Abutting means the property directly touches another piece of property.

Accessory dwelling unit means a dwelling that exists as part of a principal dwelling or on the same lot as the principal dwelling and is subordinate in size to the principal dwelling.

Accessory use or structure means a use or structure on the same lot with and of a nature customarily incidental and subordinate to the principal use or structure.

Adjacent - see Abutting.

Administrative/commission/council relief means the ability for staff, planning commission or parish council to waive specified design and dimensional standards for lots and buildings on the basis of neighborhood norm.

Adult day care means a facility, operated for profit or not, in which care basic services are provided through its ownership or management for part of a day to three (3) or more persons who are eighteen (18) years of age or older, not related to the owner or operator by blood or marriage, and who require such services.

Adult oriented establishment includes, but is not limited to, an adult bookstore, adult motion picture theater, adult mini-motion picture establishment, adult cabaret, escort agency, sexual encounter center, adult massage parlor or rap parlor; further, "adult entertainment establishment" means any premises to which the public patrons or members are invited or admitted and that are so physically arranged as to provide booths, cubicles, rooms, compartments or stalls separate from the common areas of the premises for the purpose of viewing adult-oriented motion pictures, or wherein an entertainer provides adult entertainment to a member of the public, a patron or a member, when such adult entertainment is held, conducted, operated or maintained for a profit, direct or indirect. "Adult entertainment establishment" further includes, without being limited to, any adult entertainment studio or any premises that is physically arranged and used as such, whether advertised or represented as an adult entertainment studio, rap studio, exotic dance studio, encounter studio, sensitivity studio, model studio, escort service, escort or any other term of like import.

Adult bookstore means a business that offers, as its principal or predominate stock or trade, sexually oriented material, devices, or paraphernalia, whether determined by the total number of sexually oriented materials, devices or paraphernalia offered for sale or by the retail value of such materials, devices or paraphernalia, specified sexual activities, or any combination or form thereof, whether printed, filmed, recorded or live, and that restricts or purports to restrict admission to adults or to any class of adults. The definition specifically includes items sexually oriented in nature, regardless of how labeled or sold, such as adult novelties, risqué gifts or marital aids.

Adult cabaret means an establishment that features as a principal use of its business, entertainers, waiters, or bartenders who expose to public view of the patrons within such establishment, at any time, the bare female breast below a point immediately above the top of the areola, human genitals, pubic region, or buttocks, even if partially covered by opaque material or completely covered by translucent material, including swim suits, lingerie, or latex covering. "Adult cabaret" includes a commercial establishment that features entertainment of an erotic nature, including exotic dancers, strippers, male or female impersonators, or similar entertainers.

Adult entertainment means any exhibition of any adult-oriented motion picture, live performance, display or dance of any type, that has as a principal or predominant theme, emphasis, or portion of such performance, any actual or simulated performance of specified sexual activities or exhibition and viewing of specified anatomical areas, removal of articles of clothing or appearing unclothed, pantomime, modeling, or any other personal service offered customers.

Adult massage parlor means an establishment or place primarily in the business of providing massage or tanning services where one or more of the employees exposes to public view of the patrons within such establishment, at any time, the bare female breast below a point immediately above the top of the areola, human genitals, pubic region, or buttocks, even if partially covered by opaque material or completely covered by translucent material.

Adult mini-motion picture theater means an enclosed building with a capacity of fewer than fifty (50) persons regularly used for presenting material distinguished or characterized by an emphasis on matter depicting, describing or relating to specified sexual activities or specified anatomical areas as defined in this chapter, for observation by patrons in the building.

Adult motion picture theater means a building with a capacity of fifty (50) or more persons regularly used for presenting material having as a dominant theme or presenting material distinguished or characterized by an emphasis on matter depicting, describing or relating to specified sexual activities or specified anatomical areas as defined in this chapter, for observation by patrons in the building.

Affiliate means an entity owned, controlled or under common control by a group or person, with a common registered agent.

Animal boarding means a use of land for boarding, selling, training or breeding cats or dogs for compensation, or the keeping of more than twelve (12) dogs or cats in combination for any purpose.

Animal shelter means a structure that is owned, operated or maintained by a public body, established humane society or other private or nonprofit organization used for the care of lost, abandoned or neglected pets.

Antenna means a device which is attached to a wireless communication tower or other structure for the express function of transmission and receiving radio signals.

Assisted living facility means any group housing and services program for two (2) or more unrelated adults, by whatever name it is called, that makes available, at a minimum, one meal a day and housekeeping services and provides personal care services directly or through a formal written agreement with one or more licensed home care or hospice agencies.

Bed and breakfast means a transient accommodation that is a house, or portion of a house, where lodging rooms and meals are provided.

Borrow pit means any place or premises where dirt, soil, sand, gravel, or other material is removed by excavation or otherwise, below the grade of surrounding land, for any purpose other than mining operations such as gold, silver, coal, etc., and, that are necessary and incidental to grading or to building construction on the premises.

Buildable area means the area of a lot remaining after the minimum yard and open space requirements have been met.

Building means any structure designed or built for the support, enclosure, shelter, or protection of persons, animals, chattels, or property of any kind; it includes any structure or any part of such structure when subdivided by division walls or party walls extending to or above the roof and without openings in such separate walls. The term "building" shall be construed as if followed by the words "or any part thereof."

Building coverage means the combined footprint area of accessory and principal buildings occupying a lot.

Camps means structures that are intended to provide shelter on a seasonal basis and accompany activities such as hunting, fishing or trapping.

Chief building official means the officer or other designated authority charged with the administration and enforcement of the Building Code.

Collocation means the attachment of more than one set of antenna to a single wireless communication tower and/or the attachment of an antenna or antennas on an existing wireless communication tower.

Common ownership means, the ownership of the adjacent tracts shall be considered common if any of the applicable apply:

a)

The tracts are owned by the same natural or juridical person or persons.

b)

When the tracts have multiple owners who are natural persons who are immediate family members, which include wife, husband, son, daughter, sibling, father, mother, father-in­ law, mother-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, including half-siblings, as well as the spouse of a sibling.

c)

When the tracts have multiple owners and one or more are juridical entities, and any of the juridical entities have any commonality of ownership or when any of the juridical entities have owners that are immediate family members of one another.

Conditional approval means an approval granted with specified conditions from the parish council to reasonably mitigate any adverse impacts resulting from the approval.

Design standard means a requirement specific to a site or buildings that must be satisfied under this article; can include, setbacks, height, lot dimensional and area standards, transparency, roof pitch and other features consistent with site and building design.

Dirt pit means a hole, shaft or cavity in the ground created or expanded with the intent to mine dirt or clay from the site for transport off site.

Drive-through, drive-in means an establishment that by design, physical facilities, service, or by packaging procedures encourages or permits customers to receive services, or obtain goods while remaining in their motor vehicles.

Dwelling means any building, which is designed and used exclusively for human habitation and other residential purposes.

Dwelling unit means a structure or portion of a structure that includes a sleeping area, bathroom, and food preparation area including a stove, oven or range top for one household.

Family means one or more person related by blood within two (2) generations and one degree of marriage living together and occupying a single dwelling with single culinary facilities or a group of not more than four (4) persons living together by mutual agreement and occupying a single dwelling with single culinary facility on a nonprofit cost-sharing basis.

Group home or community home means a home where not more than six (6) unrelated people in need of care, support or supervision can live together, often includes individuals with mental illness or disability.

Home occupation means an occupation carried on in a dwelling unit by a resident of the unit; provided that the use is limited in extent and incidental and secondary to the use of the dwelling unit for residential purposes and does not change the character of the dwelling unit.

Household means one or more persons occupying a single dwelling unit. No such household shall contain more than four (4) members not related by law, blood, adoption, marriage, or judicial order for foster care. A household consisting of individuals protected by the federal Fair Housing Act shall not contain more than six (6) persons.

Lot means a designated parcel, tract or area of land established by plat, subdivision or ordinance that is occupied or intended for occupancy by a use permitted in this article, including permitted and accessory buildings, required yard, and parking areas and having frontage on a publicly owned street.

Lot line means the lines bounding a lot.

Lot of record means a lot which exists as shown or described on a plat or deed or a parcel of land which became legally established by deed or act of sale as recorded in the office of the clerk of district court of the parish.

Lot width means the average horizontal distance between side lot lines.

Map amendment means any change to the parish's official zoning map.

Mobile home means a factory-built home on an integral chassis that is 1) built before June 15, 1976, and 2) not built to a uniform construction code. A mobile home is designed to be transported for installation or assembly at the building site.

Mobile home park means a property upon which four (4) or more mobile homes on a single tract and/or lot of land have been placed for the purpose of residential habitation, that is not a temporary agricultural worker housing park. Additionally, the placement of one or mobile homes for residential habitation on adjacent tracts or lots of land with common ownership such that the aggregate number of mobile homes on all adjacent tracts is four (4) or more, regardless of the density of mobile homes on the aggregate acreage, shall also be regulated as a mobile home park under this chapter. Any mobile home which is occupied as a personal residence by a person who is an owner or shares common ownership of the property upon which it is located shall not be counted toward the aggregate number of mobile homes required to constitute a mobile home park.

Neighborhood norm shall be defined as the predominant characteristic of an existing block or opposing block face, specific to each applicable dimensional and area standard. A singular non-conforming condition shall not provide the basis for satisfying neighborhood norm criteria.

Non-conforming lot means a lot which had lawful area, dimensions, and location prior to the adoption of this article but which fails to conform to the requirements of the zoning district in which it is located after adoption or amendment of this article.

Non-conforming structure means a lot which had lawful area, dimensions, and location prior to the adoption of this article but which fails to conform to the requirements of the zoning district in which it is located after adoption or amendment of this article.

Non-conforming use means any building or land lawfully used at the time of passage of this article, but which does not conform to the use regulations of the district in which it is located after adoption or amendment of this article.

Official zoning map means the adopted map and associated records indicating the zoning district applicable to parcels in Point Coupee Parish and any related conditions.

Parish council means an elected board of individuals residing in parish, elected by the public to legislate and/or consider the affairs of the parish.

Planned development district means a zoning district and approval process designed to accommodate alternative development outcomes that are not expressly authorized by this article but are consistent with the Point Coupee Parish Comprehensive Plan.

Planning director means the person appointed by the parish president to fulfill the responsibilities of the planning director established in this article or the director's designee.

Planning commission means the Point Coupee Parish planning commission as established in this article.

Pond means an artificially created confined body of water.

Principal building means the primary, dominant building on a site. A site can have multiple principal buildings.

Recreational vehicle (or RV) means a motorized or towable vehicle, sold in this state, that provides temporary living quarters for travel, recreation, and camping. For purposes of this chapter, a "recreational vehicle" includes a motor home, a travel trailer, a fifth-wheel travel trailer, a folding camper trailer, a slide-in truck camper, and a park model trailer.

Recreational vehicle (RV) park means a property upon which four (4) or more RV's on a single tract or lot of land have been placed for the purpose of parking, camping or temporary habitation. Additionally, the placement of one or more RV's for temporary habitation on adjacent tracts or lots of land with common ownership, regardless of the density of RV's on the aggregate acreage, shall also be regulated as a RV park under this chapter.

Shelter, wireless communication means a structure that houses equipment required to properly operate a wireless communication site.

Short-term rental means a full or partial unit containing one or more kitchens, one or more bathrooms, and one or more bedrooms that is rented to occupants for fewer than thirty (30) consecutive days per rental period.

Site, wireless communication means the location on the portion of any real property whereon telecommunications equipment, tower or other structure on which an antenna is located.

Site plan, major means development approval and supporting documents for new construction, substantial improvement and expansions of existing building footprint exceeding five thousand (5,000) square feet for all uses and building types excluding single-family residential and farm lot. Major site plans must be reviewed by both planning commission and parish council.

Site plan, minor means development approval and supporting documents for all new construction, renovations, and expansions that to not meet the thresholds for a major site plan; documents for development approval required prior to securing a building permit for developments other than a single-family residence, duplex or development requiring major site plan approval.

Special use permit means a use, structure or continuance of a non-conforming condition permitted in a particular zoning district subject to any reasonable conditions established by the parish council to mitigate any adverse impacts associated with the approval.

Structure means a combination of materials to form a construction for use, occupancy, or ornamentation whether installed on, above or below the surface of land or water.

Subdivision means development approval required for any addition or change to exterior or interior lot lines. All subdivision actions must be reviewed by both planning commission and parish council.

Substantial improvement means any improvement to a building exceeding fifty (50) percent of the predevelopment building improvement value.

Temporary agricultural worker means a person principally employed in agricultural work.

Temporary agricultural housing means the use of a building, buildings, or portion thereof designed and used exclusively for the housing of temporary agricultural worker(s) who actively and currently farm on the land upon which the housing is situated. Temporary agricultural housing may also be used to house the immediate family member of the respective agricultural worker.

Temporary agricultural housing park means a property upon which mobile homes as temporary housing for agricultural workers when such workers are providing services to an agricultural company doing business in Pointe Coupee Parish, to include farms, and businesses providing agricultural processing.

Telecommunications means a system for wireless communication by way of radio spectrum licensed by the Federal Communications Commission.

Tower, wireless communication means any structure expressly constructed for mounting an antenna to provide telecommunications services.

Variance means permission to depart from the provisions of this article relating to setbacks, side yards, frontage requirements, and lot size, but not involving the actual use. Variances do not include departures from the provisions of the that are specifically authorized through the chapter's administrative relief provisions.

Yard means the area between the principal building and the property line.

Yard, front means the area extending from a building and lines projecting from outside corners of a building to the side property lines and the property line abutting the street right-of-way in front of the building.

Yard, rear means the area extending from a building and lines projecting from outside corners of a building to the side property lines and the property line to the rear of a building.

Yard, side means the area between the side of a building, the front yard, rear yard, and the side property line.

(Ord. of 8-10-21(2); Ord. of 6-10-2025(1))