Unit 20 Land Use / Property Dev

Question 1

Define Buffer Zone

Answer 1

A strip of land, usually used as a park or designated for a similar use, separating land dedicated to one use from land dedicated to another use (e.g., residential from commercial). 392

Question 2

Define building code

Answer 2

An ordinance that specifies minimum standards of construction for buildings to protect public safety and health. 394

Question 3

Define certificate of occupancy

Answer 3

Permission by the municipal inspector to occupy a completed building structure after being inspected and having complied with building codes. 395

Question 4

Define master plan

Answer 4

A comprehensive government plan to guide the long-term physical development of a particular area. 391

Question 5

Define conditional-use permit

Answer 5

Written governmental permission allowing a use inconsistent with zoning but necessary for the common good, such as locating an emergency medical facility in a predominantly residential area. 394

Question 6

Define covenants, conditions, and restrictions (CC&Rs)

Answer 6

Private agreements that affect land use. They may be enforced by an owner of real estate that benefits from them and can be included in the seller’s deed to the buyer. 56, 397

Question 7

Define deed restrictions

Answer 7

Clauses in a deed limiting the future uses of the property. Deed restrictions may impose a vast variety of limitations and conditions—for example, they may limit the density of buildings, dictate the types of structures that can be erected, or prevent buildings from being used for specific purposes or even from being used at all. 56

Question 8

Define density zoning

Answer 8

Zoning ordinances that restrict the maximum average number of housing units per acre that may be built within a particular area, generally a subdivision. 396

Question 9

Define developer

Answer 9

One who attempts to put land to its most profitable use through the construction of improvements. 395 (Kyle 526)

Question 10

Define enabling acts

Answer 10

State legislation that confers zoning and other powers on municipal governments. 390 (Kyle 527)

Question 11

Define Interstate Land Sales

Answer 11

Full Disclosure Act (ILSA) A federal law that regulates the sale of certain real estate in interstate commerce. 398

Question 12

Define nonconforming use

Answer 12

A use of property that is permitted to continue after a zoning ordinance prohibiting it has been established for the area. 393 (Kyle 535

Question 13

Define variance

Answer 13

Permission obtained from zoning authorities to build a structure or conduct a use that is expressly prohibited by the current zoning laws; an exception from the zoning ordinances. 394

Question 14

Define zoning ordinance

Answer 14

An exercise of police power by a municipality to regulate and control the character and use of property. 391

Question 15

Define planned unit development (PUD)

Answer 15

A planned combination of diverse land uses, such as housing, recreation, and shopping, in one contained development or subdivision.

Question 16

Define plat map

Answer 16

A map of a town, section, or subdivision indicating the location and boundaries of individual properties. 91

Question 17

Define restrictive covenant

Answer 17

A clause in a deed that limits the way the real estate ownership may be used. 397

Question 18

Define subdivider

Answer 18

One who buys undeveloped land, divides it into smaller, usable lots and sells the lots to potential users. 395

Question 19

Define subdivision

Answer 19

A tract of land divided by the owner, known as the subdivider, into blocks, building lots, and streets according to a recorded subdivision plat, which must comply with local ordinances and regulations. 395

Question 20

Define waste

Answer 20

An improper use or an abuse of a property by a possessor who holds less than fee ownership, such as a tenant, life tenant, or vendee. Such waste ordinarily impairs the value of the land or the interest of the person holding the title or the reversionary rights.