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Maple Bluff Village
City Zoning Code

ARTICLE 9

Word Usage, Abbreviations, and Definitions

§ 225-9-1 Word usage.

The interpretation of this chapter shall abide by the provisions and rules that follow, except where the context clearly requires otherwise, or where the result would clearly be inconsistent with the apparent intent of this chapter:
A. 
Words used or defined in one tense or form shall include other tenses and derivative forms.
B. 
Words in the singular number shall include the plural number, and words in the plural number shall include the single number, unless the context of the particular usage clearly indicates otherwise.
C. 
The masculine gender shall include the feminine, and vice versa.
D. 
The words "shall," "must," and "will" are mandatory, establishing an obligation or duty to comply with the particular provision.
E. 
The words "may," "can," "should," and "might" are permissive.
F. 
The word "person" includes individuals, firms, corporations, partnerships, associations, trusts, and any other legal entity.
G. 
If there is ambiguity between the chapter text and any caption or illustration, the text shall control.

§ 225-9-2 Abbreviations.

The following abbreviations in this chapter are intended to have the following meanings:
Abbreviation
Meaning
Ac
Acre
Db
Decibel
DNR
Wisconsin Department or Natural Resources (also "WisDNR")
DOT
Wisconsin Department of Transportation (also "WisDOT")
DU
Dwelling unit
FAA
Federal Aviation Administration
FAP
Floor area percentage
Ft or'
Foot
HUD
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
In or "
Inches
Max
Maximum
MH
Maximum height
Min
Minimum
N/A
Not applicable
SF or sq. ft.
Square feet
UDC
Uniform Dwelling Code
+
Or more (as in "9+")

§ 225-9-3 Definitions.

[Amended 9-9-2025]
The following words, terms, and phrases, wherever they occur in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them by this section. See also Article 3, which defines land use types in its "description" subsections. Where this section or chapter does not define a word or term, the common English definition of such word or term shall apply.
ABUT or ABUTTING
Having a common border, property line, or zoning district line.
ACCESS
A means of providing vehicular or non-vehicular egress from or ingress to a parcel.
ACCESSORY LAND USE, OR ACCESSORY USE
A land use subordinate to, and serving, the principal use or structure on the same parcel and customarily incidental thereto.
ACCESSORY STRUCTURE
A building or other structure subordinate to, and serving, the principal use or structure on the same parcel and customarily incidental thereto. For purposes of this chapter, accessory structures include but are not limited to small exterior communication or energy systems (including underground GES pipes); outdoor merchandise display and activities; sport courts; swimming pools including all of their associated surfaced terraces and decks; flag poles; and commercial waste/recycling containers and associated screening wall/fence.
ADDITION
Any walled and roofed expansion to the perimeter and/or height of a building.
ADJACENT LOT OR PARCEL
A lot or parcel that is directly abutting, but not across a public right-of-way from, the subject lot or parcel.
APPEAL
A means for obtaining review of a decision, determination, interpretation, order, or failure to act pursuant to the terms of this chapter as expressly authorized by the provisions of § 225-8-8.
ARBOR
An open shelter typically constructed of latticework or exposed boards that often provide partial shade or support for climbing plants.
ARTISAN STUDIO
A building or portion thereof used for the preparation, display, and sale of individually crafted artwork, photography, jewelry, furniture, sculpture, pottery, leathercraft, hand-woven sections, and related items, and occupied by no more than five artists or artisans.
AWNING
A shelter projecting from and supported by the exterior wall of a building, constructed of non-rigid materials on a supporting framework.
BASEMENT
A portion of a building located partly underground, having 1/2 or more of its floor to ceiling height below the average mean grade of the adjoining ground. Also known as a cellar.
BEDROOM
A room in a residence marketed, designed, or otherwise likely to function primarily for sleeping.
BLUFF
A steep headland, promontory, cliff, or escarpment that has a vertical relief of 10 feet or greater and is located along Lake Mendota.
BOARD OF APPEALS
The appointed Board of Appeals of the Village. Also commonly referred to as "Zoning Board of Appeals" or "Board of Zoning Appeals."
BOATHOUSE
A permanent structure that has been used for one or more years for the storage of watercraft and associated materials for more or less direct launches into the water, regardless of the current use of the structure, and includes all such structures which are totally enclosed, have roofs or walls, or any combination of structural parts.
BREWPUB
A use that is accessory to a restaurant or tavern use, produces less than 10,000 barrels of beer per year, is permitted under § 125.295, Wis. Stats., and where beer is primarily produced for on-site consumption.
BUILDING
A structure having a roof and intended for the shelter, housing, or enclosure of persons, animals, equipment, machinery, and/or personal property.
BUILDING BOARD
The appointed Building Board of the Village, charged with reviewing the design of certain structures and site features before a building permit is issued.
BUILDING ENVELOPE
The area of a parcel that is beyond minimum front, side, and rear setbacks within which buildings may be constructed or expanded. The building envelope may differ for principal and accessory buildings.
BUILDING INSPECTOR
The employee or contractor of the Village officially designated by the Village Board to administer the building code (Chapter 90), along with certain provisions of this chapter.
BUILDING, ACCESSORY
A building that is subordinate to, incidental to, and serves a principal building and/or principal use, but is not physically attached to a principal building, and is located on the same parcel as the principal building or use served except as otherwise expressly authorized under this chapter.
BUILDING, PRINCIPAL
A building in which is conducted, or in which is intended to be conducted, the main or primary use or uses of the parcel on which it is located.
CANOPY
A rigid multisided and roofed structure covered with fabric, metal, or other material, and attached or supported by a building at one or more points and/or by columns or posts embedded in the ground.
CERTIFIED SURVEY MAP
A map prepared by a professional land surveyor used to divide, combine, or reconfigure land into four or fewer lots, meeting applicable requirements of this chapter and of Chapter 236, Wis. Stats.
CODE
The municipal code of ordinances of the Village of Maple Bluff.
COMMUNITY GARDEN
A type of recreational use intended for cultivation and related activities divided into one or more plots to be cultivated by more than one operator or member, as a principal land use or as an accessory use for a park, municipal, or other similar land or facility. Does not include gardens for cultivation of crops primarily for consumption on the same premises.
COMPOSITE MATERIAL
A building material that is engineered from two or more materials that have different physical or chemical properties, often for purposes of enhanced durability.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
The Comprehensive Plan of the Village, adopted and as may be from time to time amended under § 66.1001, Wis. Stats. May consist of a document titled "comprehensive plan" in whole or par and any other plan adopted by the Village Board under § 66.1001, Wis. Stats.
CONDITIONAL USE
A land use that requires a conditional use permit in order to develop, expand, or be modified, subject to all applicable requirements of this chapter, other applicable regulations of the Village and other units of government, and any conditions applied to the conditional use permit.
CONFORMING USE
A use of a parcel or building that fully conforms with all provisions of this chapter that are applicable within the zoning district where the use has been established.
COUNTY
Dane County, Wisconsin.
DECK
A platform, either freestanding or part of a building, which has no roof or walls and is supported by pillars or posts. Where attached to a building, a deck is considered part of the building for setback and other standards. Where freestanding, it is considered an accessory structure.
DEDICATION or DEDICATED
The transfer of property interest from private to public ownership for a public purpose.
DENSITY
A term used to describe the number of dwelling units per acre.
DEVELOPER
The legal or beneficial owner(s) of a parcel proposed for development, including an option or contract purchaser.
DEVELOPMENT
The construction, reconstruction, conversion, structural alteration, relocation, or enlargement of any buildings; any use or change in use of any buildings or land; any extension of any use of land; or any clearing, grading, or other movement of land, for which permission may be required pursuant to this chapter.
DIMENSIONAL STANDARDS
Measurable standards for development, improvement, or alteration of a site or building, such has height, setbacks, and floor area percentages, which are laid out in Figure 225.2.2 with certain modifications and exceptions in § 225-2-5.
DOG OR CAT RUN
A contained outdoor area, route, or track intended for the exercising of dogs, cats, or similar domesticated animals.
DRAINAGE
The removal of surface water or groundwater from land by drains, grading, or other means. Drainage includes the control of runoff to minimize erosion and sedimentation during and after development, and the means necessary for water supply preservation or prevention or alleviation of flooding.
DRIVEWAY
A hard surfaced (or gravel surfaced area lawfully installed prior to June 12, 2025) area primarily intended to accommodate vehicular movement to a designated parking space or garage, but where serving a single-family, two-family, or townhouse dwelling unit may also or instead directly provide for vehicular parking.
DWELLING
A building or one or more portions thereof, containing one or more dwelling units, but not including habitations provided in nonresidential uses such as lodging uses.
DWELLING UNIT
A room or group of rooms providing or intended to provide permanent living quarters for not more than one family.
DWELLING UNIT, ATTACHED
A dwelling unit joined to another dwelling unit at one or more sides by a shared wall, floor, or ceiling.
EASEMENT
Written authorization, typically recorded in the Register of Deeds' office, from a landowner authorizing another party to use any designated part of the landowner's parcel for a specified purpose.
EROSION
The detachment and movement of soil or rock fragments by water, wind, ice, and/or gravity.
ESSENTIAL SERVICES
Services provided by public and private agencies and utilities, necessary for the exercise of the principal use, service of the principal building, or exercise or service of the Village as a whole. These services include underground, surface, or overhead gas, electrical, public lighting, steam, water, sanitary sewerage, stormwater drainage, and communication systems and accessories thereto, such as poles, towers, wires, mains, drains, vaults, culverts, laterals, sewers, pipes, catch basins, water storage tanks, conduits, cables, fire alarm boxes, police call boxes, traffic signals, lift stations, and hydrants, including buildings accessory to the essential use.
FACADE
That portion of any exterior wall of a building extending from grade to top of parapet, wall, or eave, including any dormers or other similar roof projections.
FAMILY
One of the following:
A. 
An individual person.
B. 
Two or more people related by blood, marriage, domestic partnership, or legal adoption (including foster children) living together as a single household.
C. 
Up to four unrelated adults and the dependents of each living together as a single household.
D. 
Up to four unrelated people who have disabilities under the Fair Housing Amendment Act (FHAA) or the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) living as a single household because of their disability and requiring assistance from a caregiver plus up to two people providing support services such as personal care, housekeeping, meal preparation, laundry, and companionship.
FENCE
An artificially constructed linear structure, other than a wall or netting, intended to enclose, screen, separate, delineate, mark, or define one area from another.
FLAG
Any fabric, plastic, or similar material containing distinctive colors, patterns, or symbols used as a symbol or emblem of any corporation, nation, organization of nations, state, Village, or religious, fraternal, educational, or civic organization displayed for noncommercial purposes.
FLAG LOT
A lot with its widest point set back from the road, and having a thin, long strip ("flag pole") of land connected to the road to provide legal access and frontage.
FLOOR AREA
A. 
The horizontal area of the several floors of a building, and their interior projections, where ceiling height is at least 7'10", including attic areas, attached garages, walkout basements (measured at 50% of their actual floor area for single- and two-family residential uses), detached garages, sheds, and other accessory buildings. "Interior projections" means portions of a building floor that are not constructed to reveal a lower level of a building, such as is present in an atrium or loft design.
B. 
For multiple-family residential and nonresidential uses, includes all floors, lofts, indoor balconies, mezzanines, elevator shafts, heating and utility rooms, storage rooms, stairwells, basements, and similar indoor areas.
C. 
Measured from the exterior faces of the exterior walls, and from the center lines of walls or partitions separating dwelling units or distinct occupancy units sharing the same building.
D. 
Does not include any open deck, porch, balcony, or patio, even if covered with a roof without walls, but does include enclosed versions such as three-seasoned and screened porches.
E. 
Except for single-family dwellings, no fully enclosed underbuilding parking area shall be included in the calculation of floor area, provided that the ceiling of such parking area is no higher than five feet above the predevelopment grade of the directly adjoining land.
FLOOR AREA PERCENTAGE
The percentage obtained by dividing the floor area by the parcel area, as both terms as defined in this section, and then multiplying by 100. The floor area percentage as designated for each district or parcel size class, when multiplied by parcel area, shall determine the maximum permissible floor area for all buildings on the parcel. See also Figure 225.9.1.
Figure 225.9.1: Measuring Floor Area Percentage
FOOTCANDLE
A unit of illumination produced on a surface, all points of which are one foot from a uniform point source of one candle.
FOOTPRINT
The first floor area of a building.
GARAGE
An accessory building or part of a principal building that designed to be used primarily for the indoor parking of motor vehicles. Does not include any basement or "boathouse".
GENERAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN (GDP)
A preliminary set of plans and descriptions of a proposed Planned Unit Development project, submitted along with the rezoning application and, where approved, guidance for the more detailed Specific Implementation Plan(s) for the project that follows.
GLARE
The effect produced by brightness from a light source sufficient to cause discomfort or loss in visual performance.
GROUP DAY-CARE CENTER
A land use in which state-licensed persons and facilities provide child care services for nine or more children.
HARD SURFACE
Includes concrete, asphalt paving, pervious pavement, paving stones commercially designed and manufactured for the proposed purpose, any combination of these materials, or another similar material approved by the Zoning Administrator. Crushed stone used for driveways is not considered a hard surface for purposes of this chapter, but is an impervious surface as that term is separately defined.
HEIGHT
A. 
Except for freestanding signs, the vertical distance from the mean average elevation of the pre-construction grade along the front of the building or other structure to the highest point of the structure, except for elements excepted in § 225-2-5D.
B. 
For freestanding signs as defined in § 225-5-2, the vertical distance from the mean average elevation of the pre-construction grade to the top of the sign or from the centerline grade of the nearest public road, whichever is lower.
C. 
For all buildings and structures, where the change in surface elevation from the front to the rear of the building envelope is greater than 10%, structure height shall instead be measured from the pre-construction grade midway between the front and rear exterior walls of the structure, as represented in Figure 225.9.2.
Figure 225.9.2: Measuring Building Height on 10%+ Sloped Parcel
HOOP SHED
A type of detached accessory structure typically supported by poles, having a fabric roof and/or sides and are usually used to cover automobiles, boats, recreational vehicles, or firewood on a temporary or permanent basis.
IMPERVIOUS SURFACE
Exterior surfaces that prevent infiltration of stormwater into the ground. For purposes of this chapter, includes rooftops; crushed rock surfaces serving as driveways; concrete, asphalt, and pavers (except see below); and rubberized and similar hard surfaces including on swimming pool bottoms and sport courts. For purposes of this chapter, does not include any part of a pervious pavement system meeting Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources specifications for perviousness, retaining walls, planters, bird baths, lawn statues, seasonal decorative displays, poles for clothes drying, flag poles or supports, play structures such as swing sets and trampolines, and stormwater management basins and swales.
INTERNALLY ILLUMINATED (SIGN)
A sign designed to give any artificial light directly through any transparent or translucent material from a source of light originating within such sign, including internally illuminated backlit plastic panel signs and awnings.
LAND USE
The type of development and/or activity occurring on a piece of property.
LANDSCAPING
A deliberately designed collection of living plants installed and maintained on a parcel, generally including a combination of trees, shrubs, and perennial plantings.
LIGHT SOURCE
A single artificial source of luminescence that emits measurable radiant energy in the human visible spectrum.
LODGING
Commercial overnight accommodations for tourists and transients, such as within a hotel or motel.
LOT
A. 
A tract of land that is a lot in a recorded subdivision plat, a lot in certified survey map, or a single metes and bounds description that:
(1) 
Has been lawfully recorded as a uniquely described piece of land with the Dane County Register of Deeds.
(2) 
Is undivided by any public street.
(3) 
Has frontage on a public street or other approved means of access.
B. 
Also commonly referred to as a "lot of record." A lot may be, but is not necessarily, a parcel under this chapter.
LOT AREA
The area contained within the exterior boundaries of a lot, excluding public streets and land under Lake Mendota (i.e., from the ordinary high water mark outward into the lake).
LOT DEPTH
The mean average horizontal distance between the front lot line and the rear lot line.
LOT LINE
A line bounding a lot, including any line marking the ordinary high water mark of Lake Mendota, but not including any described land ownership that extends into a public street or rail right-of-way. In any such case, the line of such right-of-way shall be the lot line for purposes of this chapter. Front, street side, interior side, and rear lot lines are as defined herein, except where otherwise approved in writing by the Zoning Administrator based on circumstances that are unique to the lot.
LOT LINE, FRONT
A lot line that abuts a public street right-of-way. For corner lots, the lot line along the street from which the house is addressed shall be the front lot line, and the other street-abutting lot line shall be the street side lot line.
LOT LINE, INTERIOR SIDE
Any lot line that is not a front lot line, a street side lot line, or a rear lot line.
LOT LINE, REAR
In the case of rectangular or trapezoidal lots, the lot line that is opposite and most distant from the front lot line of the lot. In the case of a triangular or 5+ sided lot, the line most opposite from the front lot line.
LOT LINE, STREET SIDE
For corner lots (but not for through lots), the lot line that abuts a public or private street right-of-way but that is not the front lot line.
LOT WIDTH
The shortest horizontal distance between the side lot lines that includes the midpoint between such lot lines, with such midpoint set at the minimum front principal building setback distance for the lot.
LOT, CORNER
A lot situated at the junction of and abutting two or more intersecting public streets, or a parcel at the point of deflection in alignment of a continuous street, the interior angle of which does not exceed 135°.
LOT, THROUGH
A lot that has a pair of opposite lot lines abutting two substantially parallel public streets, and not meeting the definition of a corner lot.
MANUFACTURED HOME
A residential dwelling for one family as defined in § 101.91(2), Wis. Stats., fabricated in an off-site facility for installation or assembly at the building site, bearing a HUD label or insignia certifying that it is built in compliance with the Federal Manufactured Housing Construction Standards under 42 U.S.C. §§ 5401 to 5426, and built after June 14, 1976.
MATURE TREE
A tree that is native to the region and non-invasive as determined by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and is 12 inches or greater in diameter at a height of four feet above grade, provided that no tree specifically planted for commercial purposes shall be defined as a mature tree for purposes of this chapter.
MAXIMUM CAPACITY
The maximum number of people a building or land use can accommodate by law, typically the fire code, often used to calculate minimum required parking spaces in this chapter.
MEDICAL CLINIC OR OFFICE
A building used by a group of physicians, chiropractors, dentists, therapists, or other licensed health care professionals for the examination or treatment of persons on an outpatient or non-boarding basis only.
MINIMUM BUILDING SEPARATION
The narrowest permitted building separation for buildings on the same building lot or site.
MINIMUM LOT AREA
The smallest permissible lot area within the applicable zoning district.
MINIMUM LOT WIDTH
The smallest permissible lot width within the applicable zoning district.
MINIMUM SETBACK
The narrowest distance permitted from a front, street side, interior side, or rear property line to a building or structure as specified in this chapter.
MOBILE HOME
A transportable factory-built structure as defined in § 101.91(10), Wis. Stats., designed for long-term occupancy by one family and built prior to June 15, 1976, the effective date of the Federal Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act.
NAVIGABLE WATERS
All natural lakes, rivers, streams, ponds, sloughs, flowages, and other waters that are navigable under the laws of this state. The Wisconsin Supreme Court has declared navigable all bodies of water with a bed differentiated from adjacent uplands and with levels of flow sufficient to support navigation by a recreational craft of the shallowest draft on an annually recurring basis. [Muench v. Public Service Commission, 261 Wis. 492 (1952), and DeGaynor and Co., Inc. v. Department of Natural Resources, 70 Wis. 2d 936 (1975)]. For the purposes of this chapter, rivers and streams will be presumed to be navigable if they are designated as either continuous or intermittent waterways on the United States Geological Survey quadrangle maps until such time that the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has determined that the waterway is not, in fact, navigable.
NEIGHBORING PRINCIPAL BUILDING
Any principal building that meets one of the following criteria relative to a parcel on which a modification is proposed (i.e., the "Subject Parcel" in Figure 225.9.3):
A. 
On any parcel within two parcels from and on the same side of the street as the Subject Parcel ("Same Side Parcel" in Figure 225.9.3), with any interceding public right-of-way counting as one parcel for purpose of this qualifier;
B. 
On any parcel directly across a public street from the Subject Property ("Across the Street Parcel" in Figure 225.9.3);
C. 
On any parcel on either side of such Across-the-Street Parcel ("Either Side Parcel" in Figure 225.9.3), with any interceding public right-of-way counting as an Either Side Parcel for purpose of this qualifier; or
D. 
On any other parcel that is adjacent to the Subject Property ("Other Adjacent Parcel" in Figure 225.9.3).
Figure 225.9.3: Neighboring Principal Buildings Illustrated
NOISE, CONTINUOUS
A noise that is produced continuously, for example, by machinery that keeps running without interruption or with limited interruption.
NOISE, INTERMITTENT
A noise that increases and decreases rapidly, including a piece of equipment that operates in cycles or construction activities like hammering or drilling.
NONCONFORMING LOT
See "substandard lot."
NONCONFORMING SIGN
A sign that was legally constructed under the regulations in place at the time, but does not conform to the regulations of this chapter.
NONCONFORMING STRUCTURE
Any building, or other structure, which was lawfully established prior to June 12, 2025, or subsequent amendments thereto, but that would not conform to one or more current dimensional requirements of this chapter.
NONCONFORMING USE
An active and actual use of land, building(s), or structure(s) that was lawfully established prior to June 12, 2025, or subsequent amendments thereto, that has continued as the same use to the present, and that does not comply with all the applicable use regulations of this chapter.
NONRESIDENTIAL LAND USE(S)
All uses that are not intended for long-term or permanent use as a dwelling unit. Commercial lodging and similar land uses intended for short-term occupancy are considered nonresidential land uses.
NONRESIDENTIAL ZONING DISTRICT(S) or NONRESIDENTIAL DISTRICT
All zoning districts aside from the R-A and R-B Districts, and any PUD District that is predominately for nonresidential land use.
OCCUPANCY
The residing of any person overnight in a dwelling unit, or the employment of any non-construction personnel or patronage by any person in a nonresidential building.
ON-SITE
Located on the parcel in question, except in the context of on-site detention, when the term means within the boundaries of the development site as a whole.
OPACITY
As it applies to a fence, wall, or netting, the percentage that a view from one side of such a structure to the other side is completely blocked by the structure where viewed at a right angle from the structure, including supports but not any support segment (e.g., post) that extends above the body of such structure. See Figure 225.4.1 for examples.
OPEN-SIDED STRUCTURE
An accessory structure, such as a gazebo or deck, which has a surface area and may have a roof, but that is open to the outdoors on all sides without windows, screens, or similar, except for roof support poles only.
ORDINARY HIGH WATER MARK
The point on the bank or shore up to which the presence and action of surface water is so continuous as to leave a distinctive mark such as by erosion, destruction or prevention of terrestrial vegetation, predominance of aquatic vegetation, or other easily recognized characteristics. Where the bank or shore at any particular place is of such character that it is difficult or impossible to ascertain where the point of ordinary high water mark is, recourse may be had to the opposite bank of a stream or to other places on the shore of a lake or flowage to determine whether a given stage of water is above or below the ordinary high water mark.
OUTDOOR KITCHEN
An outdoor cooking and dining space and facility that typically includes a grill, sink, and counter space, but may also include other facilities like a refrigerator and storage space.
OUTDOOR SOLID FUEL FURNACE
An outdoor accessory structure designed to heat air or water through a fire and then transmit that heated air or liquid to a different structure for direct use and/or structural heating.
OWNER
The person, persons, or other legal entity having the right of legal title to a parcel of land.
PARAPET
The extension of a false front or wall above the roofline.
PARCEL
A single Dane County tax parcel, which may include one or more contiguous lots in common ownership. For purposes of this chapter, the terms parcel area, parcel width, parcel depth, parcel line, front parcel line, street side parcel line, interior side parcel line, rear parcel line, corner parcel, and through parcel have the same meaning as lot area, lot width, lot depth, lot line, front lot line, street side lot line, interior side lot line, rear lot line, corner lot, and through lot, respectively, except for the difference in definition of "lot" and "parcel."
PARKING SPACE
A hard surfaced area (or gravel surfaced area legally installed prior to June 12, 2025), either enclosed or open, for the parking of a motor vehicle, having adequate ingress and egress to a public street or alley other than a driveway.
PERFORMANCE STANDARD
Criterion established to control and limit the impacts generated by, or inherent in, uses of land or buildings.
PERMITTED BY RIGHT USE or PERMITTED USE
A particular type of land use that is allowed as a matter of right within an associated zoning district, provided that all other requirements of this chapter are met, subject to all applicable requirements of this chapter and all other applicable regulations of the Village and other units of government.
PLAN COMMISSION
The Plan Commission of the Village.
PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT
A type of zoning district or development that is of a unique and of a substantially different character than standard zoning districts or developments allowed within them, based on a plan that allows for flexibility of design not available under standard zoning district requirements.
PLAT OF SURVEY
A map prepared by a professional land surveyor and described in Chapter A-E7, Wis. Admin. Code, that includes an inventory of lands, boundary lines and the respective survey monuments, course information to include a calculated area, and any improvements present at the time field data was collected. Such plat of survey may not meet all requirements of Chapter 236, Wis. Stats., for a certified survey map.
PORCH
A covered platform, usually having a separate roof, at an entrance to a dwelling, or an open or enclosed gallery or room, which is not heated or cooled, that is attached on the outside of a building.
PRIMARY BUILDING FACADE
The entire area of a principal building wall or walls that face and are generally parallel to a public street.
PRINCIPAL BUILDING
See "building, principal."
PRINCIPAL USE
Any and all of the primary uses of a property, treated as a use permitted by right or as a conditional use, rather than as an accessory use or a temporary use.
PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT
Any improvement, facility, or service, together with customary improvements and appurtenances thereto, necessary to provide for public needs such as streets, roads, pedestrian walks or paths, storm sewers, flood control improvements, water supply and distribution facilities, sanitary sewage disposal and treatment, public utility, and energy services.
RECREATIONAL VEHICLE
As defined and regulated in §§ 212-2A and 166-11A of the Code.
RESIDENTIAL LAND USE(S)
A land use intended for use as a long-term residence or dwelling, whether owner or renter occupied, including "community living arrangement" land uses in any district and accessory residential land uses.
RESIDENTIAL ZONING DISTRICT(S)
The R-A and R-B Districts, and any PUD District that is exclusively for residential use.
RESIDENTIALLY ZONED
Land located in the R-A and R-A Districts, and any PUD District that is exclusively for residential use.
SANITARY SEWER
Includes the Village sanitary sewer system and other municipal sanitary sewer systems.
SCALE (OF DEVELOPMENT)
A term used to describe the floor area, height, and/or volume of a single structure or group of structures.
SETBACK
The distance between a building's or structure's exterior and the nearest point on the referenced lot or parcel line. See also "minimum setback."
SEXUALLY-ORIENTED BUSINESS
A type of land use required under court interpretation of the U.S. Constitution to be allowed in at least one viable location in each municipality. Includes any exhibition of any motion pictures, live performance, display, or dance of any type, which has as its dominant theme, or is distinguished or characterized by an emphasis on, any actual or simulated specific sexual activities or specified anatomical areas, or the removal of articles of clothing to appear totally nude or to display a nude genital area or female nude breasts. Also includes an adult bookstore having as its stock in trade, for sale, rent, lease, inspection or viewing, books, films, videocassettes, CDs, SD cards, flash drives, internet connection, magazines or other periodicals that are distinguished or characterized by their emphasis on matters depicting, describing or relating to specific sexual activities or specific anatomical areas, and in conjunction therewith have facilities for the presentation of adult-oriented films, movies or live performances, for observation by patrons.
SHORELAND
The area within the following distances from the ordinary high water mark of navigable waters:
A. 
1,000 feet from a lake, pond, or flowage.
B. 
300 feet from a river or a stream or to the landward side of the floodplain, whichever distance is greater.
SHRUB
A low-lying deciduous or evergreen woody perennial plant.
SIGN
An emblem, name, identification, description, or illustration that is affixed to or appears directly or indirectly upon a building, structure, or piece of land and that directs attention to an object, product, place, activity, person, institution, organization, or business. Definitions, descriptions, and regulations for various types and configurations of signs are found in Article 5.
SNOW FENCE
A temporary, usually slatted fence placed across the path of prevailing winds to protect something (such as a yard or road) from drifting snow by disrupting the flow of wind and causing the snow to be deposited on the lee side of the fence.
SPECIAL EXCEPTION
A type of development approval that affords a degree of flexibility from normal standards within this chapter, without having to obtain a variance.
SPECIFIC IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
A final set of plans and descriptions of a proposed Planned Unit Development project, required to be consistent and provide additional detail from the approved general development plan that precedes it, and effectively serving as a unique set of zoning rules for such project.
SPORT COURT
An outdoor hard, rubberized, or ice surfaced court or rink designed for athletic purposes, such as a basketball or tennis court, often surrounded by fencing or boards and separated from other hard surfaces like driveways.
STANDARD ZONING DISTRICT
A zoning district that primarily regulate the use of land and intensity or density of such use, as opposed to special zoning districts like the PUD District, or floodplain or other environmentally-focused overlay districts.
STATE
The State of Wisconsin.
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE/FACILITY
Includes in-ground detention/retention ponds, basins, swales, ditches, stormwater drains, and similar site features or structures.
STORY
That portion of a building included between the surface of any floor and the surface of the floor next above; or if there is no floor above, the space between the floor and the ceiling next above. A basement shall not be counted as a story, except where the vertical distance between the ceiling and the mean average level of the adjoining ground is more than five feet.
STREET
Unless specifically designated otherwise by the Village, any public travel way that is dedicated or permanently open to motor vehicle use from the general public, not including any lane solely intended to provide emergency or boating access.
STRUCTURE
Anything constructed or erected, the use of which requires a more or less permanent location on the ground, or attached to something having a permanent location on the ground, excepting public utility fixtures and appurtenances.
SUBSTANDARD LOT
A legally created lot of record that met any applicable lot area of width requirement when it was created but does not meet the current minimum lot area or width of the zoning district where it is located pursuant to Figure 225.2.2; also referred to as a "nonconforming lot."
SWALE
A linear depression in land running downhill or having a marked change in contour direction in which sheet runoff would collect and form a temporary watercourse.
SWIMMING POOL
Either an aboveground or in-ground outdoor structure intended for fixed installation that contains a body of water in a receptacle or other container having a depth for water at any point greater than two feet below the adjacent ground or deck elevation; used or intended to be used solely by the owner, operator, or lessee thereof and his family and invitees; and including all structural facilities, appliances, appurtenances, equipment, and other items intended to be used for the operation and maintenance of the swimming pool. Includes hot tubs, spas, and any other structure meeting the above definition. A swimming pool does not include any pool that is designed to be readily and/or seasonally disassembled, stored, and reassembled to its original integrity, provided that pool wall height does not exceed 48 inches.
TEMPORARY USE
A land use or activity that is present on a property for a limited and specified period of time, subject to applicable requirements of this chapter.
TOWER
The monopole or freestanding structure on which a cellular communication device, wind turbine, and accessory equipment are mounted, or a water or guard tower.
TRELLIS
A frame of latticework used as a screen or as a support for climbing plants.
UNIFIED BUSINESS CENTER
Any unified nonresidential or mixed-use development that consists of two or more separated, individual business spaces within one or more principal buildings and separate business entrances and support facilities, or a collection of principal buildings and businesses on separate lots or building pads developed as a unified project, including multitenant and multibuilding shopping centers.
UNNECESSARY HARDSHIP
The circumstance where special conditions affecting a particular property, which were not self-created, have made strict conformity with restrictions governing areas, setbacks, frontage, height, or density unnecessarily burdensome or unreasonable in light of the purposes of this chapter.
USE
The purpose or activity for which land or any building thereon is designed, arranged, or intended, or for which it is occupied or maintained.
VARIANCE
Permission granted by the Board of Appeals to depart from the literal requirements of this chapter pursuant to § 225-8-7.
VARIANCE, AREA
A modification by the Board of Appeals to a dimensional, physical, or locational requirement such as a setback, frontage, height, bulk, or density restriction for a structure.
VARIANCE, USE
An authorization by the Board of Appeals for the use of land for a purpose that is otherwise not allowed or is prohibited by the applicable zoning ordinance.
VILLAGE
The Village of Maple Bluff, Wisconsin.
VILLAGE BOARD
The Board of Trustees of the Village.
WALKOUT BASEMENT
Any basement that may be accessed, in whole or in part, by a door no less than six feet in height, whether primarily designed for pedestrian or vehicular access.
WALL
A linear solid structure or portion of a structure, other than a fence, intended to enclose, screen, separate, delineate, mark, or define one area from another.
WETLAND
An area where water is at, near, or above the land surface long enough to be capable of supporting aquatic or hydrophytic vegetation and which has soils indicative of wet conditions.
WINDOW
An opening in the wall or roof of a building that is fitted with glass or other transparent material in a frame to admit light or air and allow people to see out. For purposes of this chapter, each window unit that can be separately installed from another window unit is considered a separate window.
WORKING DAYS
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday; excluding holidays recognized by the Village.
WRITTEN APPROVAL
An approval reflected in a written letter, email, meeting minutes, resolution, ordinance, or other means of written, legible, and easily traceable communication (not a text or SMS message).
YARD
The land area on a lot or parcel that is unoccupied by a principal building, generally in open space but may also include accessory structures, driveways, and other improvements allowed under this chapter. Front, street side, interior side, and rear yards are as defined herein, except where otherwise approved in writing by the Zoning Administrator based on circumstances that are unique to the site. See Figure 225.2.4 for an illustration of different yards.
YARD, FRONT
The yard between the side lot or parcel lines extending from the front lot or parcel line to the principal building, excluding the street side yard where present. For corner lots and other lots with more than one line abutting a public street, the yard on which the property is addressed is the front yard.
YARD, INTERIOR SIDE
The yard between the front yard and rear yard extending from an interior (non-street) side lot or parcel line to the principal building on that lot or parcel.
YARD, REAR
The yard between the side lot lines extending from the rear lot or parcel line to the principal building on the lot or parcel, excluding the street side yard where present. For corner lots and other lots with more than one line abutting a public street, the rear yard is opposite from the front yard.
YARD, STREET SIDE
For corner lots, the land area between the front and rear lot lines extending from a street side lot line to the principal building on the lot.
ZERO LOT LINE STRUCTURE
A building that is built over a lot line, where walls separating occupancy units follow lot lines, such as a zero lot line duplex or townhouse or series of zero lot line commercial occupancies in a single commercial building.
ZONING ADMINISTRATOR
The person authorized and charged by the Village Board with the administration of this chapter, except where otherwise indicated. In the event the Zoning Administrator is temporarily unable to fulfil this charge, the Zoning Administrator or the Village Board may temporarily assign such responsibility to another individual.
ZONING DISTRICT
A designation for a portion of the community designated for certain types of land uses and/or with certain standards for land development that are different than other portions.
ZONING MAP
The map adopted and designated by the Village as being the "Zoning Map" that includes all lands within the Village municipal limits, and that visually represents the location of zoning districts and certain minimum setbacks under this chapter. The Zoning Map may be comprised of a single map, or of more than one map (e.g., one map indicating zoning districts, the second map indicating setbacks). The Zoning Map is maintained in and by the office of the Zoning Administrator.