The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning.

Words and phrases not defined in this section but defined in the state building code and this chapter shall have the meanings given in the state building code, unless a contrary intention clearly appears.

Accessory: A use customarily incidental to, and on the same lot or group of lots as a conforming principal use, and as referred to in this chapter also means a use which does not alter or impair the character of the premises on which it is located or of the neighborhood.

Accessory dwelling unit: A self-contained housing unit, inclusive of sleeping, cooking and sanitary facilities on the same lot as a principal dwelling, subject to otherwise applicable dimensional and parking requirements, as further defined in M.G.L.A. c. 40A, § 1A.

Accessory office: The use of a room or rooms in a dwelling by a person resident in the dwelling for an office or studio, and as referred to in this chapter also means a use in which not more than one nonresident is employed and no goods are publicly displayed or offered for sale.

Accessory structure: Any structure which is incidental and subordinate to the principal structure, but which is located on the same lot as the principal structure. Shall include carports, ground-mounted solar panels and swimming pools.

Adult use: An adult bookstore, video, or motion picture theatre.

Adult bookstore: An establishment having as a substantial or significant portion of its stock in trade, books, magazines, and other matter which are distinguished or characterized by their emphasis depicting, describing, or relating to sexual conduct or sexual excitement as defined in M.G.L.A. c. 172, § 31.

Adult motion picture theater: An enclosed building used for presenting material distinguished by an emphasis on matter depicting, describing, or relating to sexual conduct or sexual excitement as defined in M.G.L.A. c. 172, § 31.

Affordable housing: Housing units set aside exclusively for low or moderate income renters or buyers, that remain affordable through long term restrictions.

Agriculture, exempt: As set forth in M.G.L.A. c. 40A, § 3, use of land for the primary purpose of commercial agriculture, aquaculture, silviculture, horticulture, floriculture or viticulture, including those facilities for the sale of produce, wine and dairy products, provided that either during the months of June, July, August and September of each year or during the harvest season of the primary crop raised on land of the owner or lessee, 25 percent of such products for sale, based on either gross sales dollars or volume, have been produced by the owner or lessee of the land on which the facility is located, or at least 25 percent of such products for sale, based on either gross annual sales or annual volume, have been produced by the owner or lessee of the land on which the facility is located and at least an additional 50 percent of such products for sale, based upon either gross annual sales or annual volume, have been produced in Massachusetts on land other than that on which the facility is located, used for the primary purpose of commercial agriculture, aquaculture, silviculture, horticulture, floriculture or viticulture, whether by the owner or lessee of the land on which the facility is located or by another, except that all such activities may be limited to parcels of five acres or more or to parcels two acres or more if the sale of products produced from the agriculture, aquaculture, silviculture, horticulture, floriculture or viticulture use on the parcel annually generates at least $1,000.00 per acre based on gross sales dollars in area not zoned for agriculture, aquaculture, silviculture, horticulture, floriculture or viticulture. For such purposes, land divided by a public or private way or a waterway shall be construed as one parcel.

Body art: The practice of physical body adornment by permitted establishments and practitioners using, but limited to the following techniques: body piercing, tattooing, cosmetic tattooing, branding, and scarification. This definition does not include the act of piercing the lobe of one's ear.

Body art establishment: A specifically identified individual who has been granted a permit by the board of health to perform body art in an establishment that has been granted a permit by the board of health. Body art establishments shall not be located less than 2,000 feet from the nearest lot line of another body art establishment.

Brewery: An establishment primarily engaged in the production and distribution of beer, ale, or other malt beverages, which may include accessory uses such as tours of the brewery, retail sales, and/or on-site consumption of their products, e.g., a "taproom" or "tasting room". This facility shall hold the appropriate Commonwealth of Massachusetts brewery license as well as any required pouring license approved by the local licensing authority. This facility may host marketing events, special events, and brewery tours. The facility may only sell beverages produced by, and commercial goods branded by, the brewery. The facility may also provide food that is produced on-site, produced off-site, or produced with food trucks that are located on-site.

Barrel: A container, usually cylindrical in nature used for the storage of a malt beverage with a capacity of not more than 31 gallons.

Tasting room/taproom: A room attached to a brewery that allows patrons to sample or consume beer, ale or other malt beverages that are produced on-site in accordance with M.G.L.A. c. 138.

Buffer strip: Either a continuous landscaped area at least five feet in width containing a screen of plantings which are not less than three feet in width, nor more than three feet on centers and which, so as to maintain a dense year round screen, contains plantings at least 50 percent of which are evergreens or a wall or fence of uniform appearance all modules of which are at least 50 percent opaque when viewed in elevation.

Building: A combination of any materials, whether portable or fixed, having a roof, to form a structure for the shelter of persons, animals or property. For the purpose of this definition "roof" shall include an awning or any similar covering, whether or not permanent in nature. The word "building" shall be construed where the context allows as though followed by the words "or part or parts thereof."

Building, accessory: A building devoted exclusively to a use accessory to the principal use of the lot.

Building, attached: A principal building separated from another principal building on one or both sides either by a vertical party wall or walls or by a solid contiguous wall or walls without any side yards.

Building, detached: A principal building which is substantially separated by yards or courts from any other principal structure.

Building, principal: Any building devoted to a principal use or, for determining the dimensional requirements of this chapter in the case of an open principal use, the area of any building and of the lot devoted to such principal use exclusive of parking, loading, and access drives.

Child care center: A child care center, as that term is defined in M.G.L.A. c. 15D, § 1A.

Club or lodge, private nonprofit: A building or portion thereof or an area which is used to meet the social and recreational needs of a nonprofit group or organization to which membership is required, with or without the sale of alcoholic beverages.

Community center or adult educational center, public or nonprofit: A facility operated by a religious, nonprofit or municipal organization primarily to provide public facilities for meetings, classes, teen centers and similar uses. A community center may include artists' space and offices for nonprofit organizations if such uses are clearly secondary to the primary use of the building and do not include any residential or overnight components.

Consumer service business: Activities primarily serving families and individuals as distinguished from businesses or industries, including without limiting the generality of the foregoing the following: Barber, beauty shop, laundry and dry-cleaning pickup agency, shoe repair, self-service laundry or other similar use; hand laundry, dry cleaning or tailoring, or other similar use, provided personnel limited to five persons at any one time; printing shop, photographers studio, caterer, or other similar use where personnel is limited to five persons at any one time.

Court: An open, uncovered, unoccupied space other than a yard, on the same lot with a multiple dwelling or group of multiple dwellings, and which is bounded on two or more sides by such dwelling or dwellings.

Court, inner: A court enclosed on all sides by exterior faces of a building or group of buildings or by exterior faces and freestanding walls of over five feet in height.

Court, outer: A court that is open on at least one side either to a street or a yard to an extent not less than 75 percent of the mean magnitude of that dimension for the whole court.

Coverage of lot: The percent of the total lot area occupied by the principal structure exclusive of unenclosed porches and bay windows.

Dormitory: A building designed for or occupied as a residence for students or staff, owned by or under the supervision of an institution, or an educational use which is not operated as a gainful business.

Dwelling, multiple: A building or structure designed for or containing three or more dwelling units; or a building or structure designed for or containing one or more dwelling units in addition to a nonresidential use, but not including a group of three or more attached single-family dwellings, a lodging house, a hotel or motel, a dormitory, fraternity or sorority house.

Class A: Not over three stories in height.

Class B: Not over 75 feet or six stories in height.

Dwelling, single-family, attached: An attached residential building intended and designed to contain or containing one dwelling unit.

Dwelling, single-family, detached: A detached residential building intended and designed to contain or containing one dwelling unit.

Dwelling, two-family: A detached residential building intended and designed to contain to containing two dwelling units.

Dwelling unit: Dwelling unit means a room or group of rooms forming a habitable unit for one family with facilities used or intended to be used for living, sleeping, cooking, sanitation, and eating.

Eating place: A use including but not limited to lunch room, restaurant, cafeteria, place for the sale and consumption of food, beverages, ice cream, and the like, and as referred to in this chapter also means a use primarily in an enclosed structure, with no dancing, nor entertainment other than music.

Eating place, drive through: An eating place in which the business transacted is conducted by a customer from within his automobile or in which consumption by a customer of goods sold normally takes place within the customer's automobile on the premises of the establishment.

Family child care home: An accessory use as defined by M.G.L.A. c. 15D, § 1A.

Family child care home, large: An accessory use as defined by M.G.L.A. c. 15D, § 1A.

Fraternity or sorority house: A dormitory in which, during the academic year, membership in a fraternity or sorority is required as a condition to residence.

Greenhouse, tool shed, or similar noncommercial accessory structure: Storage structure for garden equipment, swimming pool, tools, and the like.

Gross floor area: The sum of areas of the several floors of buildings including areas used for human occupancy in basements, attics, and penthouses, as measured from the exterior faces of the walls, not including cellars, unenclosed porches, or attics, or any floor space in accessory buildings or in the principal building intended and designed for the parking or loading of motor vehicles in order to meet the requirements of this chapter, or any such floor space intended and designed for accessory heating and ventilating equipment. If the principal use of a lot is an open use the area of any building and of the lot devoted to such use exclusive of parking, loading, and access drives shall be considered to be the gross floor area for the purpose of calculating parking and loading requirements.

Height: The vertical distance between the mean level of the established grade and the mean of the vertical distance between the ceiling joists and ridge of the roof, or the highest point of the roof in the case of a flat roof. The mean level of the established grade is the arithmetic average of the lowest and highest curb grades between the points where the side lot lines extended intersect the line of the nearest curb on streets where the lot has frontage. If a lot has discontinuous frontage on two streets so that different established grades might be determined, the higher grade may only be used within 100 feet of the street line abutting the higher street. The mean level of the established grade of courts may be taken as the elevation of the lowest floor facing on the court.

High-frequency transit: Service that takes place more than three times per hour in the same direction during its peak daytime schedule. Distance from transit shall be measured along reasonable pedestrian routes using public rights of way. The term may apply to existing fixed-route service using buses or existing and planned rail service within five years.

Home occupation: An accessory use which by custom has been carried on entirely within a dwelling unit, and is incidental and subordinate to the dwelling us. In connection with such use, there shall be no retail sale of merchandise on the premises.

Hospital, nonprofit: A building providing 24-hour in-patient services for the diagnosis, treatment or other care of human ailments including, where appropriate, a long term care facility.

Hotel or motel: A building or group of buildings which may or may not contain a public dining room and which is designed or used for shelter to transient residents or guests.

Household: All the people who occupy a single housing unit, regardless of their relationship to one another.

Keeping or raising of livestock, including animal stable and kennel: Facility for keeping three or more animals, three months old or older, on a single premises, whether maintained for breeding, boarding, sale, training, hunting or other purposes and including any shop where animals are customarily kept for sale, but this definition shall not include any business that meets the definition of dog daycare.

Lodger: A person who occupies space of living and sleeping purposes without separate cooking facilities, paying rent (whether in money or services) which may include an allowance for meals; and who is not a member of the housekeeping unit.

Lodging house: A dwelling in which living space, without individual kitchens and with or without kitchen privileges, is designed, occupied, or intended for occupancy by, or let for compensation to five or more lodgers, including a rooming house or boarding house, but not including a senior housing facility, hotel or motel, dormitory, fraternity or sorority house, or other building of an institutional or educational use.

Lot: A parcel of land laid out by plan or deed duly recorded, used or set aside and available for use as the site of one or more buildings and buildings accessory thereto or for any other definite purpose, in one ownership with definite boundaries and not divided by a street, nor including any land within the limits of a public or private way upon which such lot abuts, even if the fee to such way is in the owner of the lot.

Lot area: The horizontal area of the lot exclusive of any area in a public or private way.

Lot, corner: A lot situated at the junction of two streets that meet in such a way that the angle between their centerlines in the sector occupied by the lot is less than 135 degrees.

Lot depth: The unbroken horizontal distance on a lot measured from the street line on which the lot has frontage.

Lot, frontage: The required length of the street line of a street abutting the lot in question over which pedestrians and automobiles have legal and easy physical access on to that lot. The end of streets without a turning circle shall not be considered frontage.

Lot line: Any boundary of a lot.

Lot line, front: A lot line along which the lot has frontage. Only one lot line may be designated as a front lot line. If the lot has frontage on two or more sides, then among those, the lot line most nearly parallel and closest to the front of the structure shall be the front lot line.

Lot line, rear: The boundary of a lot which is opposite or farthest from a front lot line.

Lot line, side: Any boundary of a lot which is not a front lot line or a rear lot line.

Lot width: The unbroken horizontal distance on a lot measured perpendicular to and at all points on the required depth. Within the required front yard, the required frontage may be substituted for the width.

Mobile home: A dwelling unit built on a chassis and containing complete electrical, plumbing, and sanitary facilities, and designed to be installed on a temporary or permanent foundation for living quarters.

Mortuary, undertaking, or funeral establishment: A building or part thereof used for human funeral services. Such building may contain space and facilities for (a) embalming and the performance of other services necessary for the preparation of the dead for burial; (b) the performance of autopsies and other surgical procedures; (c) the storage of caskets, funeral urns, and other related funeral supplies; (d) the storage of funeral vehicles; (e) facilities for cremation; and (f) the living quarters of an individual whose bona fide occupation is in the funeral establishment.

Motor freight terminal: A structure or area where freight brought by truck or rail is stored for routing and reshipment.

Motor vehicle hourly rental station: A facility at which, by contract, motor vehicles are made available for rent for a period not longer than 24 hours.

Motor vehicle light service station: A building or premises used for the dispensing, sales or offering for sale of motor fuels directly to users of motor vehicles. Other sales activities and any repairs shall be activities minor in scope and clearly subordinate to the sale of motor fuels, oils and lubricants. No drive-through facilities are permitted without further zoning relief.

Motor vehicle repair: A building or use which is designed or intended to be used for the storage, servicing, repair, maintenance, or cleaning of motor vehicle equipment.

Motor vehicle sales or leasing: Premises for the sale or lease of used or new motor vehicles, including supplying of fuel, oil, lubrication, washing, or repair services, but not to include body work or painting.

Motor vehicle sales under class II license: Sale of second hand or used motor vehicles pursuant to M.G.L.A. c. 140, § 58.

Moving of land: Excavation, receipt, storage, or removal of sod, loam, sand, gravel or rock as a principal use or activity unrelated to any construction. Excavation for the purpose of human interment and receipt of less than 30 cubic yards of loam for landscaping purposes shall not be considered to fall within this definition.

Nonconforming structure: A structure that does not conform to the dimensional, accessory building, sign, parking, or loading regulations of this chapter, or which was not designed to conform to a use regulation prescribed by this chapter for the district in which it is located; but which was in existence at the time the regulation became effective and was permitted at the time the structure was built.

Nonconforming use: A use of a building or lot that does not conform to a use regulation prescribed by this chapter for the district in which it is located, but which was in existence at the time the use regulation became effective and was permitted at the time the use was established.

Occupied: Shall include the words "designed, arranged, or intended to be occupied".

Office, business, professional or government, large: An office greater in height than the maximum otherwise allowed in the district, but not greater than 125 feet in height.

Office, business, professional, or government: An office for the conduct of business by a professional such as an attorney or accountant, realtor, financial advisor, or the like, or a governmental office.

Office, medical: An office or clinic for the medical or dental examination or treatment of persons or animals as outpatients, including laboratories incidental thereto.

Open space: Total lot area minus the first floor area of any building plus such roof and balcony spaces that are flat, enclosed by walls at least four feet in height and that have walls and floors of an opaque material.

Open space, landscaped: Open space designed and planted for pleasant appearance with trees, shrubs, ground cover and grass; including other landscaped elements such as natural features of the site, walks and terraces. Such space may not include lot area used for parking, loading, access drives, other hard surfaced areas or usable open space.

Open space, usable: Open space designed and available for the occupants of the lot for recreation or household service activities, such as clothes drying. Such space may not include lot area used for parking, loading, or access drives. Open space shall be deemed usable only if all of the following conditions apply: At least 75 percent of the area is at a grade of less than eight percent; each horizontal dimension is at least 15 feet, except for balcony space; such space is at least ten feet from any dwelling unit, except for space which is for the exclusive use of that dwelling unit, and at least ten feet from any lot line; such space is at least 75 percent open to the sky, except for balcony space.

Open storage: Uncovered storage of building materials or other materials, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing: lumber, cement, electrical, heating, plumbing, refrigeration, roofing supplies, tools, ladders, plows, containers, and other equipment. The term "open storage" shall include uncovered storage of motor vehicles or trailers not in regular use by the property owner or occupant.

Paranormal service and sales: Business engaged in providing services or sales which relate, in any way, to fortune telling, palmistry, card reading, astrology, phrenology, parapsychology, paranormal phenomena, precognition, prediction of future events by use of tarot cards or the like, telekinesis, psychic ability, horoscopes or any similar services or sales.

Parking garage or parking area, nonresidential: A building, structure, lot or part of a lot designed or used for shelter or storage, but not dismantling or repair of noncommercial motor vehicles, and commercial motor vehicles enclosed by panels and not in excess of three-quarter ton capacity, used by the occupants or users of a lot devoted to a use or uses permitted in a residential district, and in which space is rented for casual or transient parkers.

Parking garage or parking area, residential: A building, structure, lot or part of a lot designed or used for shelter or storage, but not dismantling or repair of noncommercial motor vehicles, and commercial motor vehicles enclosed by panels and not in excess of three-quarter ton capacity, used by the occupants or users of a lot devoted to a use or uses permitted in a residential district, and in which no space is rented for casual or transient parkers.

Permit granting authority: The board of appeals.

Permit granting authority, special: Shall include the city council, the community development board, and the board of appeals, as designated by the chapter.

Radio and television tower: A tower for the electronic transmission of entertainment and information for the general public by public and commercial radio and television stations. This use shall include appurtenant devices such as monitoring systems, ground radial systems, guy cables, supports and control systems. This use does not include private radio stations or citizens band stations.

Recreational use: The use of any site or indoor or outdoor facility for the purpose of play, diversion, amusement, or physical fitness which is primarily for other than residents of the premises, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing a park, playground, beach, swimming pool, marina, bowling alley, theater, and concert hall, and as referred to in this chapter also means a use in which no outdoor area designed for active use is located within any required yard and in which all activities, both indoor and outdoor are so arranged and sound-insulated so as to protect the neighborhood from inappropriate light and noise in any season.

Research and testing laboratory: Those facilities used primarily for research, development and/or testing of innovative information, concepts, methods, processes, materials, or products. This can include the design, development, and testing of biological, chemical, electrical, magnetic, mechanical, and/or optical components in advance of product manufacturing. The accessory development, fabrication, and light manufacturing of prototypes, or specialized machinery and devices integral to research or testing may be associated with these uses, but excluding laboratories categorized as Level 3 or 4 by the National Institutes for Health.

Retail sales: A store with more than 15,001 square feet of gross floor area, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, a grocer, baker, food store, package store, dry goods, variety, clothing, hardware, paint, household goods, furniture, books, tobacco, flowers, drugs, and general merchandise.

Retail sales, convenience: Retail sales in a building with 2,501 to 5,000 square feet of gross floor area.

Retail sales, neighborhood: Retail sales in a building with 0 to 2,500 square feet of gross floor area.

Scenic view points: Site lines of scenic, historic, environmental and natural or man-made resources as designated from time to time and filed by the board of appeals as being of particular importance to the preservation of the distinguishing physical and visual characteristics of the city. From time to time, the board of appeals may file a then current list of scenic view points with the zoning enforcement officer.

School aged child care program: A school aged child care program, as that term is defined in M.G.L.A. c. 15D, § 1A.

Senior housing: The following definitions shall apply in section 94-8.3:

Assisted living facility: A residential development subject to certification by the Executive Office of Elder Affairs under M.G.L.A. c. 19D and 651 CMR 12.00.

Continuing care facility: A facility regulated by M.G.L.A. c. 93, § 76.

Independent living facility: A facility providing apartments for rent, with optional services on the site for the convenience of residents, including but not limited to transportation, barber/beauty services, sundries for personal consumption, laundry services and other amenities, provided such uses serve primarily the residents and staff of the facility.

Long term care facility: A facility, including a convalescent or nursing home, rest home, infirmary maintained in towns, and charitable homes for the aged, as defined and regulated in 105 CMR 150.001.

Senior housing: Housing for persons over the age of 55 subject to the Senior Housing Laws, as defined herein.

Senior housing facility: An assisted living facility, continuing care facility, independent living facility, or long term care facility, whether operated as a free-standing facility or in combination with another type of facility on the same lot or adjacent lot in common control.

Senior housing laws: Collectively and separately, the Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. Section 3607(b), 24 C.F.R. Subtitle B, Ch. 1, Section 100.300 et seq. and M.G.L.A. c. 151B, § 4.

Short term rentals: The following definitions shall apply with regard to section 94-8.4:

Booking agent: Any person or entity that facilitates reservations of or collects payment for a short term rental on behalf of or for an operator.

Commissioner: The Building Commissioner for the City of Medford, or his or her designee.

Operator: A natural person who is the owner, or lessee of the owner, of a residential unit that seeks to offer said residential unit as a short term rental.

Primary residence: A residential unit in which an operator resides for at least nine months out of a 12-month period. Primary residence shall be demonstrated by showing that as of the date of usage as a short term rental, the operator has resided in said residential unit for nine of the past 12 months or that the operator intends to reside in the residential unit for nine of the next 12 months, in accordance with the proof of primary residence requirements set forth below.

Proof of primary residence: A copy of the deed (if owner) or lease (if tenant), driver's license or state issued identification, as well as one other document showing residency at the residential unit for the short term rental, such as utility bill, cable bill, or motor vehicle registration.

Residential unit: A dwelling unit within a dwelling classified under the Building Code ("Code") as residential use, as those terms are defined in the Code, but excluding: a congregate living complex, elderly housing, group residence, homeless shelter, orphanage, temporary dwelling structure, and transitional housing. This term shall not include a hotel, motel or any other non-residential use.

Short term rental: The rental of a residential unit for its intended purpose, in exchange for payment as residential accommodations for a duration of not more than 30 consecutive days. Such a rental may or may not be facilitated through the use of a booking agent.

Solar energy system: A system designed for the collection, storage and distribution of solar energy for space heating or cooling, electricity generating, or water heating, as further defined in M.G.L.A. c. 40A, § 1A.

Special permit: Permission to make use of land or to erect and maintain buildings or other structures thereon in specified instances after application for a special permit for an exception and the granting thereof by the city council or board of appeals in accordance with the provisions of this chapter and M.G.L.A. c. 40A.

Story, half: A story used or designed to be used for human occupancy that has a floor area measured seven feet vertically from the floor of not than one-half the area of he floor next below.

Street line: The boundary separating a lot from the street on which it abuts.

Structure: A combination of materials assembled or maintained at a location on a lot above or below ground to give support or shelter, including without limiting the generality of the foregoing, a bin, bridge, building, fence, flagpole, framework, platform, retaining wall, reviewing stand, sign, stadium, swimming pool, tank, tent, tower, trailer without wheels, trestle, or tunnel. The word "structure" shall be construed, where the context allows, as though followed by the words "or part thereof."

Trade shop: Shop of a carpenter, plumber, electrician, roofer, or similar trade.

Use: Any activity, occupation, business or operation carried on, or intended to be carried on, in a structure or on a tract of land.

Use, principal: The main use on a lot.

Visibility space, corner: On a corner lot the space between a plane tow and one-half feet above curb level and a plane seven feet above curb level and within the triangular area bounded on two sides by the two outer lines or exposed edges of the curbs, or by projection of such lines to their point of intersection, and on the third side by a straight line connecting points on such curb lines (or their projections) each of which is 35 feet distant from the point of intersection of the two curb lines or their projections.

Wholesale: The sale of goods in large quantity, for the purpose of resale and completely enclosed in a building. Such uses shall not include the sale or transfer of flammable liquids, gas, explosives or other potentially hazardous materials.

Wireless telecommunications facility (WTF): As used in section 94-7.7, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated below:

Antenna: The surface from which wireless radio signals are sent and received by a WTF, including but not limited to, cross-polarized or dual-polarized antenna, omnidirectional (whip) antenna, and panel antenna.

Camouflaged: A WTF that is disguised, hidden, or is part of an existing or proposed structure in a visually unobtrusive manner is considered "camouflaged".

Carrier: A company that provides WTF services.

Co-location: The use of a single mount on the ground by more than one carrier (vertical Co-location) and/or several mounts on a building by more than one carrier.

Concealed: A WTF contained wholly within an existing structure and not visible from outside such structure.

Cross-polarized or dual-polarized antenna: A low mount that has three panels flush mounted or attached very close to the shaft.

Elevation: The measurement of height above mean sea level, based upon United States Geological Survey (USGS) National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929.

Environmental assessment (EA): Document required by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) when a WTF is placed in certain designated areas.

Equipment shelter: An enclosed structure, cabinet, shed or box at the base of the mount within which are housed batteries and electrical equipment.

Functionally equivalent services: Cellular, personal communications services (PCS), enhanced specialized mobile radio, specialized mobile radio and paging.

Guyed tower: A lattice tower that is tied to the ground or other surface by diagonal cables.

Height: The height of a WTF is the vertical distance measured from the highest point of the facility to the base of the facility; as to a ground-mounted facility, the "base of the facility" shall be at the point of its intersection with the ground; as to a roof-mounted facility, the "base of the facility" shall be at the point of its installation of the roof.

Lattice tower: A type of mount that is self-supporting with multiple legs and cross bracing of structural steel.

Licensed carrier: Company authorized by the FCC to construct and operate a commercial mobile radio service system.

Monopole: Type of mount that is self-supporting with a single shaft of wood, steel or concrete and a platform (or racks) for antennas.

Mount: The structure or surface upon which antennas are mounted, including the following four types of mounts: (1) roof-mounted: mounted on the roof of a building; (2) side-mounted: mounted on the side of a building; (3) ground-mounted: mounted on the ground; (4) structure-mounted: mounted on a structure other than a building.

Omnidirectional (whip) antenna: A thin rod that beams and receives a signal in all directions.

Panel antenna: A flat surface antenna, usually developed in multiples.

Personal communications services (PCS): Broadband radiowave systems that operate at radiofrequencies authorized by the Federal Communications Act of 1996, as amended (the "Telecommunications Act").

Personal wireless services: Wireless telecommunications services regulated by the Federal Communications Commission ("FCC") and defined as "Personal Wireless Services" in Section 704 or other sections of the Telecommunications Act; by way of example, but not limitation, commercial mobile radio services, unlicensed wireless services, and common carrier wireless exchange access services.

Radiofrequency (RF) engineer: An engineer specializing in electric or microwave engineering, especially the study of radiofrequencies.

Radiofrequency radiation (RFR): The emissions from WTFs.

Scenic view points: Site lines of scenic, historic, environmental and natural or man-made resources as designated from time to time filed by the board of appeals as being of particular importance to the preservation of the character and appearance of the city. From time to time, the board of appeals may file a then current list of scenic view points with the zoning enforcement officer.

Security barrier: A locked, impenetrable wall, fence or berm that completely seals an area from unauthorized entry or trespass.

SPGA: The zoning board of appeals.

Utility: A system of wires or conductors and supporting structures that functions in the transmission of electrical energy or communication services (both audio and video) between generating stations, sub-stations, and transmission lines or other utility services.

Wireless telecommunications facility (WTF): Facility for the provision of personal wireless services. Such facilities may, by way of example, include, but are not limited to, transmitting and receiving equipment; towers; poles; antennas; antenna structures and supports; and other equipment, equipment shelter, structures and installations accessory to such facilities. In section 94-7.7, sometimes referred to as "facility".

Yard: An open, uncovered space on the same lot with a building.

Yard, front: The yard lying between the front lot line and the principal structure and bounded by the side lot lines. The minimum front yard is measured horizontally between the nearest point of the principal structure and the front lot line.

Yard, rear: The yard lying between the rear of the principal structure and the rear lot line and bounded by the side lot lines. The minimum rear yard is measured horizontally between the nearest point of the principal structure and the rear lot line.

Yard, side: The yard lying between the side of the principal structure and the side lot line, and bounded by the front and rear yards. The minimum side yard is measured horizontally between the nearest point of the principal structure and the nearest adjacent side lot line.