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Fulshear City Zoning Code

ARTICLE IX

DEFINITIONS AND RULES OF CONSTRUCTION

§ 28-9-1 Rules of construction.

(a) 
General.
All provisions, terms, phrases and expressions contained in this coordinated development ordinance (CDO) shall be construed in order that the true intent and meaning of the council may be fully implemented.
(b) 
Rounding numbers.
Where a landscaping calculation in this CDO requires a standard that is a fraction, then the fraction must be rounded up to the nearest whole number to determine the appropriate number of trees required to be planted. For example, if one-fourth trees ornamental trees are required for a minimum street frontage of 50 feet, then a proposed 50-foot lot would require one ornamental street tree.
(c) 
Computation of time.
The time in which an act is to be done shall be computed by excluding the first and including the last day; if the last day is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, that day shall be excluded.
(1) 
"Day" means a calendar day.
(2) 
"Month" means a calendar month.
(3) 
"Year" means a calendar year.
(d) 
Delegation of authority.
Whenever a provision requires a city employee to do some act or perform some duty, it is to be construed to authorize the employee to delegate a subordinate to perform the required act or duty, unless the terms of the provision or section specifies otherwise.
(e) 
Nontechnical and technical words.
Words and phrases shall be construed according to the common and approved usage of the language, but technical words and phrases and such others as may have acquired a peculiar and appropriate meaning in law shall be construed and understood according to such meaning.
(f) 
Text, tables, and illustrations.
In case of any difference of meaning or implication between the text of this CDO and any illustrations, the text shall control. In case of a conflict between the text and a table, the text shall control. In case of a conflict between a table and an illustration, the table shall control.
(g) 
Other regulations.
Where this CDO references a local, state, or federal regulation or publication, the reference is to the most recent edition or version, unless otherwise noted. If the referenced document has been repealed and not replaced by other regulations or publications, requirements for compliance are no longer in effect.
(h) 
Examples.
The use of the terms "including," "such as," or similar language are intended to provide examples, not to be exhaustive lists of all possibilities.
(i) 
Interpretation of terms.
(1) 
The terms "shall," "will," or "must" are mandatory and are synonymous.
(2) 
The term "may" is discretionary. The term "and" indicates that all items being referred to are connected and inclusive.
(3) 
The term "or" indicates that one or more of the items being referred to shall or may apply.
(4) 
Unless the context clearly indicates to the contrary, words used in the present tense include the future tense and vice-versa.
(5) 
Words used in the plural number include the singular and vice-versa.
(6) 
Words not defined in this CDO but defined in any other part of the Fulshear City Code shall be deemed to have the meaning provided in the city code. Words not defined in this CDO or in any other part of the city code shall have the most appropriate meaning provided in a dictionary in common usage.
(Ord. No. 2020-1331, 9-15-2020)

§ 28-9-2 Severability.

(a) 
Generally.
If a court of competent jurisdiction holds any provision of this CDO to be illegal or invalid, the remainder of this CDO shall remain in full force without being affected by the judgment.
(b) 
As-applied.
If a court of competent jurisdiction holds any application of a provision of this CDO to a particular structure, land, or water to be illegal or invalid "as-applied", such judgment shall not be applicable to any other structure, land, or water not specifically included in the judgment.
(Ord. No. 2020-1331, 9-15-2020)

§ 28-9-2A Acronyms and abbreviations.

ADA = Americans with Disabilities Act
ADU = Accessory dwelling unit
ASTM = American Society for Testing & Materials
C-C = Cut-to-cut
CCC = Changeable copy centers
CDO = Coordinated development ordinance
CF = Community facilities zoning district
CFR = Code of Federal Regulations
CMU = Concrete masonry unit
CO = Certificate of occupancy
DD = Downtown district zoning district
DU = Dwelling unit
ER = Estate residential zoning district
ETJ = Extraterritorial jurisdiction
FAA = Federal Aviation Administration
FCC = Federal Communications Commission
FR = Fulshear Run Planned Unit Development District
Ft = Feet
GC = General commercial zoning district
GFA = Gross floor area
HDPE = High density polyethylene
HOA = Homeowner association
HPMC = Historic preservation and museum commission
HPO = Historic preservation officer
IN = Industrial zoning district
IESNA = Illuminating Engineering Society of North America
IN = Industrial zoning district
ITE = Institute of traffic engineers
MF = Multifamily zoning district
MH = Manufactured housing zoning district
MSL = Mean sea level
MTP = Major thoroughfare plan
MUD = Municipal utility district
Max = Maximum
Min = Minimum
N/A = Not applicable
NP = Not permitted
NRHP = National Register of Historic Places
P = Permitted
PD = Planned development
PI = Plasticity index
PSI = Pounds per square inch
PUD = Planned unit development district
PVC = Polyvinyl chloride
P&Z = Planning and zoning commission
RV = Recreational vehicle
S = Specific use
SAL = State Archeological Landmark
SC = Suburban commercial zoning district
SDR = Standards dimensional ratio
SO = Suburban office zoning district
SR = Suburban residential zoning district
SU = Semi-urban residential zoning district
SUP = Specific use permit
Sec = Section
Sf = Square feet
THL = Texas Historic Landmark
TLGC = Texas Local Government Code
TXDOT = Texas Department of Transportation
USDA = United States Department of Agriculture
USPS = United States Postal Service
VTCA = Vernon's Texas Code Annotated
ZBA = Zoning board of adjustment
(Ord. No. 2020-1331, 9-15-2020)

§ 28-9-3 Land use definitions.

A. 
Accessory use
means a use that is subordinate to and serves a principal use or structure; is subordinate in area, extent and purpose to the principal use or structure served; contributes to the comfort, convenience and necessity of occupants of the principal use or structure served; and is located on the same lot as the principal use or structure served.
Accessory dwelling unit (ADU)
means a secondary dwelling unit that is either located in a separate accessory building on the same lot as the principal dwelling unit, or as a separate, independent unit within the principal building. The ADU provides a complete, independent living space with facilities for cooking, eating, sanitation, and sleeping.
Adult day care center
means a facility that provides services under an Adult Day Care Program on a daily or regular basis, but not overnight, to four or more elderly or handicapped persons who are not related by blood, marriage or adoption to the owner of the facility. Adult Day Care Centers must be licensed by the Texas Department of Human Services.
Airport
means any area of land or water designed and set aside for the landing and take-off of aircraft, including all necessary facilities for the housing and maintenance of aircraft.
Alcoholic beverage sales, off-site consumption
means the use of a site for the retail sale of alcoholic beverages for off-premises consumption. This use includes package stores.
Alcoholic beverage sales, on-site consumption
means a business with floor space that is primarily devoted to the sale of beer, wine, or other alcoholic beverages for on-premises consumption and which requires a license under Texas state regulations.
Alternative financial services
means an establishment which:
(1) 
Engages in the business of providing money to customers on a temporary basis, wherein such loans are secured by post-dated check, paycheck, or car title; or
(2) 
Is registered as a lender under state or federal law. The classification does not include a state or federally chartered bank, savings and loan association, credit union, or mortgage broker or originator.
Amphitheater or outdoor performance venue
means a semi-enclosed structure designed for the enactment of the performing arts or other entertainment uses that include entertainment related facilities and uses.
Apartment/multi-family dwelling
means any building, or portion thereof, which is designed, built, rented, leased, let or hired out to be occupied as three or more dwelling units or which is occupied as the home or residence of three or more families living independently of each other and maintaining separate cooking facilities.
Art gallery/museum
means a privately-operated facility or area for the acquisition, preservation, study, exhibition or sale of works of artistic, historic, or scientific value.
Assisted living
means a facility that provides meals and assistance with daily activities, such as dressing, grooming, and bathing, for the elderly or adults who are unable to manage these activities themselves. This definition does not include nursing homes or similar institutions with professionally trained technical staff devoted primarily to the care of the chronically ill or the incurable.
Auto body repair
means any establishment where the primary services offered are the repair, painting, or refinishing of the body, fender, or frame of automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, motor homes, recreational vehicles, boats, tractors, construction equipment, agricultural implements, and similar vehicles or equipment.
Automobile, motorcycle, and farming vehicle rental
means an establishment engaging in the rental of new or used vehicles. This may include automobiles, motorcycles, and farming vehicles.
Automobile, motorcycle, and farming vehicle sales
means an establishment engaging in the retail sale of new or used vehicles. This may include automobiles, motorcycles, and farming vehicles.
Automobile/motorcycle parts and accessories sales
means retail sales of automobile and motorcycle related parts and accessories without installation on-site.
Automobile/motorcycle repair, light
means any land, building, structure, or premises used for the routine maintenance of automobiles and limited servicing of automobiles including but not limited to the sale and installation of oil, lubricants, filters, batteries, tires, brakes, belts, and other similar activities or for installing or repairing parts and accessories.
Automobile/vehicle wash
means any area or business using self-service, in-bay automatic, or conveyor equipment for cleaning and washing motor vehicles, whether as a part of another business operation (e.g., as an accessory use to an automobile fueling or charging station, automobile sales, rental, and service), or as a stand-alone operation, of any type, on a commercial basis.
B. 
Bank, credit union, and financial services
means any of the class of business in a freestanding building, kiosk or automated teller machines that provide financial services and the transmission of funds.
Barn
means a farm building used for storing farm products or sheltering livestock.
Bed and breakfast home
means an accessory use operated in a private residence or portion thereof, which provides temporary accommodations to overnight guests for a fee and which is occupied by the operator of such establishment. If meals are provided, they are served only to overnight guests and residents.
Bed and breakfast inn
means a principal use in a former single-family dwelling or detached guesthouses on a lot where the property owner provides management, cleaning, and meal services to overnight guests, and may or may not reside on site. If meals are provided, they are served only to overnight guests and residents.
C. 
Cemetery/funeral services
means land used or intended to be used for the burial of the dead, whether human or animal, including crematoriums and mausoleums and buildings where funeral services may be held.
Child care, family home
means a home that provides regular care in the caretaker's own residence for not more than six children under 14 years of age, excluding children who are related to the caretaker, and that provides care after school hours for not more than six additional elementary school children, but the total number of children, including children who are related to the caretaker, does not exceed 12 at any given time. The term does not include a home that provides care exclusively for any number of children who are related to the caretaker.
Child care facility, group home
means a child-care facility that provides care at the residence of the director, owner, or operator of the child-care facility for seven or more children under 14 years of age for less than 24 hours a day, but at least two hours a day, three or more days a week.
Community garden
means privately or publicly owned land used for the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, plants, flowers, or herbs by multiple users. Community gardens may be divided into separate plots for cultivation by one or more individuals or may be farmed collectively by members of the group and may include common areas maintained or used by group members.
Contractor's shop and/or service yard
means an area used to store and maintain construction equipment and other materials customarily used in the trade carried on by the construction contractor. This definition excludes temporary contractor storage associated with the site of an on-going construction project.
Convenience store without gas pumps
means a retail establishment that sells primarily food products, household items, newspapers and magazines, candy, and beverages, and a limited amount of freshly prepared foods such as sandwiches and salads primarily for off-premise consumption.
Conference and convention center
means a facility used for business or professional conferences and seminars, often with accommodations for sleeping, eating and recreation. The use does not include places of assembly.
D. 
Day care center
means a child-care facility that provides care at a location other than the residence of the director, owner, or operator of the child-care facility for seven or more children under 14 years of age for less than 24 hours a day, but at least two hours a day, three or more days a week.
Day care/pre-school
means an establishment providing nonmedical care, protection, and supervision for individuals on a regular basis, away from their primary residence for less than 24 hours per day and includes nursery schools, preschools, and day care centers for children.
Department store
means a retail establishment offering a wide variety of merchandise and services, usually organized in separate departments.
Drill site
means a location approved for the purposes of drilling or commencing to drill a well of oil or gas within the limits of the city as permitted by section 10, businesses article III — Oil and gas wells, of the City's Code of Ordinances.
Driving range, freestanding
means a tract of land equipped and not associated with a golf course with distance markers for practicing golf shots.
Drug store
means a retail establishment where the primary business is the filling and sale of prescription drugs, medical devices and supplies, and non-prescription medicines.
Dry cleaning establishment
means an establishment or business maintained for the pickup and delivery of dry cleaning and/or laundry without the maintenance or operation of any laundry or dry cleaning equipment or machinery on the premises.
Dry cleaning facility
means a building, portion of a building, or premises used or intended to be used for cleaning fabrics, textiles, wearing apparel, or articles of any sort by immersion and agitation, or by immersions only, in volatile solvents including, but not by way of limitation, solvents of the petroleum distillate type, and/or the chlorinated hydrocarbon type, and the processes incidental thereto.
Duplex
means a building that:
(1) 
Is designed as a single structure;
(2) 
Contains two separate living units each of which is designed to be occupied as a separate permanent residence for one family; and
(3) 
Has both living units located on a single lot.
E. 
(Reserved)
F. 
Farm, orchard, or ranch
means land used for the growing of usual farm products and/or raising of usual farm poultry and farm animals including the necessary accessory uses for raising, treating, and storing products raised on the premises. This definition does not include the commercial feeding of offal or garbage to swine or other animals and not including any type of agriculture or husbandry specifically prohibited by ordinance or law.
Food truck park
means a group of one or more permitted food trucks that are intended to be a permanent feature within a specific location connected to and utilizing city utilities including water and sanitary sewer, and where generators shall be generally avoided.
G. 
Gambling/gaming facility
means an establishment wherein one or more gaming machines, as defined as any machine when such machine or machines dispense or are used or are capable of being used to dispense a representation of value where such representation of value is redeemable for noncash merchandise prizes, toys or novelties that have a wholesale value from a single play of the game or device of not more than ten times the amount charged to play the game or device once, or $5.00, whichever is less, are operational.
Garage
means a building which can be either attached or detached to a principal residential dwelling that provides space for the storage of motor vehicles.
Gas station
means a place where vehicular fuel, stored only in underground tanks, is offered for sale to the public or where charging stations are made available for the charging of vehicles.
Golf course
means an outdoor area designed for playing the game of golf and improved with tees, greens, fairways, and hazards. A golf course may include a country club or other clubhouse, a driving range, putting greens, and shelters as accessory uses.
Government office (library, post office, administration)
means a governmental office that includes such uses as a post office, or an administrative building. This definition does not include police, fire, or emergency services.
Government service (police, fire, EMS)
means a facility that provides for offices, training, and/or storage facilities of a service that is traditionally administered by a local government including public safety and the following emergency services: fire, emergency medical and ambulance services.
Greenhouse/nursery
means an establishment primarily engaged in the propagation (for sale at retail or wholesale) of horticultural specialties, such as flowers, shrubs and trees, intended for ornamental or landscaping purposes.
Grocery/retail
means an establishment engaged in the sale or rental of goods, merchandise or services, to the general public and sometimes offering for retail sale prepackaged food products, household items and other goods commonly associated with the same. Excludes eating and drinking places.
H. 
Hardware store
means a retail establishment that sells items including, but not limited to, hardware, plumbing supplies, electrical supplies, lighting, appliances, lumber, or lawn equipment. Secondary sale of lumber stored indoors may take place.
Health and fitness club
means an enclosed establishment generally containing multi-use facilities for conducting fitness and recreational activities, including, but not limited to, exercises, weightlifting, running, swimming, and racquetball.
Heavy machinery sales and rentals
means an establishment providing for the sales and rental of equipment to be used for farming and construction. This definition does not include any vehicles that can be titled and licensed for street legal use by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles.
Hemp and cannabinoid sales
means any business that engages in selling hemp and/or the active constituents of cannabis.
Heliport
means a facility that is designed to be used for the take-off and/or landing of helicopters, including operations facilities such as maintenance, loading and unloading, storage, fueling, or terminal facilities.
Home furnishing store
means a retail establishment that sells items including, but not limited to, beds, couches, chairs, electronics tables, or drapery.
Home occupation
means any activity, occupation, profession, domestic craft or economic enterprise carried out for economic gain by a resident and conducted as a customary, incidental, and accessory use in the resident's dwelling.
Hospital
means an institution that is licensed by the state or operated by an agency of the government to provide medical, surgical, psychiatric or emergency medical services to sick or injured persons, primarily on an in-patient basis. The term "hospital" shall not include nursing homes.
Hotel, full service
means a building or group of related buildings designed for commercial overnight lodging in which transient visitors are accommodated for compensation in guest rooms for increments of not less than six hours and for less than 30 days and that includes accessory facilities and services such as food and beverage service or full restaurant facilities, recreational facilities, meeting rooms or conference space, ballrooms and special event space, and other business or personal services for guests.
Hotel, residence
means a building or group of related buildings designed for commercial overnight lodging in which transient visitors are accommodated for compensation in guest rooms for increments of not less than six hours and that offers more than five percent of its guest rooms for stays extending 30 consecutive days or more, or an extended-stay commercial overnight lodging establishment consisting of efficiency suites or suites with a complete kitchen suitable for occupancy for periods extending 30 consecutive days or more. The building or buildings may also include accessory uses such as food and beverage service or full restaurant facilities, recreational facilities, meeting rooms or conference space, ballrooms and special event space, and other business or personal services for guests. This term shall not include any dwelling types as defined in this chapter.
I. 
Industrialized housing
means a residential structure that:
(1) 
Includes the structure's plumbing, heating, air conditioning, and electrical systems;
(2) 
Is designed for the occupancy of one or more families;
(3) 
Is constructed in one or more modules or constructed using one or more modular components built at a location other than the permanent site; and
(4) 
Is 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.
J. 
Junkyard, salvage yard, and wrecking yard
means a business contained within a building, structure or parcel of land, or portion thereof, used for collecting, storing, dismantling, salvaging, or demolishing of wastepaper, rags, scrap metal, vehicles, equipment or other discarded material for the sale of such material or parts thereof but does not include recycling facilities.
K. 
Kennel/animal shelter
means either:
(1) 
An establishment used for boarding and care services for four or more animals including dogs, cats, and similar small mammals or small birds used as pets; or
(2) 
A facility that keeps or legally impounds stray, homeless, abandoned, or unwanted animals.
L. 
Landfill
means a solid waste disposal facility consisting of an area of land or an excavation used for disposal of any solid waste resulting from the operation of residential, commercial, industrial, governmental, or institutional establishments that would normally be collected, processed, and disposed of through a public or private solid waste management service.
Library
means a publicly operated facility housing a collection of books, magazines, audiotapes and videotapes, or other material for use by the general public.
Lumber yard
means a retail establishment that sells items including, but not limited to, lumber, brick, tile, cement, insulation, and roofing materials. Secondary sale of items such as heating and plumbing supplies, electrical supplies, paint, glass, hardware, and wallpaper may take place.
M. 
Manufactured home
means a structure constructed on or after June 15, 1976, according to the rules of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, transportable in one or more sections, built on a permanent chassis and designed to be used as a dwelling with permanent foundation when connected to the required utilities, and includes the plumbing, heating, air-conditioning, and electrical systems. The term does not include a recreational vehicle.
Manufactured park
means an area of land designed for the placement of manufactured homes or mobile homes with two or more improved pads or spaces for manufactured homes or mobile homes providing connections for, but not limited to, water, sewer, and electricity service.
Manufacturing, heavy
means enterprises involved in the basic processing and manufacturing of products, predominately from raw materials, with noticeable noise, odor, vibration, or air pollution effects across property lines; or a use or process engaged in the storage of or processes involving potentially or actually hazardous, explosive, flammable, radioactive, or other commonly recognized hazardous materials.
Manufacturing, light
means establishments engaged in the manufacture or processing of finished products from previously prepared materials, including processing, fabrication, assembly, treatment, and packaging of such products, and incidental storage, sales, and distribution. These establishments are characterized by having no major external environmental effects across property lines and include no unscreened or unenclosed outdoor storage.
Massage parlor
means a place of business that advertises or offers massage therapy or other massage services to members of the public. The term includes a place of business that advertises or offers any service described by a derivation of the terms "massage therapy" or "other massage services" as those terms are defined in V.T.C.A., Occupations Code, Chapter 455, as amended. The term shall not apply to a person licensed in this state as a physician, chiropractor, occupational therapist, physical therapist, nurse, or athletic trainer or as a member of a similar profession subject to licensing by the State of Texas whose license is displayed in the establishment and while the person is practicing within the scope of the license. The term also does not apply to establishments that provide massage services as an auxiliary function to their primary use provided that the massage service is performed in the common areas which are visible to the patrons of the respective establishment.
Medical lab
means a facility that is used for the express purpose of the design, fabrication, and repair of dental and optical goods, and/or a laboratory where tests are performed on biological specimens in order to obtain information about the health of a patient.
Medical office/clinic
means a use where medical, dental, psychiatric, psychological, chiropractic and/or and other outpatient services are performed.
Mixed-use
means development in which a combination of residential and commercial uses (e.g., residential-over-retail), or several classifications of commercial uses (e.g., office and retail), are located on the same parcel proposed for development.
Mobile home
means a factory-built, single-family dwelling manufactured before June 15, 1976, transportable in one or more sections which, in the traveling mode, is eight body feet or more in width or 40 body feet or more in length or, when erected on site, is 320 or more square feet, 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. The term does not include a recreational vehicle as defined in this section.
Mobile vendor
means a mobile unit, including a food truck, which is permitted to sell goods and food by the City of Fulshear at a specific location for more than two hours at a given time. The vendor shall not keep the unit on site for more than 45 days within a calendar year and can relocate for an additional 45 days. However, after 90 days total the vendor shall either become itinerant or locate within a food truck park to conduct business. This unit shall have access to an onsite restroom facility and shall not impede vehicular or pedestrian traffic.
Mobile vendor (itinerant)
means a mobile unit, including a food truck permitted within any zoning district, which sells goods, food, or both, at a specific location for no more than two hours. These locations shall not provide any type of seating and the vendor shall provide a refuse receptacle and be responsible for keeping the area clean and sanitary.
Multiple-family dwelling.
See apartment/multi-family dwellings.
Multiplex
means a building that is designed to look like a large single-family detached building, which includes three to five individual dwelling units.
N. 
Nursing home
means an institution that is licensed by the state to provide in-patient services for persons needing regular medical attention and bed care services on a 24[-hour] basis, but excluding hospitals.
O. 
Office, general
means a room, group of rooms, or a building used for the provision of executive, management, administrative, or professional services.
P. 
Parks and outdoor recreation, non-commercial
means the use of a site which may include indoor and/or outdoor facilities and/or structures which houses community recreation activities owned, operated, or leased for operation by a public, quasi-public, or private entity.
Passenger terminal
means a facility that receives and discharges passengers and at which facilities and equipment required for their operation are provided. Examples include terminals for bus, trolley, taxi, railroad, shuttle van, or other similar vehicular services.
Patio home
means a dwelling type consisting of a single-family, detached residence located on an individual lot with only one side yard. No windows are permitted on the zero-lot line wall of the house. The zero-lot line may be achieved by:
(1) 
Placing the house on a side lot line and providing a maintenance easement six feet wide on the adjoining lot; or
(2) 
Locating the house so as to provide two side yards, one of which shall be a six-foot side yard with a use easement for the neighboring property.
Pawn shop
means an establishment where money is loaned on the security of personal property pledged in the keeping of the owner (pawnbroker). See Texas Finance Code, Title 4, Chapter 371, Pawnshops.
Place of assembly, indoor
means a building where people assemble for civic, educational, religious, or cultural purposes. This use includes event facilities, meeting halls, fraternal organizations, places of worship and private clubs. This use does not include residential buildings or conference and convention centers.
Power generation, transmission, and distribution
means the large-scale creation of power including large solar collectors and windmills and more forms of utility power generation.
Private club
means a building in which members of a community or association may gather for social, educational, or cultural activities.
Psychics, tarot, and palm reader
means any business that is engaged in psychic services, tarot card reading, and/or palm reading.
Q. 
(Reserved)
R. 
Recreation and amusement, indoor
means any use that provides commercial amusement and recreation indoors (except sexually oriented businesses), including, but not limited to: bowling alleys and pool rooms; indoor sports arenas; movie theaters; live theaters; indoor skating rinks (ice or roller); and video arcades.
Recreation and amusement, outdoor
means uses that provide commercial amusement outdoors (except sexually oriented businesses), including, but not limited to: outdoor arenas or stadiums (including, but not limited to, amphitheaters, sports stadiums, concert facilities, rodeos, and racing facilities); amusement parks or theme parks; fairgrounds; miniature golf establishments; water slides; and batting cages.
Research laboratory
means a facility that for scientific research, investigation, testing, development, or experimentation, but not facilities for the manufacture or sale of products, except as incidental to the main purpose of the laboratory.
Restaurant
means a building or portion of a building, not operated as a dining room in connection with a hotel or boarding house, where food is served for pay and for consumption in the building, and where provisions may be made for serving food on the premises outside the building and may include the provision of serving food at a drive-through window.
S. 
School, high or vocational
means a school with a curriculum that is primarily focused on educating persons either:
(1) 
In grades nine to 12; or
(2) 
Ages 18 and older to prepare them either for a graduate education or for a specific career choice.
School, primary
means the use of a site for full-time instructional purposes on an elementary and middle school level (K — 8), approved under the regulations of the state. The use may be public or private school.
Sexually oriented businesses
means an establishment providing, featuring or offering employees or entertainment personnel who appear on the premises while in a state of nudity or simulated nudity and provide live performances or entertainment for customers; or provides, features or offers non-live, sexually-explicit entertainment, materials, or items for sale or rental to customers; or provides materials or items that are intended to provide sexual stimulation or sexual gratification to its customers.
Shed
means a small structure that is:
(1) 
Detached from a principal building;
(2) 
Intended to store lawn, garden, or pool care equipment; and
(3) 
Not served by heat, electricity, or plumbing.
Shooting or archery range, indoor
means an enclosed facility for target practice with bows and arrows, crossbows, and firearms.
Shopping center
means a group of permitted commercial uses that are planned, developed, owned, or managed as a unit.
Single-family attached dwelling
means a housing type where two or more dwelling units are located in a single building. This definition includes duplexes, twin homes, multiplexes, and townhomes.
Single-family detached dwelling
means a building or structure containing only one dwelling unit that is not attached by a common wall to another dwelling unit.
Stable
means the housing, training, or feeding of horses, which may include riding facilities.
T. 
Tattoo parlors and body piercing establishments
means an establishment wherein permanent or semi-permanent markings, brands, body art, piercings, or tattoos are placed on or through the skin by an artist. The term ["tattoo parlor" or "tattoo studio"] does not mean an establishment which provides permanent cosmetic makeup application. Unless expressly stated otherwise herein, such words, terms and definitions shall have the meaning indicated in V.T.C.A., Health and Safety Code Ch. 146, as amended and Title 25, Texas Administrative Code, §§ 229.401 — 229.413, as amended. Owners and employees of such businesses shall comply with all of said provisions thereof, as amended.
Temporary uses
means uses that are established for a fixed period of time with the intent to discontinue such use upon the expiration of such time.
Theater, indoor
means an enclosed establishment charging admission to the general public for the privilege of observing a live, televised, or motion picture performance indoors.
Townhome
means one of a series of not less than three and no more than six attached single-family dwellings under a common roof with a common exterior wall, and separated from one another by single partition walls without openings from basement to roof. No townhome dwelling unit is to be constructed above another townhome dwelling unit.
Twin home
means a building that:
(1) 
Is designed as a single structure;
(2) 
Contains two separate living units, each of which is designed to be occupied as a separate permanent residence for one family;
(3) 
Is each located an individual lot; and
(4) 
Each unit is totally separated from the other by an unpierced wall extending from the ground to the roof.
U. 
Urgent care center
means an establishment that provides unscheduled, ambulatory walk-in care on an outpatient basis outside of a hospital emergency room.
V. 
Veterinary clinic, large animal
means an animal hospital or clinic that provides medical care services for large or livestock animals, including but not limited to: horses, cows, bison, elk, deer, llamas, alpacas, sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys, ducks, and pigs.
Veterinary clinic, small animal
means any establishment maintained and operated by a licensed veterinarian for the diagnosis and treatment of disease and injury of household pets. The term does not include medical care for livestock.
W. 
Warehousing and storage
means a building, structure, group of buildings and structures used primarily for the storage of goods, materials, personal property or records. Includes areas used primarily for the benefit of a principal business and/or where individual owners or tenants control individual storage spaces.
Water and/or sewage treatment plant
means a facility, or group of facilities, used for the treatment of industrial or domestic wastewater from sewer systems and for the reduction and handling of solids and gases removed from such wastes; and facilities used for the storage and distribution of potable and gray water to customers.
Water storage facility
means facilities and infrastructure provided by a public agency, utility, or franchise which convey water facilities including regional water storage tanks and reservoirs.
Wireless communications tower
means radio or television broadcasting towers, telecommunications towers, and antenna arrays.
X. 
(Reserved)
Y. 
(Reserved)
Z. 
(Reserved)
(Ord. No. 2020-1331, 9-15-2020; Ord. No. 2023-1433, 9-19-2023; Ord. No. 2025-1481, 3-18-2025)

§ 28-9-4 General definitions.

A. 
Abutting
means two lots sharing the same or common property lines. This definition does not include lots that are separated by an alley, street, or another right-of-way.
Access
means a means of providing vehicular ingress or egress to a property from an abutting property or public road.
Access point
means any entrance, driveway, public or private street, road, highway, or alley that provides reasonable access for the movement of vehicles between the road or highway and an abutting property. The term shall include future planned roadways, so that if a street is provided to end at the boundary of the subdivision, such street shall count toward the requirement to be constructed.
Accessory building
means a building detached from a principal building located on the same lot and which is incidental and subordinate to the principal building.
Adjusted lamp lumens
means the lamp lumens of a lamp multiplied by the lamp efficiency. Lamp efficiency is 100 percent for all solid-state lighting lamps and 80 percent for all other lamps.
Administrator
means the director of development services or his or her designee, whom shall enforce and interpret the provisions of this CDO.
Alley
means a legally established private access easement affording a secondary means of vehicular access to abutting property and not intended for general traffic circulation.
Alteration
means any modification, replacement, or reconstruction that increases the height or materially increases the dimension of a structure.
Amending plat
means a plat which is submitted solely to make a minor amendment consistent with the requirements of section 28-7-29, amending and minor plats.
Antenna
means a device or system of wires, poles, rods, dishes, discs or similar devices used for the transmission, receipt, or both, of electromagnetic waves.
Applicant
means the owner of land or his approved representative.
Approach
means the area of the right-of-way between the traveled surface of the road or highway and the adjacent property that is intended to provide access for vehicles or equipment from the road or highway to the adjacent property.
Astronomic time switch
means an automatic lighting control device that switches outdoor lighting relative to time of solar day with time of year correction.
Average to minimum
means the ratio of average footcandles to the minimum footcandle point calculation for a given area. This ratio is an indicator of lighting uniformity. The lower the ratio, the better the uniformity.
B. 
Backlight
means lumens emitted in the quarter sphere below horizontal and in the opposite direction of the intended orientation of the luminaire.
Block
means an identified tract or parcel of land established within a subdivision surrounded by a street or a combination of streets and other physical features and which may be further subdivided into individual lots or reserves.
Bufferyard
means a unit of land, together with a specified type and amount of planting thereon, and any structures which may be required between land uses to eliminate or minimize conflicts between them.
Builder
means person whose job is to construct or repair houses.
Building official
means the building official of the city or his or her designee.
C. 
Canopy
means a framed accessory structure or exterior architectural feature which is attached to and supported from a wall or held up by its own supports, which provides shelter from the elements to persons, vehicles, or property.
Canopy tree
means a tree at maturation that is generally 25 feet or higher and provides significant shade.
Cargo terminal
means a facility used for the loading and unloading of materials to be distributed by either truck or train.
Certificate of occupancy
means a certificate issued by the city for the use of a building, structure, or land, when it is determined by it that the building, structure or land complies with the provisions of all applicable city codes, ordinances, and regulations.
City engineer
means the person authorized by the city as its engineer or his duly authorized representative.
Civic space
means an outdoor area dedicated for public use that is in a centralized location within a development that creates a public gathering location.
Commercial access
means a private access serving one or more commercial, industrial, institutional, or multiple-family uses.
Commercial use
means any use other than a residential use.
Commission
means the city's planning and zoning commission.
Common access route/internal street
means a street providing the principal means of access to individual manufactured home lots or auxiliary buildings.
Common open space
means a parcel or parcels of land or an area of water, such as a lake or river, or a combination of land and water, which may include floodplain and wetland areas, forested areas, sensitive slopes, parks, landscape features detention areas, sports fields, neighborhood amenities, drainage, detention, landscape reserves, landscape buffers, and floodway, or similar areas within a development area and intended for the use and enjoyment of residents of a particular development area and, where designated, the community at large. A drill site is not within the definition of common open space.
Comprehensive plan
means the general plan for growth and development of the city and its environs, including any and all applicable elements of such plan, such as a land use plan, utilities plan, drainage plan, infrastructure master plan, parks plan, and other similar plans.
Corner clearance
means the distance from an intersection of two public or private streets to the nearest driveway, measured from the curb line or, where there is no curb line, the closest edge of the travel way on the intersecting road, to the closest edge of the driveway, measured along the street to which access is being taken.
Cross access
means a drive providing shared vehicular access between two or more contiguous sites so the driver need not enter the public street system.
Curfew
means a time period set by an ordinance or resolution of the city council during which outdoor lighting is to be reduced as provided by this article.
D. 
Developer
means any person, firm, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, association, corporation, or municipal utility district (MUD) who participates as owner, promoter, developer, or agent in the planning, platting, or development of a subdivision or development.
Development
means any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate, including, but not limited to, buildings or other structures, minimum dredging, filling, grading, paving, excavation, drilling operations, and changes to drainage channels.
Development agreement
means an agreement between the city and a person having a legal or equitable interest in real property for the purpose of establishing conditions under which development may proceed.
Development plat
means a complete and exact development plan for new commercial construction or the enlargement of any exterior dimension of any commercial building, structure, or improvement prepared in conformity with this CDO and is suitable for recording in the county real property records. For purposes of the development plat, the term "commercial" means any nonresidential building, including, but not limited to, places of worship, schools, manufacturing, and industrial buildings, structures, and improvements.
Drainage district
means the county drainage district or the Brookshire Katy Drainage District, whichever is applicable.
Driveway
means a private accessway, primarily for vehicles, leading from a street to a dwelling unit, parking lot, parking garage, or loading area.
E. 
Easement
means an area of land dedicated for restricted use in which a person or public or private entity has the right to control the land or the area above or below the land for a specific limited purpose.
Electronic message board sign
means any sign or portion of a sign that utilizes electronic or digital technology to display text, images, graphics, or video, whether static or dynamic, that can be changed by electronic means. This includes signs using light-emitting diodes (LEDs), liquid crystal displays (LCDs), plasma displays, projected images, or similar technology that can be changed or altered remotely or automatically.
Existing lighting
means any lighting existing and installed on or before the effective date of the ordinance from which this article is derived.
Extraterritorial jurisdiction
means that area of land located outside the city's territorial limits, as defined in V.T.C.A., Local Government Code Ch. 42.
F. 
Family
means any number of individuals, related by blood, marriage, or adoption, and domestic servants for such a family, or a group of not more than four persons who are not so related, living together as a single nonprofit housekeeping unit doing their own cooking. In order to comply with federal and state law, group homes are included within the definition of family.
Field access
means an access point to an agricultural field used primarily for the movement of farm vehicles and equipment or serving cultivated land, timber land, or undeveloped land, as well as for uses at which no one resides or works, such as cellular towers, water wells, pumping stations, utility transformers, and similar uses.
Final plat
means a map or drawing of a proposed subdivision prepared in conformity with this CDO and suitable for recording in the county real property records.
Fine art
means a sculpture, fountain, or similar object.
Flag lot
means a lot with:
(1) 
Less than the minimum required frontage on a public or private street;
(2) 
Access to the street by a narrow strip of land; and
(3) 
Its largest portion situated behind adjoining lots that front on the street.
Floor area ratio (FAR)
means a measure of the allowable size of floor area on a lot compared to the size of the lot. FAR gives developers flexibility in deciding whether to construct a low building covering most of the lot or a tall building covering only a small part of the lot, as long as the total allowable floor area coverage is not exceeded.
Footcandle
means a unit of light intensity used to calculate lighting levels.
Footcandles, average
means the average of a number of points of foot-candle calculation or footcandle reading in a given area.
Full cut-off
means a shielded light fixture that emits no light above a horizontal plane touching the lowest part of the fixture.
Fully shielded luminaire
means a luminaire constructed and installed in such a manner that all light emitted by the luminaire, either directly from the lamp or a diffusing element, or indirectly by reflection or refraction from any part of the luminaire, is projected below the horizontal plane through the lowest light emitting part of the luminaire.
G. 
General plan
means a plan for the development of land brought by the applicant to a pre-application conference meeting that shows in general terms the proposed land use, circulation, natural characteristics and typical development of the area to be developed including the affected adjacent properties and traffic.
Glare
means lighting entering the eye directly from a luminaire or indirectly from reflective surfaces and that causes visual discomfort or reduced visibility.
Grade
means the lowest point of elevation of the finished surface of the ground, paving or sidewalk within the area between the building or structure and a line five feet from the building or structure.
Group home
means a licensed community home as defined by V.T.C.A., Human Resources Code Ch. 123, that is required to have no more than six persons with disabilities and two supervisors that reside in the home at the same time. The limitation on the number persons with disabilities applies regardless of the legal relationship of those persons to one another. The home may not be established within one-half mile of an existing community home. The term community home shall not include alcoholism or drug treatment center, work release facilities for convicts or ex-convicts, or other housing facilities serving as an alternative to incarceration. To qualify as a community home, an entity must provide the following services to persons with disabilities who reside in the home:
(1) 
Food and shelter;
(2) 
Personal guidance;
(3) 
Care;
(4) 
Habitation services; and
(5) 
Supervision.
H. 
Hardscape
means permanent improvements upon the ground which are constructed of concrete, asphalt, stone, gravel, or other similar material. The term "hardscape" includes, but is not limited to, parking lots, drives, entrances, curbs, ramps, stairs, steps, medians, walkways and non-vegetated landscaping that is ten feet or less in width.
Headwall
means rock, concrete, masonry, metal, timber or other similar materials placed on the sides of an approach as support, to prevent erosion, or for decorative purposes.
Height
means for the purpose of determining the height limits in all zones set forth in these regulations and shown on the hazard zoning map, the datum shall be height above mean sea level (MSL) elevation as measured in feet.
High mast light structure
means a fixed, freestanding, uninhabitable structure of a minimum height of 100 feet, specifically designed to carry light fixtures that is built on land on, along or adjacent to streets, roads, highways and bridges maintained by the state or political subdivision of the state.
Historic district
means a district so designated by city council or an area for which an application for designation has been initiated thereunder and has not been disapproved by city council.
Historic preservation officer
means the person designated to administer the historic preservation portions of the CDO. For the purposes of the CDO, this person is the same as the administrator which is the director of development services or his or her designee.
I. 
Illumination or illuminated
means any source of any artificial or reflected light, either directly from a source of light incorporated in or indirectly from an artificial source.
Illumination, down lighting
means a light fixture that are installed on or within the ceiling space, and face down to illuminate the space below.
Illumination, external
means lighting projected onto a sign from a source external to, or attached to the exterior of, the sign structure. External illumination consists of lights mounted on the ground or attached to the top of the sign focused downward directly on the sign.
Illumination, internal
means illumination by light sources enclosed entirely within the sign cabinet and not directly visible from outside the sign and includes "internally illuminated."
Inactive application
means an application submitted to the city that become null, void, and expired because the applicant fails to diligently pursue completion of the application in a manner that completely address the city's comments and questions.
J. 
Joint access or shared access
means a driveway connecting two or more contiguous properties to the public street system.
K. 
(Reserved)
L. 
Lamp
means an individual source of light other than a celestial object or fire. The term "lamp" includes, but is not limited to, bulbs, tubes, and modules. For purposes of this article, multiple light-emitting diodes (LEDs) or organic LEDs (OLEDs) within a self-contained bulb, tube, or module are considered a single lamp.
Landmark
means a property so designated by city council or a property for which an application for designation has been initiated thereunder and has not been disapproved by city council.
Landscape lighting
means lighting of trees, shrubs, or other plant material as well as ponds and other landscape features.
Light pollution
means any adverse effect of artificial light, including, but not limited to, glare, light trespass, skyglow, energy waste, compromised safety and security, and impacts on the nocturnal environment.
Light trespass
means light that falls beyond the property it is intended to illuminate. For purposes of this article, it is presumed that lighting is not intended to illuminate beyond the property line of the property on which the lighting is located, and that light emitted from a luminaire is presumed to fall beyond the property line if the lamp is visible, either directly or indirectly by reflection or otherwise, from beyond the property line.
Lighting equipment
means equipment specifically intended to provide gas or electric illumination, including, but not limited to, lamps, luminaires, ballasts, poles, posts, lenses, and related structures, electrical wiring, and other necessary or auxiliary components.
Lighting
means any electric, manmade, or artificial lighting equipment.
Lot
means a physically undivided tract or parcel of land having frontage on a public or private street and which is or may be offered for sale, conveyance, transfer, lease, development, or improvement.
Lot, key or flag
means a lot having gross disparities in width between side lot lines, sometimes resembling a flag on a flag pole, a key, or some other lot shape of comparable irregularity.
Lumen
means the unit of measure used to quantify the amount of light produced by a lamp or emitted from a luminaire. The term is not synonymous with the term "watt," which is a measure of power consumption.
Luminaire lumens
means the sum of all adjusted lamp lumens for all lamps within the luminaire.
Luminaire
means the complete lighting unit or fixture, consisting of one or more lamps.
M. 
Major thoroughfare plan
means the most recently adopted street layout plan adopted by city council, or any amendments or changes thereto approved and adopted by the city council.
Master planned community
means developments of more than 200 acres which include more than 500 residential units and provide for specialized amenities including sidewalks, park and recreational facilities, customized drainage and decorative landscaping and a unifying theme for the development.
Minor plat
means a plat which involves four or fewer lots fronting on an existing street and not requiring the creation of any new street or the extension of city facilities.
Mounting height
means the height of lowest light emitting point of the lowest lamp of a luminaire above ground level.
N. 
Nadir
means a vertical line extending from the lowest light emitting point of the lowest lamp of a luminaire to a point on the ground directly beneath the lowest light emitting point of the lowest lamp of the luminaire.
Natural waterway
means a waterway that is part of the natural topography and that maintains a continuous or seasonal flow during the year. Construction channels such as drainage ditches shall not be considered natural waterways.
New construction
means the construction of entirely new buildings, structures, or hardscape, the construction of an addition to an existing building, structure, or hardscape greater than or equal to 25 percent of the existing building, structure, or hardscape, or the reconstruction or renewal of greater than or equal to 50 percent of an existing building, structure, or hardscape.
New lighting
means any lighting not existing and installed on the effective date of the ordinance from which this article is derived.
Nonconforming use or structure
means any structure, tree, or use of land which is inconsistent with the provisions of these regulations and which is existing as of the effective date of these regulations.
Nonconforming access
means an access point built and constructed prior to the effective date of the ordinance from which this subdivision is derived that does not conform with the rules and regulations contained herein.
Nonresidential
means any use other than single-family detached, single-family attached, duplex, or multifamily dwelling.
O. 
Outdoor athletic facility
means any outdoor/open air sporting or recreational facility designed for use of organized athletic or extracurricular activities public or private which shall include, but not be limited to, use as a venue for: football, baseball, basketball, softball, soccer, rugby, tennis, track and field events, dressage, polo, rodeo, competitive roping, volleyball, quidditch, cricket, kickball, barrel racing, badminton, band, drum corps, golf, swimming, diving, cycling, ultimate frisbee or other group event involving athletic or extracurricular competition or the preparation for such competition.
Outdoor lighting
means any type of fixed or movable lighting equipment that is designed or used for illumination out of doors. The term includes billboard lighting, street lights, searchlights and other lighting used for advertising purposes, and area lighting. The term does not include lighting equipment that is required by law to be installed on motor vehicles or lighting required for the safe operation of aircraft. (TLGC 240.031)
P. 
Park
means any property of the state or political subdivision thereof that is designated for and restricted to use by the public for park purposes.
Parking, off-street
means a paved surface, a minimum of ten feet in width by 20 feet in length, located within the boundary of a manufactured home lot, or in common parking and storage areas, having unobstructed access to an internal street.
Parking setback
means the required distance from a public right-of-way and the location of an off-street parking location.
Permit
means a document issued by the city which authorizes land clearing, grading, construction, demolition, or modification of infrastructure, buildings, signs, other structures, changes of land use, and temporary uses.
Person
means an individual, partnership, corporation, or any other legal entity.
Preliminary plat
means a map or drawing of a proposed subdivision prepared in conformity with this chapter, but not suitable for recording in the county real property records.
Private agreement
means an agreement between two private parties that does not involve a governmental body.
Private street
means a roadway pertaining to subdivision of land, for vehicular travel which is privately owned and maintained, providing the principal means of access to three or more abutting properties.
Property line
means the edges of the legally-defined extent of privately owned property.
Public parkland
means any open space that is dedicated to and accepted by the city.
Public space
means any area to which the general public has access, and includes, but is not limited to parks, playgrounds, plazas, any property owned or operated by the city, and streets open to the general public and any buildings, premises, or other structures open to the general public including the doorways and entrances to such buildings, premises, or other structures and the grounds enclosing them.
Public street
means a roadway under the jurisdiction of a public authority that provides the principal means of access to an abutting property.
Public utility
means any person, company, corporation, cooperative, corporation, partnership, or any combination thereof, that is subject to both a municipal franchise agreement and the comprehensive regulatory system established by and defined in the Texas Public Utility Regulatory Act, that owns or operates for compensation equipment or facilities for:
(1) 
Producing, generating, transmitting, distributing, selling, or furnishing electricity; or
(2) 
The conveyance, transmission, or reception of communications over a telephone system as a dominant carrier.
The term "public utility" shall not include, as is defined in the Public Utility Regulatory Act, telegraph services, television stations, radio stations, community antenna television services, general radio-telephone services, or radio-telephone services authorized under the public mobile radio services rules of the Federal Communications Commission or private water companies.
Q. 
(Reserved)
R. 
Reasonable access
means the access necessary to provide for safe movement of vehicles to and from a public road. The term "reasonable access" does not necessarily mean direct access to a public road must be provided; access may be provided by a service road, another public road, or a joint/shared access. Where direct access to a primary roadway is permitted, reasonably convenient and suitable access has been defined by as access to the main roadway in at least one direction of travel.
Recreational vehicle parks and campgrounds
means any lot of land upon which one or more recreational vehicles and/or camping sites are located, established, or maintained for occupancy as temporary living quarters for recreation, education, or vacation purposes.
Registered care home
means a facility licensed or certified by the state that operates for all of the 24-hour day and provides child-care such as a foster home.
Replat
means a plat signed by the property owners, other than an amending plat which shows all or a portion of an existing subdivision prepared in conformity with this CDO, where the purpose is to alter the original layout of streets, lots, or other features of the development but not amending or removing any covenants or restrictions.
Residence
means any permanent building or structure containing habitable rooms for non-transient occupancy, designed and used primarily for living, sleeping, cooking and eating, which is intended to be used or occupied as a dwelling place for residential purposes, whether or not attached, including homes, town homes, patio-homes, duplexes, triplexes, quadraplexes, condominiums, and apartments. Multi-unit complexes shall be included as a ratio of one-eighth acre of land, or any fraction thereof, as being equivalent to one residential tract. For purposes of calculating the ratio of multi-unit complex acreage to residential tracts, only that portion of the multi-unit complex acreage within the residential test area shall be considered. Hotels, motels, boarding houses, group houses, halfway houses, nursing homes, hospitals, nursery schools, schools, and child care facilities shall not be considered residences. A building or structure located on a lot or tract of land used as the site of a tower shall not be considered a residence so long as its primary use is to contain, house, store, and protect materials or equipment directly related to the purpose and use of the tower.
Residential access
means a private access for one or more single-family detached or attached residential units, a farmstead, or farm-related structures, but not including an agricultural feedlot.
Residential lot
means:
(1) 
A lot which is included within a recorded residential subdivision subject to any enforceable, valid and unexpired residential deed restrictions upon which a residence exists or may be constructed pursuant to those valid and applicable deed restrictions; or
(2) 
An unrestricted lot upon which a residence exists.
Residential
means pertaining to the use of land for a residence as is defined in this CDO.
Residential restrictions
means one or more restrictive covenants limiting the use of the property to residential purposes that are contained or incorporated by reference in a properly recorded map, plat, replat, declaration, deed, judgment or other instrument filed in the county real property records, map records or deed records.
Residential use
means a use providing wholly or primarily non-transient living accommodations, excluding institutional living arrangements providing 24-hour skilled nursing or medical care, forced residence, or therapeutic settings.
Required improvement
means any improvement that is an alteration to the land or other physical constructions associated with subdivision and building site development.
Right-of-way
means the entire width between boundary lines of any way or place under the jurisdiction of the city, county, or state when any part thereof is open to the use of the public, as a matter of right, for the purposes of vehicular traffic and is maintained by the city, county, or state intended, directly or indirectly, to be used for a street, road, or drainage facility.
S. 
Seasonal lighting
means temporary lighting installed and operated in connection with holidays or traditions.
Service road
means a public or private street, auxiliary to and normally located parallel to a controlled access highway, that maintains local road continuity and provides access for parcels adjacent to the controlled access facility.
Sight distance triangle
means the triangular area formed by a diagonal line connecting two points located on intersecting street right-of-way lines, or a right-of-way line and the curb or edge of a driveway.
Sign
means any structure, part thereof, or inscription which is located upon, attached to, or painted or represented on any land, or on the outside of any building or structure, or on an awning, canopy, marquee, or similar appendage, or permanently affixed to the glass on the outside of the building or structure, and which displays or includes any numeral, letter, word, model, banner, emblem, insignia, symbol, device, monogram, heraldry, trademark, light, or other representation used as or in the nature of an announcement, advertisement, attention, arrestor, direction, warning, or designation of any person, firm, group, organization, corporation, association, place, commodity, product, service, business, establishment, profession, enterprise, industry, activity, or any combination thereof.
Sign area
means the entire advertising area of a sign, excluding any framing, trim, molding, or supporting structure.
Sign, ancillary
means a sign which conveys information regarding a service, facility, or product subsidiary or ancillary to the main or principal business use of a property, such as telephone signs, restroom signs, credit card signs, open signs, or signs displaying the hours of operation for the business or entity.
Sign, directory
means a sign that is for available for an applicant who has multiple tenants within a property. The sign is typically used in conjunction with master sign plans.
Sign, monument
means any sign mounted on the ground, but not elevated above the ground by any device that holds the sign off the ground and not attached to any building, including reader panels.
Sign, off-premises
means any sign displaying advertising copy that pertains to a business, person, organization, activity, event, place, service, or product not principally located or primarily manufactured or sold on the premises on which the sign is located.
Sign, portable
means any sign designed or constructed to be easily moved from one location to another, including signs mounted upon or designed to be mounted upon a trailer, wheeled carrier, or other non-motorized mobile structure. A portable sign which has its wheels removed shall still be considered a portable sign hereunder.
Sign, projecting
means a sign, other than a wall sign, which is affixed to any building or wall, and whose leading edge extends more than two feet beyond such building or wall. A canopy or marquee shall be synonymous to a projecting sign.
Sign, roof
means any sign installed over or on the roof of a building.
Signs, pylon
means freestanding signs that are supported by a structure extending from and permanently attached to the ground by a foundation or footing, with a clearance between the ground and the sign face. Pylon signs are not considered monument signs. Pylon signs differ from pole signs in that they are supported by a structure with internal clearance rather than a pole.
Sign, special event directional
means directional signage posted and removed within the time specified herein of a special event such as a local festival or sporting event. This term is included within the definition of temporary sign.
Sign, snipe
means a sign which is tacked, nailed, posted, pasted, glued, or otherwise attached to a tree, stake, fence, utility pole, or other like object, the advertising matter of which is not applicable to the present use of the premises on which the sign is located.
Sign, temporary
means any sign constructed of materials with short life expectancies. A portable sign shall not necessarily be considered a temporary sign.
Sign, wall
means any sign mounted parallel to a wall of a building.
Sign, way-finding
means signage specific to directing travelers to certain locations within the city. Such signs shall be of a specific design for its type and shall be approved on a case-by-case basis by the planning commission prior to installation unless installed in conjunction with a previously approved master sign plan in association with a master planned community.
Sign, wind device
means any flag, pennant, banner, streamer, balloon, inflatable device or similar-type object made of cloth, canvas, nylon, plastic, or other flexible material, with or without a frame or other supporting structure, that moves, or is intended to move or blow with the wind.
Significant tree
means a tree with a diameter of six inches or greater, measured 24 inches above grade.
Site
means the area within the property line of a property.
Site plan
means graphic presentation, drawn to scale, in a horizontal plane, delineating the outlines of the land included in the plan and all proposed use locations, accurately dimensioned, the dimensions also indicating the relation of each use to that adjoining and to the boundary of the property.
Skyglow
means the brightening of the nighttime sky that results from scattering and reflection of artificial light by moisture and particulates in the atmosphere.
Small tree
means a tree at maturation that is generally no higher than 25 feet.
Solid state lighting
means lighting based on light-emitting diodes (LEDs) or organic LEDs (OLEDs). The term "solid state lighting" does not include lighting based on filaments, plasma, or gases.
Street, arterial
means a street that serves or is designed to serve, as a connection between uses which generate heavy traffic volumes or between other arterial streets.
Street, collector
means a street that serves or is designed to serve as the connection from minor streets to the arterial street system, such as the main entrance street of a residential development, or as a secondary connection between arterial streets.
Street, local
means a street which serves or is designed to serve primarily as access to abutting properties.
Street offset
means the separation of two streets when said separation occurs at an intersecting street.
Street, private
means any street not dedicated as a public street. A private street shall include any paved improvement designed to facilitate the movement of vehicles from one point to another. Maintenance and repair are the responsibility of the private owner of the street.
Street, public
means a thoroughfare or right-of-way, dedicated to the public, and accepted for maintenance by the city or county, and which provides vehicular access within a subdivision or to adjacent land.
Structure
means an object, including a mobile object, constructed or installed by man including, but not limited to, buildings, towers, cranes, smokestacks, poles, earth formations, overhead power lines, and traverse ways. Traverse ways are considered to be the heights set forth in 14 C.F.R. Part 77.23.
Subdivision
means all land encompassed within one or more maps or plats of land within the city that is divided into two or more parts and are recorded in the deed, map, or real property records of the county or counties in which the land covered by the map or plat is located.
T. 
Temporary lighting
means lighting installed and operated for periods not to exceed 60 days, completely removed and not operated again for at least 30 days.
Title report
means a report prepared and executed by a title company authorized to do business in the state or an attorney licensed with the state, describing all encumbrances of record that affect the subdivision, together with all recorded deeds.
Towable recreational vehicle
means a nonmotorized vehicle that:
(1) 
Was originally designed and manufactured primarily to provide temporary human habitation in conjunction with recreational, camping, or seasonal use;
(2) 
Qualifies to be titled and registered with the state department of motor vehicles as a travel trailer through a county tax assessor-collector; and
(3) 
Is permanently built on a single chassis.
Tract
means a piece of land subdivided, which may be subdivided into lots, parcels, or some other form of subdivision.
Tree
means any type of flora and an object of natural growth.
U. 
Uniformity
means a description of the smoothness of the lighting pattern or the degree of intensity of light and dark areas in the roadway or area to be lighted.
V. 
(Reserved)
W. 
Wireless communications tower
means a structure, including supporting facilities, that is intended for transmitting or receiving radio television, telephone, or microwave signals, excluding amateur radio antennas.
X. 
(Reserved)
Y. 
(Reserved)
Z. 
Zoning board of adjustment
means a board so designated by these regulations as provided in V.T.C.A., Local Government Code § 241.032. Provisions for the zoning board of adjustment (ZBA) are set forth in this CDO at section 28-6-6, zoning board of adjustment.
(Ord. No. 2020-1331, 9-15-2020; Ord. No. 2025-1502, 9-16-2025)