City of Nevada - Definitions

Accessory building or use A subordinate building having a use customarily incident to and located on the lot occupied by the main building; or a use customarily incident to the main use of the property. A building housing an accessory use is considered an integral part of the main building when it has any part of a wall in common with the main building; or is under an extension of the main roof and designed as an integral part of the main building.

Adult daycare program A group program designed to provide care and supervision to meet the needs of functionally impaired adults for periods of less than 24 hours but more than two hours per day in a place other than the adult's own home.

Alley A minor way which is used primarily for vehicular service access to the back or side of properties otherwise abutting on a street.

Alteration Any addition, removal, extension or change in the location of any exterior wall of a main building or accessory building.

Basement A story below the first story, counted as a story for height regulations if it is subdivided and used for dwelling purposes other than by a janitor or watchman employed on the premises.

Block A piece or parcel of land entirely surrounded by public highways or streets, other than alleys. In cases where the platting is incomplete or disconnected, the building inspector shall determine the outline of the block.

Building An enclosed structure, anchored to a permanent foundation and having exterior or party walls and a roof, designed for the shelter of persons, animals or property. When divided by other than common or contiguous walls, each portion or section of such building shall be regarded as a separate building, except that two buildings connected by a breezeway shall be deemed as one building. The term "building" shall include the term "structure."

Court An open, unoccupied space, other than a yard, bounded on three or more sides by exterior walls of a building, or by exterior walls of a building and lot lines on which walls are allowable.

Curb level The mean level of the curb in front of the lot, or in the case of a corner lot, along that abutting street where the mean curb level is the highest.

Dwelling A building or portion thereof designed exclusively for residential occupancy, including one-family, two-family and multiple dwellings, boardinghouses and lodginghouses, apartment houses and apartment hotels, but not hotels, house trailers or mobile homes.

Family An individual; or two or more persons related by blood, marriage or adoption; or a group of not more than five persons (excluding servants) who need not be related by blood or marriage, living together and subsisting in common as a separate nonprofit housekeeping unit which provides one kitchen.

Group housing project A dwelling project consisting of three or more buildings, to be constructed on a plot of ground which is not subdivided into customary streets or lots, or where the existing or contemplated street or lot layouts make it impractical to apply the requirements of this chapter to the individual building units in such a housing project.

Height of buildings The vertical distance measured from the highest of the following three levels: (a) From the street curb level. (b) From the established or mean street grade in case the curb has not been constructed. (c) From the average finished ground level adjoining the building if it sets back from the street line; to the level of the highest point of the roof beams of flat roofs or roofs inclining not more than one inch to the foot; or to the mean height level of the top of the main plates and highest ridge for other roofs.

Height of yard or court The vertical distance from the lowest level of such yard or court to the highest point of any boundary wall.

Hotel A building occupied or used as a more or less temporary abiding place of individuals or groups of individuals who are lodged, with or without meals, and in which there are more than 12 sleeping rooms, and no provisions for cooking in individual rooms.

House trailer or mobile home Any structure used for living or sleeping purposes, having no foundation other than wheels, blocks, skids, jacks, horses or skirtings, and which has been, or reasonably may be, equipped with wheels or other devices for transporting the structure from place to place.

Lot A parcel of land occupied or to be occupied by one main building, or unit group of buildings, and the accessory buildings or uses customarily incident thereto, including such open spaces as are required under this chapter, and having its principal frontage upon a public street or approved place. A lot, as used herein, may consist of one or more platted lots or tracts, as conveyed, or parts thereof and in compliance with chapter 32.

Lot depth The mean horizontal distance from the front street line to the rear line.

Lot line The line bounding a lot as defined herein.

Lot line, front The boundary between a lot and the street on which it fronts.

Lot line, rear The boundary line which is opposite and most distant from the front street line; except that in the case of uncertainty the building inspector shall determine the rear line.

Lot line, side Any lot boundary line not a front or rear line thereof. A side line may be a party lot line, a line bordering on an alley or place or side street line.

Lot width The horizontal distance between side lines, measured at the front building line.

Lot, corner A lot abutting upon two or more streets at their intersection. A corner lot shall be deemed to front on that street on which it has its least dimension, unless otherwise specified by the building inspector.

Lot, interior A lot whose side lot lines do not abut upon any street.

Lot, reverse corner A corner lot whose front lot line faces at right angles to the front lot lines of the interior lots or whose rear lot line abuts the side lot lines of interior lots and having a street side yard setback equal to the front yard setback on lots hereafter platted.

Lot, through An interior lot having frontage on two streets.

Lots in separate ownership on June 15, 1965 A lot whose boundary lines, along their entire length, touched lands under other ownership as shown by plat or deed recorded in the office of the recorder of deeds of the county on or before June 15, 1965.

Nonconforming use, building or yard A use, building or yard which does not, by reason of design, use or dimensions, conform to the regulations of the district in which it is situated. It is a legal nonconforming use if established prior to June 15, 1965.

Place An open, unoccupied space other than a street or alley permanently established, or dedicated as the principal means of access to property abutting thereon.

Service floor area The total floor area of a building exclusive of stairways, rest rooms, storage rooms, hallways or other areas which are not regularly used by inhabitants, visitors, employees, clients, customers, patients or patrons in their normal everyday use of the building.

Sign Any words, numerals, figures, devices, designs or trademarks by which information is made known, such as are used to identify a building, structure or object, or designate or mention an individual profession, firm, business or commodity.

Special use permit Certain uses may be located in any district by special use permit of the city council, after public hearing, and after recommendation of the planning commission, under such conditions as to operation, site development, parking signs and time limit as may be deemed necessary in order that such use will not seriously injure the appropriate use of neighboring property, and will conform to the general intent and purpose of this chapter. Such uses shall comply with the height and area regulations of the district in which they may be located; except that radio, television and microwave towers, and drive-in theater screens may exceed the height regulations. In case of a protest against the issuance of a special use permit, with such protest signed by the owners of ten percent or more of the dwellings or unimproved parcels of land located entirely within 185 feet of the lot on which the special use is requested, such special use shall not become effective except by a favorable vote of three-fourths of all members of the city council.

Story That part of a building included between the surface of one finished floor and the surface of the finished floor next above, or if there is no floor above, that part of the building which is above the surface of the highest floor thereof. A top story attic is a half story when the main line of the eaves is not above the middle of the interior height of such story. The first story is the highest story having its interior floor surface not more than four feet above the curb level, established or mean street grade, or average ground level.

Street A right-of-way which affords principal means of vehicular access to property abutting thereon.

Street line The dividing line between the street and the abutting property.

Structural alterations Any alteration involving a change in or addition to the supporting members of a building, such as bearing walls, columns, beams or girders.

Structure Anything constructed or erected which requires location on the ground, or attached to something having a location on the ground, including, but not limited to, signs, and excepting utility poles, fences and retaining walls.

Used for Includes "designated for" or "intended for."

Variance Relief from or variation of the provisions of this chapter, other than use regulations, as applied to a specific piece of property, as distinct from rezoning.

Yard An open space at grade between a building and the adjoining lot lines, unoccupied and unobstructed by any portion of a structure from the ground upward, except as otherwise provided. In measuring a yard for the purpose of determining the width of a side yard, the depth of a front yard or the depth of a rear yard, the least horizontal distance between the lot line and the main building shall be used. Where lots abut a street that is designated a thoroughfare on the thoroughfare plan, all yards abutting the street shall be measured from a line one-half the proposed right-of-way width from the centerline, or from the lot line, whichever provides the greater setback. On other lots all yards abutting a street shall be measured from a line 25 feet from the centerline, or from the lot line, whichever provides the greater setback.

Yard, front A yard across the full width of the lot from the front line of the main building to the front line of the lot.

Yard, rear A yard between the rear lot line and the rear line of the main building and the side lot lines.

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

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