§ 18-32. Definitions.

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

Alley means a dedicated public way affording a secondary means of access to abutting property and not intended for general traffic circulation.

Block means that property abutting one side of a street and lying between the two nearest intersecting streets, or between the nearest such street and railroad right-of-way, unsubdivided acreage, river or live stream; or between any of such areas and any other barrier to the continuity of development.

Condominium Act means Public Act No. 59 of 1978 (MCL 559.101 et seq.).

Condominium subdivision means a subdivision developed under the regulations of the Condominium Act; sometimes referred to as a "site condominium subdivision."

Condominium subdivision plan means equivalent to the term "plat," and shall include the site, survey, and utility plans; floor plans; and sections, as appropriate, showing the existing and proposed structures and improvements including the location thereof on the land.

Easement means a specific area of land over which a liberty, privilege, or advantage is granted by the owner to the public, a corporation, or some particular person or part of the public for specific uses and purposes, and which shall be designated a public or private easement, depending on the nature of the user.

Improvements means grading, street surfacing, curbs and gutters, sidewalks, crosswalks, water mains, fire hydrants, sanitary sewers, storm sewers, culverts, bridges, and other additions to the natural state of land which increase its value, utility or habitability.

Land division act means Public Act No. 288 of 1967 (MCL 560.101 et seq.).

Lot means a portion of a subdivision or other parcel of land intended to be a unit for transfer of ownership or development.

Major streets or thoroughfare plan means the part of the master plan which sets forth the location, alignment and dimensions of existing and proposed streets and thoroughfares.

Master plan means the comprehensive land use plan for the village, including graphic and written proposals indicating the general locations recommended for the streets, parks, schools, public buildings, zoning districts, and all physical developments of the village, including any unit or part of such plan separately adopted, and any amendment to such plan or parts thereof adopted by the planning commission.

Municipal engineer and engineer mean the staff engineer or consulting engineer of the village.

Municipal planner and planner mean the staff planner or consulting planner of the village.

Parcel (tract) means a continuous area or acreage of land which can be described as provided for in the land division act.

Plat means a map or chart of a subdivision of land.

(1)

Preliminary plat. A map showing all requisite details of a proposed subdivision submitted to an approving authority for purpose of preliminary consideration, prepared in conformance with the land division act and procedures set forth in this article.

(2)

Final plat. A map of all or part of a subdivision providing substantial conformance to the preliminary plat of the subdivision prepared in conformance with the requirements of the land division act and this article and suitable for recording by the county register of deeds.

Proprietor means a natural person, firm, association, partnership, corporation or combination of any of them, which may hold any ownership interest in land, whether recorded or not. This includes the term "developer" as defined by the condominium act.

Public reservation means a portion of a subdivision which is set aside for public use and made available for public use and acquisition.

Public utility means any person, firm or corporation, municipal department, board or commission duly authorized to furnish, and furnishing under governmental regulations to the public, the following: gas, steam, electricity, sewage disposal, communication, telegraph, transportation or water.

Public walkway means a right-of-way dedicated for the purpose of a pedestrian access through residential areas, and located so as to connect to two or more streets, or a street and a public land parcel.

Street means any street, avenue, boulevard, road, lane, parkway, viaduct, alley or other way which is an existing state, county, or municipal roadway; or, a street or way shown in a plat heretofore approved pursuant to law or approved by official action; or, a street or way on a plat duly filed and recorded in the office of the county register of deeds. A street includes the land between the street lines, whether improved or unimproved, and may comprise pavement, shoulders, gutters, sidewalks, parking areas, and lawns.

(1)

Major street. An arterial street of great continuity which is intended to serve as a large volume trafficway for both the immediate municipal area and region beyond, and may be designated in the major thoroughfare plan of the village master plan, as a major street, parkway, expressway, or equivalent term to identify those streets comprising the basic structure of the street plan.

(2)

Secondary street. A street used primarily to carry traffic from minor streets to major streets.

(3)

Minor street. A street of limited continuity used primarily for access to abutting properties.

(4)

Marginal access street. A minor street paralleling and adjacent to a major street which provides access to abutting properties and protection from through traffic.

(5)

Boulevard street. A street developed to two two-lane, one-way pavements, separated by a median.

(6)

Turnaround. A short boulevard street permanently terminated by a vehicular turnaround.

(7)

Cul-de-sac street. A minor street of short length, having one end open to traffic and being permanently terminated at the other end by a vehicular turnaround.

(8)

Loop street. A minor street of short length with two openings to traffic, beginning from the same street, and projecting parallel to each other and connecting at their termination by a loop.

Subdivide and subdivision mean the partitioning or splitting of a parcel or tract of land by the proprietor thereof or by his heirs, executors, administrators, legal representatives, successors, or assigns for the purpose of sale, or lease of more than one year, or of building development that results in one or more parcels of less than 40 acres or the equivalent, and that is not exempted from the platting requirements by sections 108 and 109 of the land division act (MCL 560.108, 560.109). The terms "subdivide" and "subdivision" do not include a property transfer between two or more adjacent parcels, if the property taken from one parcel is added to an adjacent parcel; and any resulting parcel shall not be considered a building site unless the parcel conforms to the requirements of the land division act or the requirements of this article.

(Ord. No. 131, art. II, 1-26-1993)

Cross reference

Definitions generally, § 1-2.