§ 2.1. Definitions.

As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the respective meanings indicated:

Accessory structure. A structure detached from the principal building on the same lot and customarily incidental and subordinate to the principal building.

Acreage. Acres collectively in a tract of land.

Agriculture. The tilling of the soil, raising of crops or animals, horticulture, gardening, beekeeping, aquaculture, and storage of the products of these activities produced on the lot or lots under one ownership or lease control.

Alley. A platted roadway which affords only secondary means of access to abutting property and not intended for general traffic circulation.

Alteration, structural. See "Structural alteration."

Amusements, commercial. Businesses which operate for a profit by amusing or entertaining patrons through the use of electronic/video pinball games; pool/ping pong tables; miniature racetracks, gaming devices, etc.; services may include light food/refreshment services, but not including establishments serving alcoholic beverages or indoor/outdoor shooting ranges. (Also, see chapter 22 of the Code.)

Amusement machines. Any mechanical, electronic and/or coin-operated game and/or device for the amusement of patrons. This definition shall not be construed to include coin-operated music players, coin-operated mechanical kiddy rides or coin-operated television.

Apartment house. See "Dwelling, multiple."

Assisted living home/facility. An intermediate care facility licensed or approved to provide full-time assistance as necessary, including, but not limited to rooms, meals, and attention to personal needs, to nonfamily ambulatory individuals who, by reason of advanced age or infirmity, are unable to care completely for themselves, but who remain largely self-sufficient. Synonymous with personal care facility.

Auction houses. Commercial establishments which cater to a wide segment of the population where tangible items excluding cars, boats, trailers, motor homes, trucks, motorcycles, other motorized, self-propelled machines and real estate, are sold on a scheduled, open competitive bid basis to more than two people, provided that all sales, display, and storage be conducted within a completely enclosed building.

Bed and breakfast home. Any private owner-occupied residence offering transient lodging accommodations and breakfast to not more than three guest rooms for compensation. (See also section 9.4(j).)

Bed and breakfast inn. A building, not necessarily owner-occupied, that offers transient lodging accommodations and breakfast for up to 12 guest rooms for compensation. Such use has 80 percent of the rooms occupied by a different registered guest every seven days, provides patrons with daily maid service, and complies with the applicable requirements of the Catoosa County Health Department and O.C.G.A. § 31-28-1 et seq. (See also section 9.4(k).)

Berm. A mound of earth, or the act of pushing earth into a mound.

Board. The board of zoning appeals.

Boarding house. A dwelling, permanently occupied by the owner or operator, where sleeping accommodation and meals, served upon the table family style with no provision for cooking in any of the occupied rooms, are provided for five or more persons not of the same family by prearrangement for definite periods and for compensation.

Buffer. That portion of a lot or parcel of land set aside for open space and/or visual screening purposes, pursuant to applicable provisions of this resolution, to separate different use districts, or to separate uses on one property from uses on another property of the same use district or a different use district. Such buffer area may be either a natural buffer or landscaped buffer.

Building. Any permanent structure attached to the ground designed or built for the support, shelter or protection of persons, animals, chattels or property of any kind.

Building, alterations of. Alterations of buildings include any change in the supporting members of a building (such as bearing walls, beams, columns, and girders); any addition to a building; or any change of a building from one location to another.

Building, height of. The vertical distance measured from the average elevation of the proposed finished grade at the front of the building to the highest point of the roof for flat roofs; to the deck line of mansard roofs, and the mean height between the eaves and the ridge for gable, hip or gambrel roofs.

Building line, front. A line parallel to the street right-of-way line at a distance therefrom equal to the depth of the front yard required for the zoning district in which the lot is located. When the lot frontage is an arc and less than the minimum required lot width, the building line is parallel to the chord of the arc and located where the minimum lot width requirement is obtained. See "Setback line."

Carport. A roofed area open on one, two, three sides or four sides for the storage of one or more motor vehicles.

Campground. An area designated and approved for the use of two or more parked recreational vehicles or tents having access to public water and sewer facilities provided by the campground operator. See "Recreational vehicles."

Cemetery. A cemetery is an area of land set apart for the sole purpose of the burial of bodies of dead persons or animals and for the erection of customary markers, monuments, mausoleums, and columbariums.

Change of occupancy. The term "change of occupancy" shall mean a discontinuance of an existing use and the substitution of a use of a different kind or class. Change of occupancy is not intended to include a change of tenants or proprietors unless accompanied by a change in the type of use.

Church. A building in which persons regularly assemble for religious worship of the same faith and which is publicly designated as a church, but shall not include a parsonage, thrift or clothing store, or soup kitchen/homeless shelter. Accessory uses of a church, customarily incidental and subordinate to the principal use of a building as a church, includes day care facilities, kindergartens, family exercise or sport facilities, cemeteries, mausoleums, and columbariums.

Clinic. An establishment where patients, who are not lodged overnight, except for observation or emergency treatment, are admitted for examination and treatment by one person or group of persons practicing any form of healing or health building services to individuals, which is lawful in the state.

Club, lodge, civic or fraternal organization. An incorporated or unincorporated association for civic, social, cultural, literary, political, recreational, or like activities, operated for the benefit of its members and not open to the general public. Excludes clubs which are operated for profit, shooting clubs, and places of religious worship or assembly.

Columbarium. A vault with niches for urns, containing the ashes of cremated bodies.

Commission. The planning commission of the city.

Comprehensive plan. The plan adopted by the City of Ringgold to comply with the Georgia Planning Act of 1989, as amended.

Conditional use. A use of land which is permitted in a particular zoning district only after a finding that the location and operation of the proposed use shall not be detrimental to adjoining land or land uses. Such review by the Ringgold Planning Commission and final action by the mayor and council is required as established by the zoning procedures and standards ordinance of the City of Ringgold, Georgia. (See zoning procedures and standards ordinance.)

Condominium. A building, or group of buildings, in which dwelling units are owned individually, and the structure, common areas and facilities are owned by all the owners on a proportional, undivided basis.

Conference/convention center. A facility typically designed to accommodate 300 or more people and used for conventions, conferences, seminars, product displays, training, recreation activities, and entertainment functions, along with accessory functions including outdoor displays, food and beverage preparation and service for on-premises consumption. The accommodations can include sleeping, eating, and recreation. The site shall be of sufficient size to accommodate or arrange for all off-street parking associated with an individual event.

Convalescent home. See "Nursing home."

Corner lot. See "Lot, corner."

Cultural facility. A structure or portion of a structure used as art gallery, museum, historical display, theatre, library, and other uses similar in character to those listed.

Day care center. A building or portion of a building wherein is provided care and supervision of persons away from their place of residence for less than 24 hours per day on a regular basis for compensation; serves 19 or more persons and is licensed by the State of Georgia. For the purposes of this ordinance, the term "day care" shall include, but not be limited to the terms "child care," "nursery school," "early learning center," "prekindergarten," "private kindergarten," "play school," and "pre-school."

Day care center, group. A building or portion of a building wherein is provided care and supervision of persons away from their place of residence for less than 24 hours a day on a regular basis for compensation; serves seven to 18 persons and is licensed by the State of Georgia.

Day care home, family. A customary home occupation which provides, for six or less persons who are not residents of the premises; care and supervision is provided by a state of Georgia registered adult for less than 24 [hours] per day on a regular basis for compensation.

Density. The number of dwelling units developed on an acre of land. As used in this ordinance, all densities are stated in dwelling units per gross acre.

Depth of lot. See "Lot, depth of."

Development standards. Site design regulations such as lot area, lot coverage, height limits, frontage, and yard requirements (setback distances).

District (or zoning district). A section of Ringgold designated in this resolution and delineated on the official zoning district maps for Ringgold, in which requirements for the use of land and building and development standards are presented with all such requirements being uniform in each district.

Double frontage lot. See "Lot, double frontage."

Drive-in restaurant. Food or refreshment place where space is provided for automobiles to park for the purpose of serving the occupants with food and refreshments. This includes barbecue stands and pits or other roadside facilities serving food or refreshments.

Duplex. See "Dwelling, two-family."

Dwelling. A building which is designed or used exclusively for residential purposes, including single-family, and multi-family residential buildings, boarding houses, fraternities, sororities, dormitories, manufactured homes, and industrialized homes, but not including hotels and motels.

Dwelling, attached single-family. A structure subdivided by a coincidental property line and common wall which separates the structure into a maximum of two dwelling units, each occupying its own lot.

An attached single-family structure must meet all front, rear, and side yard setback requirements in the zoning district in which it is located, except for the coincidental property line and wall. The common party wall shall meet or exceed the applicable Georgia State Minimum Standard Fire Code requirements as determined by the building inspector. The firewall separating units of two or more stories must extend only to the roof decking of the two-story unit. Otherwise, an attached single-family structure must meet all standards that would be required for two-family dwellings in the zone districts in which they are located.

Dwelling, detached single-family. A detached residential building containing one dwelling unit only entirely surrounded by open space. A single-family detached dwelling includes site-built homes, manufactured homes, and industrialized homes. The term also includes zero-lot line dwellings.

Dwelling, loft. A dwelling unit, occupied by not more than four persons with the following characteristics: (1) there shall be no more than four loft dwelling(s) per floor in a single building wherein the principal use of such building shall be commercial; (2) each loft dwelling(s) shall have a private entry door; (3) shall have either a private access stairway to the ground floor or a common stairway in conjunction with an common upstairs foyer; (4) shall have a minimum of 425 square feet of dwelling space for the first occupant and 100 square feet of added space for each additional occupant; (5) the loft dwelling(s) and all other floors of the same building including the basement shall be equipped with a fire suppression sprinkler system complying with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 13; (6) shall have no doorway or window inter-connection between loft dwellings; (7) shall be compliant with all current building codes in effect in city; and (8) shall be located in the rear of the building if a commercial use is carried on in any portion of a floor above the ground level of the building. [Note: Per the definition, such use is adaptable to a mixed use commercial-residential environment and can include condominium style ownership.]

Loft dwelling(s) located on the first floor above ground level shall be permitted by right, but units proposed two or more floors above ground level require approval as a conditional use as set forth in this ordinance. Window air conditioning units or window fans shall not be permitted in a loft dwelling.

Dwelling, multiple; apartment house. A building designed for occupancy by three or more families living independently of each other. Also known as multi-family dwelling(s).

Dwelling, two-family; duplex. A building designed for or occupied exclusively by two families, living independently of each other.

Dwelling unit. One or more rooms located within a building and forming a single habitable unit with individual permanent bathroom and kitchen facilities and is used or intended to be used for living, sleeping, cooking, and eating purposes of a single-family.

Easement. The right of a person, government agency, or public utility to use public or private land owned by another for a specific purpose.

Event center. A facility used for weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, showers, reunions, recitals, dances, and ethnic and religious celebrations, etc. The accommodations can include sleeping, eating, and recreation. The site shall be of sufficient size to accommodate or arrange for off-street parking associated with an individual event.

Extended stay facility. A motel-like facility in which 50 percent or greater of all guest rooms have facilities for both the storage, refrigeration, and preparation of food, and/or which are advertised, designed or used for weekly, monthly, or longer occupancy.

Facade. The architectural details of the face of a building which are intended to be viewed by the public. The front facade of the building is the wall which contains the primary entrance to the building.

Family. Except as otherwise provided herein, means one or more persons related by blood, legal adoption, or marriage occupying a dwelling where such persons are all related to each other within the fourth degree, as defined in O.C.G.A. § 53-2-1, which includes parents, children, grandparents, grandchildren, brothers and sisters. Great-grandparents shall also be included in the definition of family. State of Georgia authorized foster children of a family member shall also be deemed a member of the family for this purpose, or not more than five adults, not necessarily related by blood or marriage, living together as a single housekeeping unit in a dwelling unit where compensation is not made for housekeeping service for room and board to the owner or operator of such dwelling unit. In zones R-1 and R-2 not more than two adults, not related by blood or marriage, living together as a single housekeeping unit in a single-family dwelling unit where compensation is not made for housekeeping service for room and board to the owner or operator of such dwelling unit will be considered a family for purposes of this definition. For the purposes of this definition, a person shall be considered to reside in a dwelling unit if he or she stays overnight in a dwelling unit for more than 30 days within a 90-day period, receives mail at the dwelling unit, or lists the dwelling unit as his or her home address on any document. The term "family" does not include any organization or institutional group.

Flea market. A commercial marketing use, temporary or permanent in nature, held in an open area or structure where groups of individual sellers, leasing or renting spaces from the owner, offer goods for sale to the public. (Also, see chapter 22 of the Code.)

Flood. The general overflow of a stream which results in inundation of lands not normally covered by water. In this ordinance land subject to flood shall be:

(a)

Along South Chickamauga Creek and East Chickamauga Creek, any land which is below the elevation of the regional flood as determined by the plate, "High Water Profiles, South Chickamauga Creek and East Chickamauga Creek, vicinity of Ringgold, Georgia," (Tennessee Valley Authority, February 1970), which plate is made a part of this ordinance.

(b)

Along Little Chickamauga Creek, any land which is below the elevation of the regional flood as determined by the plate, " High Water Profiles, Little Chickamauga Creek, Vicinity of Ringgold, Georgia," (Tennessee Valley Authority, February 1970), which plate is made a part of this ordinance.

(c)

Along other streams, any land which is below the elevation reached by an overflow rising six feet above median street flow elevation unless it can be shown in a study by a registered engineer that a lower elevation would be a reasonable elevation for carrying out the intent of this ordinance.

Floodplain. See the definition contained in the flood hazard reduction ordinance, chapter 42 of the Code.

Floodway. The channel of a stream and that part of the adjoining floodplain designated as the minimum area required for the passage of flood flow and in which no filling shall be allowed, which in this ordinance shall be:

(a)

Along South Chickamauga, East Chickamauga, and Little Chickamauga Creeks, the floodway shown on the maps, "Floodway South Chickamauga Creek and East Chickamauga Creek, and Little Chickamauga Creek in the vicinity of Ringgold, Georgia" (City of Ringgold Planning and Zoning Commission, January, 1971), which maps shall become a part of this ordinance, as updated or amended.

(b)

Along other streams, an area extending to each side of the stream equal to five times the width of the stream at top of banks unless it can be shown in a study by a registered engineer that a smaller areas would be a reasonable requirement.

Floodway fringe. The area outside the floodway but immediately adjacent to it which is subject to flood and within which chapter 42 of the Code apply.

Floor area. Except as may be otherwise indicated in relation to particular districts and uses, "floor area" shall be construed as the sum of the gross horizontal areas of the several floors including basement areas, of a building. These areas are to be measured from the exterior faces of the exterior walls or from the centerline of walls separating two buildings, and exclude public corridors, common restrooms, attic areas with a headroom of less than seven feet, unenclosed stairs or fire escapes, elevator structures, cooling towers, areas devoted to air conditioning, ventilating, heating, or other building machinery and equipment, parking structures, and basement space where the ceiling is not more than an average of 48 inches above the general finished and graded level of the adjacent portion of the lot.

Front yard. See "Yard, front."

Frontage. All the property touching one side of a street between two intersecting streets, measured along the street line.

Garage apartment. An accessory building, not a part of or attached to the main building, where a portion thereof contains living facilities for family and an enclosed space for one or more automobiles.

Garage, mechanical. Any building or land where automotive vehicles are repaired, rebuilt, reconstructed or painted; where tires are recapped and welding work is performed.

Garage, private. A detached or attached accessory building or a portion of a principal building for the storage of automobiles of the occupants of the premises. "Private garage" shall include "carport."

Garage, storage. Any building or portion thereof other than a private or mechanical garage, used exclusively for the parking or storage of motor vehicles. Services other than storage shall be limited to refueling, lubrication, washing and polishing.

Gas station. See "Motor vehicle service station."

Governing body. The mayor and council of the City of Ringgold.

Grade.

(a)

For buildings adjoining one street only, the elevation of the sidewalk at the center of the wall adjoining the street;

(b)

For buildings adjoining more than one street, the average of the elevations of the sidewalk at the centers of all walls adjoining streets;

(c)

For buildings having no wall adjoining a street, the average level of the finished surface of the ground adjacent to the exterior walls of the building.

Group home. A single-family dwelling, housing persons who are mentally/physically handicapped, elderly, terminally ill, AIDS/HIV victims, Alzheimer's patients, or children and teens with emotional problems, operating as a single housekeeping unit under a common housekeeping management plan based on an intentionally structured relationship providing the organization and stability of a home environment.

Group personal care homes. A residential care facility wherein:

(a)

The operator is not legally related to the individuals supervised and is licensed by the State of Georgia to provide community alternatives in a residential environment to institutional care for individuals in need of such care;

(b)

More than four persons reside, including operators, supervisors, and individuals under care; and

(c)

Such individuals are provided with room, board, personal, physical care and supervision in a family environment. The term "group personal care home" shall include, without limitation by reason of enumeration, home as established under the "Community Services Act for the Mentally Retarded" (GA Laws 1972, page 700), and other homes of similar intention and purpose; but shall not include facilities housing persons convicted of crimes but not houses in penal institutions. The number of persons occupying a group home as defined herein shall not exceed 15 in number at any given time, including a minimum of one supervisory personnel.

Half story. See "Story, half."

Halfway house. A building for temporary residence by nonrelated persons, who are recovering from alcohol abuse or other chemical-based substances, with one or more surrogate parents that provide services that include room, meals, supervision, rehabilitation, and counseling to enable residents to move back into society and live independently.

Height of building. See "Building, height of."

Home occupation. An occupation, profession or trade customarily carried on by an occupant wholly within the principal building as a secondary use which is clearly incidental to the dwelling unit for residential purposes and subject to the following conditions:

• Not more than 25 percent of the floor area of the principal building is used for the conduct of said home occupation.

• No merchandise or articles are displayed for advertising purposes, nor are displayed in such a way as to be visible from outside the dwelling or stored other than in the principal building.

• There is no alteration of the residential character of the building or premises.

• No person not resident on the premises is employed.

• Signage shall be limited to a name plate, not more than two square feet in area.

Hospice. A building, or portion thereof, in which terminally ill persons live in order to receive appropriate Medicare-certified hospice services.

Hotel, motel. A building or buildings kept, used, maintained and advertised as a place where sleeping accommodations are supplied for pay to transient or permanent guests, with or without eating facilities.

Industrialized home. Any structure or component thereof which is wholly or in substantial part made, fabricated, formed, or assembled in manufacturing facilities for installation on a building site and has been manufactured in such a manner that all parts or processes cannot be inspected at the installation site without disassembly, damage to, or destruction thereof. Industrialized buildings are constructed and regulated in accordance with the "Industrialized Building Act", Georgia Law 1982 pp. 1637-1643 (O.C.G.A. Title 8, Chapter 2, Article 2, Part 1).

An industrialized home is a single-family detached dwelling and its placement in a residential district must meet or exceed the compatibility standards as provided in section 4.13.

Interior lot. See "Lot, interior."

Itinerant vendors. Shall include any person, whether a resident of the city or not, who has no permanent place of business within the city, and who engages in the transient business in one temporary fixed place of business or sells goods from a vehicle.

Junkyard. The term "junkyard" includes automobile wrecking yards and includes any area of more than 200 square feet for the storage, keeping or abandonment of junk, including scrap metals or other scrap materials, or for the use of dismantling, demolition of abandonment of automobiles, or other vehicles or machinery or parts thereof, but does not include uses established entirely within enclosed buildings.

Kennel. Any lot or premises on which three or more dogs, four months or more old are kept either permanently or temporarily, for purpose of sale, care, breeding or training for which any fee is charged.

Kindergarten. A school for pre-elementary school children ranging in age from four through six years which operates for less than four hours per day.

Laundry, self-service. A business rendering a retail service by renting to the individual customer equipment for the washing and drying of laundry.

Loading space. A space on the lot or parcel of land accessible to an alley or street not less than 12 feet in width, four feet in depth and 14 feet in height.

Lot. A piece, parcel or plot of land which may consist of one or more platted lots in single ownership legally transferable as a single unit of land.

Lot, corner. A lot abutting two or more streets at their intersection.

Lot, depth of. The distance measured in the mean direction of the side lines of the lot from the midpoint of the front lot line to the midpoint of the opposite main rear line of the lot.

Lot, double frontage. A lot having a frontage on two nonintersecting streets, as distinguished from a corner lot.

Lot, interior. A lot other than a corner lot.

Lot lines. The lines bounding a lot.

Lot of record. A lot, which existed prior to the adoption or subsequent amendment of this ordinance, as shown or described on a plat or deed in the records of the Catoosa County Superior Court Clerk.

Lot, width of. The mean horizontal distance between the side lines of a lot measured at right angles to the depth and at the front (building) setback line.

Lot width (curvilinear street frontage). For a lot having frontage upon a curvilinear street, the lot width shall be the distance between the side lines of the lot where the minimum lot width is obtained, measured parallel to the chord of the arc formed by the two outermost points of intersection of the side lines with the road right-of-way line. The lot width line is synonymous with the front (building) setback line in this circumstance.

Manufactured home. A structure defined by and constructed in accordance with the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974 as amended, 42 U.S.C. 5401, et seq. The definition at the date of adoption of this part is as follows:

"Manufactured home" means a structure, transportable in one or more sections, which, in the traveling mode, is eight body feet or more in width or 40 body feet or more in length, or, when erected on site, is 320 or more square feet, and which is built on a permanent chassis and designed to be used as a dwelling with or without a permanent foundation when connected to the required utilities, and includes the plumbing, heating, air-conditioning, and electrical system contained therein; except that such term shall include any structure which meets all the requirements of this paragraph and the manufacturer voluntarily files a certification required by the secretary of housing and urban development and complies with the standards established under this title.

A manufactured home is a single-family detached dwelling and its placement in a residential district must meet or exceed the compatibility standards as provided in section 4.13.

Manufactured home park. A licensed business operation which leases spaces for permanent or for temporary occupancy for periods exceeding 30 days for manufactured homes.

Mini warehouse. A building(s) that contains varying sizes of individual, compartmentalized and control-access stalls or lockers for storing the excess personal property of an individual or family.

Mobile home. A structure, transportable in one or more sections, which, in the traveling mode, is eight body feet or more in width or 40 body feet or more in length or, when erected on site, is 320 or more square feet and which is built on a permanent chassis and designed to be used as a dwelling with or without a permanent foundation when connected to the required utilities and includes the plumbing, heating, air-conditioning, and electrical systems contained therein and manufactured prior to June 15, 1976. A mobile home is not considered a single-family detached dwelling.

Modular home. See "Industrialized home."

Motel. See "Hotel."

Motor vehicle repair service, specialty. A building, lot, or both in or upon which specialty repair services are provided quickly for operational motor vehicles; services may include but are not limited to removal and/or replacement of oils, fluids, filters, grease, minor parts like mufflers, shocks, and brakes; and may include tuning of engines; service repair time is routinely less than 24 hours on-site.

Motor vehicle service station. A building or lot for motor vehicle refueling using fixed dispensing equipment connected to pumps and storage tanks; where oils or accessories for the use of motor vehicles are dispersed, sold, or offered for sale at retail; and may include one or more service bays for vehicle washing, lubrication and minor replacement, or adjustment and repair services.

Multiple dwelling. See "Dwelling, multiple."

Multi-family dwellings. See "Dwelling, multiple."

Nonconforming use. The use of a building or land existing at the time of enactment of this ordinance, or subsequent amendment, which does not conform to the regulations for the district in which it is located. A use is nonconforming if it is not a permitted use in the district where it is located or the use, itself, does not comply with regulations dealing with area regulations, parking/loading regulations, setbacks, height, or floor area requirements.

Nursing home. A building in which through its ownership or management admits patients on medical referral only, provides continuous medical supervision and provides skilled nursing care and services. Nursing services shall be those services which may be rendered by a person licensed under the Nurse Practice Act (O.C.G.A. § 43-26-1 et seq.). Nursing home is synonymous with convalescent home and long-term care facility.

Off-street loading and unloading space. A space with dimensions no less than 12 feet in width, 40 feet in length and 14 feet in height, exclusive of access aisles, maneuvering space or alley right-of-way.

Off-street parking space. A minimum net area of 200 square feet of appropriate dimensions, and not less than nine feet in width, for parking an automobile, exclusive of access drives or aisles thereto or any street or alley right-of-way.

Open air business uses. Open air business uses shall include the following but not limited to:

(a)

Retail sale of trees, shrubbery, plants, flowers, seed, topsoil, humus, fertilizer, trellises, lawn furniture, playground equipment and other home garden supplies and equipment;

(b)

Retail sale of fruit and vegetables;

(c)

Miniature golf, golf driving range, children's amusement park, or similar recreation uses;

(d)

Bicycle, trailer, motor vehicle, boats or home equipment sales, service or rental services; and

(e)

Outdoor display and sale of garages, swimming pools, and similar use.

Open space. A yard area which is not used for or occupied by a driveway, off-street parking, or loading space.

Overlay zone, overlay. A mapped zone that imposes a set of requirements in addition to those of the underlying zoning district.

Parking space. A surfaced area, enclosed or unenclosed, sufficient in size to store one automobile, together with a driveway connecting the parking space with a street or alley and permitting ingress and egress of an automobile.

Peddler. See "Street vendor."

Permit. A certificate of zoning compliance or special zoning permit or any other permit required by this ordinance.

Personal care home. See "Assisted living home/facility."

Planning commission. The Ringgold Planning Commission, or equivalent body, established by the Mayor and Council of Ringgold.

Plat. A map, plan, or layout of a county, city, town, or section of subdivision indicating the location and boundaries of properties.

Principal use. The primary purpose or function that land serves or is intended to serve.

Private garage. See "Garage, private."

Rear yard. See "Yard, rear."

Recreational vehicles. A vehicular type portable structure without permanent foundation, which can be towed, hauled or driven and primarily designed as temporary living accommodation for recreational, camping and travel use, and including but not limited to travel trailers, truck campers, camping trailers and self-propelled motor homes. See "Campground."

Recycling center. A facility in which recoverable resources, such as papers, glassware, plastics, and metal cans, or any nonhazardous recycling materials, are collected, stored, flattened, crushed, or bundled, by hand or machines within a completely enclosed building.

Recycling collection station. An incidental use that serves as a neighborhood drop-off point for temporary storage of recoverable resources. No processing of such items would be allowed. This station would generally be located in a commercial parking lot, or at other public/quasi-public areas, such as churches and schools.

Regional flood. A flood used in TVA flood studies comparable to the largest floods known to have occurred on streams of similar physical characteristics and within the same general geographic region.

Restaurant. A public eating establishment in which the primary function is the preparation and service of food on the premises. A drive-in restaurant is not a restaurant for the purpose of these regulations.

Right-of-way line. The dividing line between a lot, tract or parcel of land and a contiguous street, railroad, or other public utility right-of-way.

Rooming-house. See "Boardinghouse."

Rooming house. A building other than a hotel where lodging without meals for three but not more than 20 persons is provided.

Salvage yard. See "Junk yard."

Satellite dish antenna. A device which is used to intercept satellite television signals and consists of two main components: the antenna itself, often called a dish, and low noise amplifier (LNA).

Self-service laundry. See "Laundry, self-service."

Senior housing. A multi-family residence with 80 percent or more of the dwelling units occupied by residents, ages 62 and over or handicapped; or couples where either the husband or wife is 62 years of age or older; does not include convalescent or nursing facilities.

Service station. See "Motor vehicle service station."

Setback line (or building line). The line that is the required minimum distance from the street right-of-way line or any other lot line that establishes the area within which walls of the principal structure must be erected or placed. The minimum measurement is to the wall, not the eave/overhang, and a cantilever building design measures to any wall projecting nearest to the property lines. The area contained within the boundaries formed by the setback lines is considered the buildable area of the lot.

Shopping center. A group of commercial establishments planned, constructed and managed as a total entity with customer and employee parking provided on-site, provision for goods delivery separated from customer access, aesthetic considerations and protection from the elements.

Side yard. See "Yard, side."

Single-family dwelling. See "Dwelling, single-family."

Storage garage. See "Garage, storage."

Story. That portion of a building included between the surface of any floor and the surface of the floor next above it; or if there be no floor above it, then the space between the floor and the ceiling next above it.

Story, half. A story under a gabled, hip, or gambrel roof, the wall plates of which on at least two opposite exterior walls are not more than three feet above the finished floor of such story.

Street. A public thoroughfare which affords principal means of access to abutting property.

Street vendor/peddler shall include any person, whether a resident of the city or not, traveling by foot, wagon, automotive vehicle or any other type of conveyance, from place to place, from house to house, or from street to street carrying, conveying or transporting goods, merchandise, meats, fish, vegetables, fruits, garden truck, farm products or provisions, offering and exposing the same for sale, or making sales and delivering articles to purchasers or any person who, without traveling from place to place shall sell or offer the same.

Structural alteration. Any change in the supporting members of a building, such as bearing walls, bearing partitions, columns, beams or girders; or any complete rebuilding of the roof or the exterior walls.

Structure. Anything constructed or erected for use, occupancy, or ornamentation, including signs, the use of which requires location on the ground, or attachment to something having location on the ground. Structures include industrialized buildings, manufactured homes, mobile homes, billboards, swimming pools, advertising signs, satellite dishes, tents, backstops for tennis courts, fences, pergolas, and fall-out shelters. "Structure" shall include "building."

Studio, commercial. A building or portion of a building used as a place of work by an artist, photographer, or artisan, or used for radio or television broadcasting.

Subdivision. A division of land into two or more lots, plats or sites. See "Ringgold Subdivision Regulations."

Territorial boundary. The area lying within the corporate limits of the City of Ringgold.

Townhouse, fee simple. A type of dwelling unit that is one or more stories in height which has outside, individual, front and rear entrances, is separated from other dwelling units by common party walls that meet or exceed the applicable Georgia State Minimum Standard Fire Code requirements as determined by the building inspector, occupies its own lot and is part of a contiguous group of at least three such townhouses.

Travel trailer. See "Recreational vehicles."

Two-family dwelling. See "Dwelling, two-family."

Used car lot. A lot or group of contiguous lots used for the storage, display and sale of used automobiles and where no repair work is done except the necessary reconditioning of the cars to be displayed and sold on the premises.

Used for. Includes "designed for."

Variance. A variance is a modification of the strict terms of the zoning regulations based upon circumstances unique to a particular piece of property. This does not include a variance as to a use of land within a specified zone, but does concern performance standards. See "article VIII, board of zoning appeals."

Width of lot. See "Lot, width of."

Yard. An open space on the same lot with a building, unoccupied and unobstructed from the ground upward, except by trees or shrubbery or as may otherwise be provided.

Yard, front. A yard across the full width of a lot, extending from the front line of the building to the front of the lot, excluding steps.

Yard, rear. A yard extending across the full width of the lot and lying between the rear lot line and the nearest line of the building. Rear yard depth shall be measured at right angles to the rear line of the lot. Corner lots fall within an exception.

Yard, side. A yard extending between a building and the side line of the lot, and extending from the front line to the rear lot line.

Zoning ordinance. An ordinance or resolution by the mayor and council of the City of Ringgold establishing procedures and zones or districts within its respective territorial boundaries which regulate the uses and development standards of property within such zones or districts. The term also includes the zoning map adopted in conjunction with a zoning ordinance which shows the zones and districts and zoning classifications of property therein and F.E.M.A. maps. See "zoning procedures and standards ordinance."

(Ord. No. 2014-0224, § 1, 2-24-14)

Editor's note

The zoning procedures and standards ordinance referenced has not been set out, but is available for review in the office of the city clerk.