dwelling with or without a permanent foundation when connected to the required utilities, and includes the plumbing, heating, air-conditioning, and electrical systems contained therein, and is constructed in accordance with national codes. "Manufactured (mobile) homes" shall include items 1 through 5 below:

1.

Multi-section manufactured home (MSMH): A manufactured home (AKA a double-wide mobile home) that is factory finished in two or more sections built on a permanent chassis and towed to a building site where the sections are joined together.

2.

Single-section manufactured home (SSMH): A manufactured home (AKA a mobile home) in one section with dimensions limited to highway clearance 14 feet wide and providing between 600 and 1,000 square feet of living space.

3.

Tiny homes.

4.

Park models.

5.

Any other non-site-built structure which in area does not meet the minimum square feet required by the International Residential Code with Georgia amendments as adopted by this jurisdiction.

Manufactured home park: A parcel of land or any portion thereof under single ownership, which has been designed, planned, or improved for the placement of two or more manufactured homes for residential use, including land, buildings, and facilities used by the occupants of manufactured homes on such property.

Manufactured home space: A parcel of land within a manufactured home park that is reserved or leased for the placement of an individual manufactured home and accessory structures for the exclusive use of its occupants.

Manufacturing, processing and assembling: The mechanical or chemical transformation of materials or substances into new products. The land uses engaged in these activities are usually described as plants, factories or mills and characteristically use power driven machines and materials handling equipment. Establishments engaged in assembling component parts of manufactured products are also considered under this definition if the new product is neither a fixed structure nor other fixed improvement. Also included is the blending of materials such as lubricating oils, plastic resins or liquors.

Marquee: A permanent roof-like structure made of metal or other durable material affixed to the wall of a building.

Material change in appearance: A change that will affect either the exterior architectural or environmental features of a historic property or any building, structure, site, object, landscape feature or work of art within a historic district.

Metes and bounds: A system of describing and identifying land by distances or measures (metes) and bearings or direction (bounds) from an identifiable point of reference, such as a monument or other marker or the corner of intersecting streets.

Micro-planned/pocket development: A clustered group of 6 to 12 cottage style dwellings oriented around a common open space amalgamated into a coherent pedestrian-oriented development.

Mini-warehouse: A building or group of buildings in a controlled access and fenced compound that contains varying sizes of individual, compartmentalized stalls or lockers used for storage, including accessory office and/or night watchman's residence, but not including retail sale on the premises, commercial repair or other services, manufacturing or any other commercial use.

Modular or industrialized housing: A residential structure that is designed for the occupancy of one or more families; constructed in one or more modules or constructed using one or more modular components built at a location other than the permanent site; and designed to be used as a permanent residential structure when the module or the modular component is transported to the permanent site and erected or installed on a permanent foundation system. "Industrialized housing" includes the structure's plumbing, heating, air conditioning, and electrical systems. "Industrialized housing" does not include a residential structure that exceeds three stories or 49 feet in height; housing constructed of a sectional or panelized system that does not use a modular component; or a ready-built home constructed in a manner in which the entire living area is contained in a single unit or section at a temporary location for the purpose of selling and moving the home to another location.

Motel: A public commercial lodging facility intended for use as temporary residence including meals, entertainment and various personal services provided for compensation to persons traveling for business, tourism or other visitation purposes, distinguished from a hotel in that ingress and/or egress to and from all rooms is made primarily from an exterior walkway rather than from an interior lobby.

Museum: An establishment engaged in the procurement, care, study, and display of objects of historical, educational and cultural value and interest.

New construction: Any structure for which the building permit was obtained or construction starts after the effective date of these regulations. The term also includes any subsequent improvements to such structure.

Nonconforming lot: A lot, the area, width, or other characteristic of which fails to meet requirements of the zoning district in which it is located and which was of record as of July 5, 2004. Any lot, which was subsequently annexed into the city limits, which does not meet the requirements of the particular zoning district shall also be considered a nonconforming lot.

Nonconforming structure: Any building or structure which does not conform to the regulations governing the bulk, location, height or size of buildings or structures permitted in the district.

Nonconforming use: Any building or use of land or building lawfully existing at the effective date of these regulations or as a result of subsequent amendments to these regulations, which does not conform to the permitted use provisions established herein for the district in which it is located.

Nuisance: Anything that interferes with the use or enjoyment of property, endangers public health or safety, or is offensive to the senses of a reasonable person.

Nursing home: Any building in which aged, chronically ill or incurable persons are housed and furnished with meals and professional nursing care for compensation, but not including hospitals and mental health institutions.

Office: A building or portion thereof wherein services are performed involving predominantly administrative, professional or clerical operations and not involving retail sales or other sales of any kind on the premises.

Official zoning map: The map, which accompanies the zoning ordinance text, that delineates the geographic location of the boundaries of zoning districts established in this ordinance in relation to natural features, manmade features and/or property uses.

Open air business: Any commercial establishment that displays products in a non-enclosed area.

Open space/greenspace, landscaped: That portion or portions of a given lot, not covered by buildings, pavement, parking, access and service areas, set aside and maintained as a buffer, landscape strip or other approved open area. Open spaces shall where feasible consist of at least 50 percent undisturbed natural vegetation. Walking trails within the open space shall be included where practical.

Outdoor display, outdoor storage and outdoor sales: The keeping, in an unenclosed area, of any goods, junk, material or merchandise in front of a business, building or establishment or in an area visible from a public street, for display, advertisement or purposes for attracting rental or sales. Such definition shall not be construed as to include the temporary loading or unloading of such goods, junk, material or merchandise to or from an enclosed area in which the period of time of storage is less than 24 hours and said items are not offered for attracting rental or sales during the temporary storage period. Further, this definition shall not include outdoor display, storage and sales in nonresidential zones of the city, provided that:

1.

The display, storage and sales are to be conducted by nonprofit organizations;

2.

Said nonprofit organizations must be civic or religious entities which maintain a local organization located within the county;

3.

The nonprofit organization must have received a permit from the city and countersigned by the sheriff of the county for this activity at least 30 days in advance of the date upon which sales will occur; and

4.

The display, storage and sales are not conducted upon any public road and are not conducted on a door-to- door basis.

Owner: Any individual, firm, association, syndicate, co-partnership, corporation, trust, or any other legal entity having sufficient proprietary interest in the land, including the attorney and agent thereof.

Parking lot: Any public or private open area used for the express purpose of temporary storage of private motor vehicles. A parking lot may be the principal use on a given lot or an accessory used to the principal use on a given lot.

Parking space: An area having typical dimensions of not less than nine feet by 20 feet and 300 square feet including maneuvering space within a parking lot, to be used exclusively as a temporary storage space for a motor vehicle.

Permanent residence: Any building, structure, dwelling, or dwelling unit which is used as a residence for more than six months per year.

Permitted use: A use by right which is specifically authorized in a particular zoning district.

Person: Any natural person, firm, partnership, association, social or fraternal organization, corporation, estate, trust, receiver, syndicate, branch of government, or any other group or combination acting as a unit.

Personal care home: A dwelling in which the aged or infirmed persons are boarded and receive personal care on a 24-hour basis, but not including professional treatment.

Photography studio: An establishment engaged in photography for the general public, including but not limited to portrait, passport, wedding and other special occasion photographs.

Places of worship: Any church, temple, synagogue, or other place of organized religious assembly which qualify for tax exemption under O.C.G.A. § 48-5-41(a)(2.1)(A).

Planned unit development ("PUD"): A form of development usually characterized by a unified site design for a number of housing units, clustered buildings, common open space, density increases, and a mix of building types and land uses. The PUD zoning district has been eliminated.

Planning commission: The city planning commission as established in this ordinance.

Planning director: The administrative officer of the city in all matter related to construction codes, permitting, zoning and business licensing or his authorized representative.

Plat: Includes a final map, diagram, drawing, re-plat or other writing containing all the descriptions, locations, specification, dedications, provisions, and information concerning a subdivision.

Premises: A lot as otherwise used in this ordinance.

Principal residence: Any residence which occupies the major portion of a lot or constitutes, by reason of its use, the primary purpose for which the lot is used.

Public road: Roads in the state, county, or city road system. Types of roads are as follows:

1.

Arterial: Arterials are usually state and federal highways such as SR 53 designed to move traffic over greater distances and provide access to counties and states.

2.

Collector roads: The main function of collector roads is to provide access to arterials.

3.

Local road and street: Local roads or streets are designed to provide access to abutting property such as a local street in a municipal area. Local roads and are not intended for through traffic.

Public use: Any building, structure or use owned and/or operated by the federal government, State of Georgia, Dawson County or other county, the city or other municipality, or any authority, agency, board or commission of the above governments, which is necessary to serve a public purpose, such as but not limited to the following: government administrative buildings, police and fire stations, public health facilities and hospitals, public works camps, parks and intake, collection and treatment and pumping facilities, public housing facilities, jails and correctional centers.

Recreation facility, commercial: A use of land involving some form of recreational activity or activities operated as a business and open to the public for a fee.

Recreational vehicle: A vehicular type portable structure which can be towed, hauled or driven and is primarily designed as temporary living accommodations for recreational, camping and travel uses.

Recreational vehicle (RV) park: Any lot of land upon which two or more recreational vehicle sites are located, established or maintained for occupancy on a temporary basis by recreational vehicles of the general public as temporary living quarters by campers, vacationers or travelers.

Recycling collection center: A principal or accessory use that serves as a neighborhood or regional drop-off point for temporary storage of recoverable resources such as cans, bottles and newspapers, but specifically excluding processing of such resources.

Recycling plant: A facility in which recoverable resources such as cans, bottles and newspapers are recycled, reprocessed and treated to return such products to a condition in which they may again be used in packaging or for production.

Rehabilitation: The process of returning a property to a state of utility, through repair or alteration, which makes possible an efficient contemporary use while preserving those portions of the property which are significant to its historic, architectural and cultural values.

Rehabilitation center: Facilities authorized or licensed by appropriate agencies for the primary purpose of rehabilitation of offenders against the law; persons with drug or alcohol abuse problems; mentally handicapped; and physically handicapped.

Residence: A building, structure etc. which is or can be a person's home; and/or the place where someone lives.

Residence for caretaker or night watchman: An accessory residence, which may be a manufactured home, located inside or in addition to the principal structure or use of a parcel of land, designed or occupied by security personnel for security reasons only.

Residential district: Any residential zoning district as indicated on the official zoning map.

Residential use: Any primary or principal use of property as a permanent residence by the owner, lessee or occupant of the property.

Restaurant: Any place or premises used for sale, dispensing or service of food, refreshment or beverages.

Restaurant, drive-in: Any place or premises used for sale, dispensing or service of food, refreshment or beverage to person(s) in auto, including those establishments where customers may eat or drink on the premises.

Rezoning: An amendment to or a change in the official zoning map.

Right-of-way: That area, distinguished from an easement, which is owned in fee-simple title by the governing body or other government, for the present or future use of roads, streets, and highways, together with its drainage facilities and other supporting uses and structures.

Rooming house: A building where, for compensation, lodging only is provided.

Sanitarium: A hospital used for treating chronic and usually long-term illness.

School: A facility that provides a curriculum of elementary and secondary academic instruction. A school is considered public if operated by the county board of education.

School, trade, technical, business: An establishment in which is offered, for compensation, instruction in a trade, craft, technical field, or business skills.

Screening: A method of shielding, obscuring or buffering one use or building from another use or building by fencing, walls, berms, densely planted vegetation, natural vegetation or other means; a visual and acoustical barrier which is of such nature and density that provides year-round maximum opacity from the ground to a height of at least six feet or that screens structures and activities from view from the normal level of a first story window on an abutting lot.

Semi-public use: Any building, structure or use owned and/or operated by private utilities or private companies for a public purpose, or which is reasonably necessary for the furnishing of adequate service by such utilities, such as but not limited to the following: underground or overhead gas, electrical, steam or water distribution or transmission lines or systems, electric power substations, wires, towers, cables, and poles.

Service station: Any building, structure or land used for the retail sale of motor vehicle fuel, oil, accessories, and motor vehicle servicing, except that major repairs, body repairs, and painting of motor vehicles shall not be considered motor vehicle servicing.

Setback: The minimum horizontal distance between a right-of-way or the property boundary lines of a lot and the front, rear, or sidelines of a building located on that lot.

Shopping center: A group of commercial establishments, planned, developed, owned and managed as a unit, with off-street parking on the property.

Short-term rental: The renting or leasing of a building, structure, dwelling, or dwelling unit for no more than 30 consecutive days. A short-term home rental is considered a short-term rental.

Site plan: A graphic illustration, two-dimensional, prepared to scale, showing accurately and with complete dimensioning, the boundaries of a lot or tract and the location of all buildings, structures, uses and principal site development features proposed for a specific lot or tract of land.

Slaughterhouse: An establishment where animals are killed, butchered and prepared for further processing.

Square feet: When used in reference to a structure intended for residential occupation, the term square feet shall refer to finished square feet which is heated or air conditioned. This definition shall apply to all such references contained in this ordinance, or represented as measurements on site plans, elevations, preliminary plats, subdivision plans, final plats, or any other submission to the city, unless a contrary definition is plainly and explicitly indicated in a conspicuous fashion.

Story: That portion of a building comprised between a floor and the floor or roof next above.

Street: A public or private thoroughfare which is open to the general public and which affords the principal means of access to abutting property.

Street, arterial: Unless otherwise specified by the comprehensive plan, transportation element of the comprehensive plan or major thoroughfare plan, arterial streets are those streets and highway facilities, including full and partial access controlled highways and major urban area entrance highways, which are designed to carry the highest traffic volumes and the longest trips through and within an urban area.

Street, collector: Unless otherwise specified by the comprehensive plan, transportation element of the comprehensive plan or major thoroughfare plan, collector streets are those streets that collect traffic from minor streets or other collector streets and channel it to the arterial system. Collector streets provide land access and traffic circulation within residential neighborhoods, commercial and industrial areas.

Street, public: A dedicated and accepted public right-of-way which affords the principal means of access to abutting properties.

Structure: Anything constructed or erected, the use of which requires more or less permanent location on the ground, or which is attached to something having more or less permanent location on the ground, not including utility poles.

Subdivider: Any individual, firm, association, syndicate, co-partnership, corporation, trust, or any other legal entity commencing proceedings under this ordinance to effect a subdivision of land hereunder for himself or for another.

Subdivide land: To divide an area or tract of land into five or more lots within a calendar year when such area or tract of land exists as a unit or contiguous units of land under a single ownership at the beginning of such year.

Subdivision: All divisions of a tract or parcel of land into two or more lots, building sites, or other divisions for the purpose, whether immediate or future, or sale, or building development. See also subpart B, land development regulations.

Subdivision amenity area: Shall mean the area situated within the boundaries of a residential development site intended for recreational purposes, and may include landscaped areas, patios, private lounges, pools, play areas and similar uses, but does not include any area occupied by a building's service areas, or access driveways.

Substantial improvement: Any combination of repairs, reconstruction, alteration, or improvement to a building, taking place during the life of a building, in which the cumulative cost equals or exceeds 50 percent of the market value of the building. The market value of the building should be (1) the appraised value of the building prior to the start of the initial repair or improvement, or (2) in the case of damage, the value of the building prior to the damage occurring. This term includes structures which have incurred "substantial damage," regardless of the actual repair work performed. For the purposes of this definition, "substantial improvement" is considered to occur when the first alteration of any wall, ceiling, floor, or other structural part of the building commences, whether or not that alteration affects the external dimensions of the building. The term does not, however, include any project for improvement of a building required to comply with existing health, sanitary, or safety code specifications which have been identified by the code enforcement official and which are solely necessary to assure safe living conditions.

Taxicab station: An establishment engaged in furnishing passenger transportation by auto or van, not operating on regular schedules or between fixed terminals and containing space for taxicab fleets and related office facilities.

Temporary use: A prospective use, intended for a specified limited duration.

Townhouse: One of a group of three or more attached dwelling units under fee simple ownership.

Transitional use: A permitted use, building or structure that by nature or level and scale of activity acts as a transition or buffer between two or more incompatible uses.

Tree: Any self-supporting, woody perennial plant having a single trunk diameter of two inches or more which normally grows at maturity to an overall height of a minimum of 15 feet.

Tree protection zone: All areas of a lot or tract of land defined as the combined minimum front yard, minimum side yards, minimum rear yard or minimum buffer required by the particular district regulations within which such property is located.

Truck stop: An area principally devoted to the service re-fueling, temporary storage or parking of trucks, including accessory buildings, structures and uses such as restaurants.

Truck terminal: An area where cargo is stored for routing or reshipment and where trucks load and unload cargo on a regular basis, or an area in which semi-trailers and/or trucks are parked and stored.

Unenclosed area: Any area of a given lot or structure which is not covered with a roof and protected by opaque walls on each of the sides of said area or structure.

Urban district: "Urban district" means that area or tract(s) of land which is built up with structures devoted to business, industry, or dwelling houses situated at intervals of less than 100 feet for a distance of a quarter of a mile or more along any public or private street.

Use: Any purpose for which a building or structure or a tract of land may be designed, arranged, intended, maintained, or occupied; or any activity, occupation, business, or operation carried on, or intended to be carried on, in a building or structure or on a tract of land.

Variance: Except as otherwise provided for in this Code, variance shall mean a minimal relaxation or modification of the strict terms of the height, area, placement, setback, yard, buffer, landscape strip, parking and loading regulations as applied to specific property when, because of particular physical surroundings, shape, or topographical condition of the property, compliance would result in a particular hardship upon the owner, as distinguished from a mere inconvenience or a desire to make a profit.

Warehouse: A building or group of buildings for the storage of goods or wares, with access to contents only through management personnel.

Wetland: An area that is inundated by surface water or groundwater at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances does support, a prevalence of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions, commonly known as hydrophytic vegetation.

Wholesale distribution: An establishment engaged in selling merchandise to retailers, to industrial, commercial, institutional or professional business users or to other wholesalers.

Wrecked motor vehicle compound: An area used to store disabled motor vehicles until such time as their disposition (either by junk, salvage or repair) has been determined by the insurance company, the owner of the vehicle, or his legal representative.

Yard: A space on the same lot with a principal building, which is open, unoccupied, and unobstructed by buildings or structures from ground to sky except where encroachments and accessory buildings are expressly permitted. A yard may contain parking and/or loading area unless otherwise specified by these regulations.

Yard, front: A space on the same lot with a principal building, extending the full width of the lot, and situated between the street right-of-way and the front line of the building projected to the side lines of the lot. In the case of a corner lot, both spaces with street frontage shall be considered front yards. In the case of double frontage lots, the spaces as defined above shall both be considered front yards.

Yard, rear: An open, unoccupied space on the same lot with a principal building, extending the full width of the lot and situated between the rear line of the lot and the rear line of the building projected to the sidelines of the lot.

Yard, side: A space on the same lot with a principal building, situated between the building and the side lot line and extending from the rear line of the front yard to the front line of the rear yard.

Yard sale: The temporary sale of home furniture, appliances, clothing and/or domestic items owned by an occupant of a residential dwelling and taking place on the premises on which such occupant resides, whether in the yard or in a carport or garage, usually as a result of the occupant moving/relocating to another place of residence. Yard sales which do not take place on the premises on which such occupant resides are considered open-air businesses and are permitted only as a conditional use in commercial zoning districts.

Zero lot line: The location of a building on a lot in such a manner that one or more building sides have no side building setback and rest directly on a side lot line.

Zoning: A police power measure in which the community is divided into districts or zones within which permitted uses, and in some cases conditional uses, are established as well as regulations governing lot size, bulk, height and other development requirements.

(Ord. of 12-3-2018; Ord. of 8-19-2019, §§ 1, 2; Ord. No. 01-2025, § II, 3-17-2025)