UGA Review Flashcards
Fen
A wetland that receives nutrients from groundwater and has non-acidic peats.
Meadow
Periodically inundated wetland that may or may not have water present.
Mangrove
Wetland associated with saltwater
Riparian Forested Wetland
Associated with a river or stream
Mildew
Fungal problem characterized by a white powdery growth on the tops and sometimes bottoms of leaves
Leaf Spot
The appearance of dark brown spots on leaves in concentric zones of discoloration.
Chlorosis
A plant condition caused by iron deficiency, either because iron is missing from the soil or because the iron is unavailable to the plant’s roots. May cause leaves to yellow while the veins remain green.
Fasciation
Causes a single stem to appear if it were several stems fused together. Caused by frost, insect or physical damage to a stem early in plant development.
When conducting analysis of vegetation onsite, the landscape architect should take the following into consideration:
Age of plant material
Health of plant material
Appearance of plant material
Adaptation of plant material to altered environment
Conditional Zoning
A variance to a zoning constraint, which allows a use that would otherwise be restricted, in exchange for some guarantee or proffer made by a developer to the municipality.
For example: higher density is allowed on a parcel is open space will be developed at the same time.
Demographics
The vital statistics and characteristics of human population
Easement
Access rights to a portion of a piece of property for which the owner gives up his rights of development in order that another party (usually a government or a utility company) have use for specific purpose (i.e. a power line)
Eminent Domain
Eminent domain, broadly understood, is the power of the state to seize private property without the owner’s consent. Historically, the most common uses of property taken my eminent domain are public facilities, highways, and railroads.
Plat (plot, map, or chart)
A recordable document that gives form and detail substance to plan. A plat is prepared to legally document and record information about a parcel of land. It shows property ownership, existing utilities, property dimensions, reference points, bearings, existing buildings and services in and around the parcel.
Proffer
A guarantee made by a developer or owner to provide some kind of service or amenity in exchange for municipal approval of the plan.
Program
The goals and expectations for a project. The desired behaviors or activities that occur within the subject site, place or locale.
Scenic Easement
A portion of land on one or both sides of a street that is dedicated to open space or landscaping.
Setback
That required distance measured from the public right of way in which no private construction may encroach without prior approval from the municipality
Take Down
A portion of land on one or both sides of a street that is dedicated to open space or landscaping
Covenant
A written agreement relating to property documents such as deeds and leases. The concerned parties agree to perform or not to perform certain acts relating to the property.
Conveyance
Legal process of transferring property from one owner to another
Deed
A document signed between two people for transferring ownership of property from one person to the other. It contains a legal description of the property, names of the owners and the signature of the person transferring the property.
Deed of Trust
Legal document transferring title of property to a third party. The third party holds the deed of trust until the debt is paid in full.
Quit Claim Deed
Used for transfers between family members, gifts, to eliminate clouds on a title or in other unusual circumstances
Transfer of Development Rights
A legal procedure by which the owner of a property can transfer the development rights of the property to someone else while retaining the ownership of the land. May be used to preserve green space.
Right of Way
Legally granted access to or through a piece of property
Wetland Banking
A term used to describe actions required to be taken on the part of developers to mitigate and replace the loss of wetlands. Through various federal and state regulations governing land use on wetlands, when impacts to wetlands cannot be avoided or minimized, wetlands must be replaced. The replacement process allows for the creation or restoration of any number of wetlands to provide replacement credit for future wetlands impacts or debits, i.e., reductions in existing wetlands. Consolidates the creation of smaller wetlands, transfers the responsibility of creating wetlands from the developer to others, and provides incentives for others to restore wetlands. (ecologydictionary.org)
Scenic Easement
A legal means of protecting beautiful views and associated aesthetic quality along a site by restricting change in existing features without government approval. (www.asla.org/nonmembers/publicrelations/glossary.htm)
Preservation Ordinance
A preservation ordinance is local legislation created to protect buildings and neighborhoods from destruction or thoughtless rehabilitation. In general, local laws are stronger than federal laws, so a local historic preservation ordinance provides the real defense against appropriate exterior remodeling and demolition within the historic district. Its special strength comes as the combined voice of residents, the majority of who agreed to use local laws as a tool to preserve the historic character of their homes, businesses, and streetscapes. Open discussion and debate of all affected by the process is crucial to its success. A preservation ordinance and debate of all affected by the process is crucial to its success. A preservation ordinance does such things as establish an objective and democratic process for designation historic properties, protect the integrity of designated historic properties within a design review requirement, and authorize design guidelines for new development within historic districts to ensure it is not destructive to the area’s historic character. Generally, a local preservation ordinance does not restrict the sale of the property, require improvements, changes, or restoration of the property, prevent new construction in historic areas, or require approval of interior alterations or ordinary maintenance. (preservationation.org)
Height District
Establishes the maximum height, stories, and Floor Area for each zone
Zoning
Determines land use, minimum lot size, lot dimensions, and setbacks
Buildable Area
The lot area minus the required yard setbacks. Structures are only allowed in this area.
Yard Setbacks
Designated areas for open space. The front yard and rear yard setbacks are generally fixed values, but side yard setbacks vary by the building height.
Floor Area Ratio (FAR)
Sets the maximum square footage allowed, expressed as a ratio
3:1 means that for every square foot of buildable area, an owner may build up to three square feet of floor area.
Comprehensive Community Master Plan
A general guide on how a community would like to develop in the future. These documents are not legally binding, but it may influence how a board or commission may vote on certain proposed developments.
Zoning Map
Illustrates a city’s various districts by use and is used to control population density and growth characteristics. A zoning map typically shows permitted land uses and allowable densities of development.
Zoning Ordinance
The written regulation and laws that explain allowed land use and densities allowed within specific areas of the city. May include specific information about uses such as off-street parking and setbacks
Assessor’s Map
Typically used to locate buildings and land in order to establish their worth
Regional Land Use Maps
Typically illustrate existing land uses and types, areas and types of proposed development
Boundary Survey
The process of locating property lines by establishing property corners of a parcel for building permit purposes, or locating easement lines, or to resolve property disputes. Boundary surveys are made by traversing.
Cadastral Surveys
Are made to resurvey or retrace the boundaries of municipalities and of state, federal jurisdictions and other public lands within the Public Land Survey Systems of the United States
Geodetic Surveys
When surveys are of such wide extent that the curvature of the earth is a matter of importance, they are called geodetic surveys. They generally make use of a coordinate system to locate points on the earth.
Metes and Bounds
This survey describes land by boundary dimensions and shape
Record or As-Built Survey
For locating existing structures on a parcel of land a record or as-built survey is conducted
Route Surveying
Route surveys are made to locate and construct linear routes and gradients such as roads, canals, pipelines and transmission lines
Stadia Measurements
A way of determining a distance based on the height observation of a 6 ft object
Subdivision Survey or Plat
Recording document that establishes property ownership, utility easements, and public rights of way.
Topographic Surveys
Area made for the purposed of representing difference in elevation or relief of the earth’s surface on maps or models. The features shown include both man made as well as natural objects such as streams, lakes, roads, buildings, etc. The distinguishing characteristic of a topographic survey is that it results in a map, which shows not only the horizontal dimensions but also the third dimensions of space.
Traversing
A survey technique that describes an area of land by means of a series of connected lines. A traverse may be either open or closed depending on what is being surveyed.
Bench Marks
These are reference points of known height, above a sea level, and are used to determine the heights of other points for a given area; used for both horizontal and vertical controls.
- Ordinance bench marks: these are permanent bench marks established by the ordinance survey at a known height above the ordinance datum
- Temporary Bench Mark: these bench marks may take an arbitrary level as a reference point
Horizontal Controls
In topographic surveying it is necessary to establish over the area a network of instrument stations from which all necessary details may be observed. This system of horizontal controls can be established by traverse or by triangulation.
Vertical Controls
The vertical control consists of a system of benchmarks used to establish heights above average sea level.
Quadrangle Markings
The red lines and numbers shown on topo maps. They are also known as cadastral coordinates or legal descriptions
Quadrangle Maps
Show the topography of general wetland areas, lakes and streams, as well as township, range, and section information. Additionally, new construction since the last printing will generally be shown in purple.
Azimuth
The horizontal direction of a celestial object, measured from the north or south point of the horizon.
Elevation
The angel of the telescope with the horizontal.
Foresighting
(relates to leveling) a process to determine elevation of an object. It is the vertical distance from the line of site to the object
Backsighting
(relates to leveling) the vertical distance from the line of site to the bench mark. It helps check for accuracy during the process of leveling.
Bearing
A unit of direction of a boundary line recorded by means of angular measurement in degrees, minutes and seconds. It is recorded by
(a) whole circle bearing: taking North as zero
(b) quandrantal bearings: dividing the whole circle into four quadrants of 90 degrees
