Legal, Infrastructure, Circulation, Mapping Flashcards by Brooke Donahue

Additional Rights which deals with or pertains to the land, but is not necessarily a part of it. Examples include right of way or a buildings. Is carried with the land when it is sold

Appurtenance

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Process by which an unincorporated area joints an adjacent city

Annexation

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Group that considers variances to planning ordinances for specific developments.

Board of Adjustment

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Includes all components of a building that enclose conditioned space.

Building Envelope

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Land or water designed to separate one use from another

Buffer Zone

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

The grouping of a particular development’s residential structures on a portion of available land, reserving a significant amount of the site as a protected open space.

Generally designated for areas that would benefit from increased open space and high concentrations of density

Cluster Development / Housing

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Streets Designed and Operated to enable safe access for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motor vehicle drivers, and transit riders of all ages and abilities.

Complete Streets

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

The central organizing document for planning a community

A strategic framework generally used to anticipate future growth of development. Not a legally binding document. Can be amended as needed.

A statement of development policies; includes diagrams and text setting forth objectives, principles, standards, and plan proposals. Required of every county and city.

Legal document governing physical growth and change in a community. Long-term policy framework. Reviewed and revised on a regular basis

Comprehensive Plan / General Plan

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Needed services must be in place or planned for before new development may be approved

Concurrency / Phased Development Controls

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Grants the right of a person, government agency, or public utility company to use public or private land owned by another for a specific purpose, such as access to power lines

Enforced by the grantee.

Landowner’s use within this area is restricted only if such use interferes with the use of the grantee.

Easement

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

The taking (with due compensation) of private land by a government agency for public good

Eminent Domain

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

An unauthorized invasion or intrusion of a fixture or other real property on another’s property. Often permits are issued for temporary encroachments for construction purposes.

Encroachment

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Land including accessory buildings and structures used for the removal, refinement, and or processes of raw material resources.

Extractive Use

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Government agency that maps and sets national standards for development in flood prone areas

FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

A lot which has a narrow access strip connected to a public street or right of way. Contains a driveway

Flag Lot

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

A ratio of the gross floor area of a building to the total area of the site.

Floor Area Ratio

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

A linear measurement along the front of a property

Frontage

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

A band of countryside surrounding a town, development, or neighborhood on which building is generally prohibited

Greenbelt

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Total floor area contained within a building envelope. How this is calculated may vary around the world.

Gross Floor Area (GFA)

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Regulations that increase housing choice by establishing requirements and providing incentives for constructing a wide variety of housing types.

Inclusionary Zoning

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Developing smaller vacant parcels of land in urban areas that had been previously passed over for development.

Infill

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

The basic facilities that serve a community, such as streets and highways, schools, water, sewer, storm drainage

Infrastructure

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Used by municipalities (through police powers) as a means of controlling density of development, flood impact, land use, parking requirements, and setback + height requirements. They DO NOT govern life-safety requirements or project costs

A written regulation that defines how property in a specific geographic zone may be used, including land uses and lot sizes as well as structure height, bulk, and placement. Can be amended as needed.

Usually defines permitted rate of density in ‘dwelling units per acre’

Zoning Ordinance

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Examples of typ. land use types outlined in a zoning ordinance

residential
commercial
industrial
mixed use
recreation
open space
wetland

How well did you know this?

Not at all

Perfectly

Law adopted by state / local gov. that establish minimum design standards to protect human health, safety, and welfare. (examples: fire, building design, seismic) Applies to construction, erection, enlargement, alteration, repair, moving, improvement, removing, conversion, demolition, and use / occupancy of all buildings and structures.

Building Code

Sets national standards for access to buildings, facilities, parks, etc. for individuals with disabilities.

The Americans with Disabilities Act

The legal process by which a governmental body exercises its right of "eminent domain" to acquire private property for public uses, such as redevelopment or highways. Usually occurs when a property is deemed unfit (various reasons). May occur if a negotiated sale is unable to be agreed upon.

Condemnation

A comprehensive, long-range site plan for a project that includes multiple land uses and / or is expected to be developed in phases. Another term for "specific plan"

Master Plan

Established a policy for clean air, water, and the protection of natural resources.

NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act of 1970)

The total square footage of occupied area of a building

Net Flood Area

Any use which does not conform to the use regulations of the Zoning Ordinance for the zone in which it is located.

Non-Conforming Use

Refers to the type of use of the building - as used in Building Codes

Occupancy

Laws passed by local government which support the General or Comprehensive Plan

Ordinances

A project or subdivision that consists of common property and improvements (varied and complementary land uses) that are owner and maintained by an owner's association for the benefit and use of the individual units within the project. The owner's association must require automatic, non-severable membership for each individual unit owner, and provide mandatory assessments. Zoning is not a basis for classifying a project or subdivision as this type.

Planned Unit Development (PUD)

Land and its permanently affixed buildings or structures.

Real Property

An agreement restricting the use of real property which is attached to the conveyance (deed) and which is binding on subsequent purchasers of the property. Restriction on the right to use land that applies to the owner of the property.

Restrictive Covenant

A tract of land, usually consisting of a series of connected parcels, that is used for the operation of a public utility.

Right-of-Way

The right of an owner to the use and enjoyment of water which flows across or along their land. It includes a right to install piers, boat houses, other waterfront access.

Riparian Rights

A required minimum horizontal distance between a structure and the related front, side, or rear property line

Setback

A means to allow an applicant for a development permit to alleviate a hardship that is inherent in a piece of land A deviation from current zoning requirements. Does not constitute a change in zoning law, only a waiver from the ordinance requirements.

Variance / Zoning Variance

Most popular / common housing type in the US

Single Family Housing

Mainly relies on BMPs, planting, and other hydrologic techniques to manage stormwater. Often the goal is to keep all stormwater on site.

Low-Impact Development (LID)

A public works project typically within a Capital Improvement Plan. A zone with specified properties - (rural __, utilities __)

Local Improvement District (LID)

Section

1 sq mile = 640 acres = 260 hectares When describing a parcel within a section and township the order is small to large - " Lot 2 is the SE ¼ of the SW ¼ of Section 14"

Section Numbering

``` 06 05 04 03 02 01 07 08 09 10 11 12 18 17 16 15 14 13 19 20 21 22 23 24 30 29 28 27 26 25 31 32 33 34 35 36 ```

Township (aka survey township / congressional township)

36 square miles = 6 x 6 sections = 23,040 acres | Located off of a baseline (horz., N/S) and meridian (vert - E/W Range)

A document that maps ecological and cultural resources such as forests, floodplains, farmland, aquifers, and historic structures.

Community Resource Inventories

Linetype used to indicate a ridge or watershed boundary on plans

__ . __ . __ . __ (dash-dot-dash)

Linetype used to indicate a property line

__ .. __ .. __ .. __ (dash-dot dot-dash)

A survey technique that uses of observed height of a 6FT tall object to infer HORZ DISTANCE. A way of determining DISTANCE based on the height of observation of a 6ft object. NOT used to survey a site boundary.

Stadia Measurement

Outlines city services to be repaired, expanded, or otherwise upgraded.

Capital Improvements Program

Ratio Method (to describe slopes)

RISE : RUN Describes a slope as a ratio between the horizontal distance that a slope travels FOR EVERY ONE FOOT of vertical elevation. e.g. 1:12 = 8.33%

A survey technique that describes an area of land by means of a series of connected lines. May be either open or closed depending on what is being surveyed. Roads are typically “open” while property boundaries are “closed”

Traverse / Traversing

The act of determining the ELEVATIONS of certain points / arbitrary points. A technique used to determine a site’s topography.

Leveling

A process for taking vertical measurements. Typically used on extremely hilly sites

Chaining (in survey)

Quadrangle

24 x 24 miles; usually 16 townships Would show topography, streams / waterbodies, townships, range, sections, and new construction since last printing (purple)

A point of reference by which something can be measured

Benchmark

The process by which a surveyor references a known point, such as a benchmark point on a curb, a building floor elevation, etc. The point to which the survey backchecks is known as a benchmark.

Backsiting

The process surveyors use to determine a new point and elevation wen they are looking through the instrument.

Foresiting

Hierarchy of roads

Arterial > Collector > Local > Cul-de-sac Arterial Road = provides for large volumes of traffic to flow w/ minimal stops Collector Road = road that gathers traffic from several local roads and directs traffic toward arterials Local Road = most commonly associated with residential streets Cul-de-sacs = a residential street with very limited traffic volume

Tree-lined street

Boulevard

Used to determine the location of vehicular access points and take into account visibility, location of the proposed access point, its relationship to other existing access points, and the speed and volume of traffic flowing along the proposed point of access.

Sight Distance Studies

An assessment performed by an environmental professional that includes 3 tasks: interviews and site reconnaissance, review and interpretation of information, and oversight of the report writing process. Consists of the following 4 components A more thorough review of records A site visit Interviews with the owner and / or operator of the property Report documentation

Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment (ESA)

Gross Density

The number of units divided by the total site area. Expressed in dwelling units per acre (DU/ac). (no. of allowable units) x Total Area x % developable land ——————————————————————— Total Area

Net Density

The amount of dwelling units divided by the developable site acreage and is expressed in dwelling units per acre (DU/ac). (no. of allowable units) x Total Area x % developable land ————————————————————————— Total Area x % developable

Used to locate building and land in order to establish or determine their worth Typically includes: lot line location and dimension, lot numbers, road and street right of way, street names, utility and other easements

Assessor’s Map

In agrarian areas, planning tool that allows for land to be preserved as open space and may allow for future recreation. Limits land development.

Farmland preservation plans

An official revision to the currently effective FEMA map. It is used to change flood elevations, flood zones, floodplain, and floodway delineations and planimetric features.

Letter of Map Revision (LOMR)

A detailed survey performed by a registered licensed surveyor, prepared in accordance with the standards specified by the American Land Title Association. Typically contains boundation information, easements, rights of way, and other access information, flood zone classification, topography, and building locations, among other things.

ALTA Survey

Typical useful information on topographic surveys

1) Property lines w/ bearing and distances 2) Easements 3) Visible utility structures 4) Benchmark (markers) 5) Spot elevations 6) Tree diameter 7) Fences, walls, and other construction site features

Serves as a set of common points of reference generally relevant to all plan sheets. Developed from a synthesis of information from a variety of sources ``` Existing conditions (legal, topo, planting, built features, utilities, etc) and proposed conditions ```

Basemap

A regulatory tool that local governments may use to guide development in a localized area and to systematically implement the General Plan. More detailed development plan as compared to the General Plan. Will set forth goals, objectives, policies, and programs for development. Must be consistent with the General Plan. May be in map or text form

Specific Plan

Authority to regulate citizen behavior in order to promote the health, safety, and welfare of the public. As it relates to development, this power covers: land use planning, zoning, subdivision, buliding regulations General Plan will guide the exericise of this power through zoning and subdivision

Police Power

The authority to collect revenues and to spend $ to provide services, facilities, infrastructure The General Plan guides the exercise of this power through the provision of capital facilities and improvements

Corporate Power

A strategic framework generally used to anticipate future growth of development. Not a legally binding document. Can be amended as needed.

Comprehensive Master Plan

A document drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. It gives the legal descriptions of pieces of real property by lot, street, and block number.

Plat map

Historic insurance maps used to trace past land uses.

Sanborn Map

Where the property owner agrees to take certain actions that benefit other parties (usually on adjacent parcels). May continues to apply when land changes ownership if meets certain requirements

Affirmative Covenant

Building Code construction standards Landscape Architects need to comply with:

``` architecture Walls and steps Decks, patios, walkways Swimming pools and spas Fences, arbors, trellises Drainage systems and structures Fountains and water features Irrigation systems Site lighting ```

A triangle at an intersection, formed by the two roads or rights-of-way and a third line, which must be kept clear of obstructions such as hedges so that people in one road can see cars approaching on the other.

Site Line Triangles

Spatial analysis mapping technique that takes a site feature / characteristic, breaks it into categories w/ assigned values, and overlays it on a map with other features / characteristics similarly classed

Overlay Mapping

A spatial analysis mapping technique that isolates and reveals a single feature (e.g. all slopes between 2-10%) Used in combination with 'buffering'

Single Attribute Analysis / Partitioning

USGS 7.5 minute map scape

1:24,000

A risk assessment used in planning and feasibility stages of real estate development. Assessments are used to evaluate all types of property for conditions that are indicative of possible environmental contamination.

Environmental Site Assessment (ESA)

First step of an environmental site assessment Cursory site screening performed by an individual with knowledge of the land or real estate or site design (not an environmental professional) following checklists available from ASTM. The outcome may be a recommendation to conduct a Phase 1 ESA

Transaction Screen

Assessment (made by an environmental professional) that identifies indications of recognized environmental conditions. Limited to information available through public sources, interviews, or firsthand observation (to keep costs down). Allows buyer / lender to determine whether there is an INDICATION of contamination or increased risk. Often required by lenders as a minimum acceptable level of investigation

Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment

Assessment (made by an environmental professional) that identifies indications of recognized environmental conditions which includes SAMPLES and TESTING

Phase 2 Environmental Site Assessment