Unless specifically defined below, words and phrases used in this chapter shall be interpreted so as to give this chapter its most reasonable application.

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

ACCESSORY USE OR STRUCTURE

A use or structure on the same lot with, and of a nature customarily incidental and subordinate to, the principal use or structure.

BASEMENT

Any area of the building having its floor below ground level on all sides.

BUILDING

A combination of materials to form a permanent structure having walls and a roof. Included shall be all manufactured homes and trailers to be used for human habitation.

COMPLETELY DRY SPACE

A space which will remain totally dry during flooding; the structure is designed and constructed to prevent the passage of water and water vapor.

DEVELOPMENT

Any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate, including but not limited to the construction, reconstruction, renovation, repair, expansion, or alteration of buildings or other structures; the placement of manufactured homes; streets, and other paving; utilities; filling, grading and excavation; mining; dredging; drilling operations; storage of equipment or materials; and the subdivision of land.

ESSENTIALLY DRY SPACE

A space which will remain dry during flooding, except for the passage of some water vapor or minor seepage; the structure is substantially impermeable to the passage of water.

FLOOD

A temporary inundation of normally dry land areas.

FLOODPLAIN AREA

A relatively flat or low land area which is subject to partial or complete inundation from an adjoining or nearby stream, river or watercourse; and/or any area subject to the unusual and rapid accumulation of surface waters from any source.

FLOODPROOFING

Any combination of structural and nonstructural additions, changes, or adjustments to structures which reduce or eliminate flood damage to real estate or improved real property, water and sanitary facilities, structures and their contents.

FLOODWAY

The designated area of a floodplain required to carry and discharge floodwaters of a given magnitude. For the purposes of this chapter, the floodway shall be capable of accommodating a flood of the one-hundred-year magnitude.

HISTORIC STRUCTURE

Any structure that is:

A.

Listed individually in the National Register of Historic Places (a listing maintained by the Department of Interior) or preliminarily determined by the Secretary of the Interior as meeting the requirements for individual listing on the National Register;

B.

Certified or preliminarily determined by the Secretary of the Interior as contributing to the historical significance of a registered historic district or a district preliminarily determined by the Secretary to qualify as a registered historic district;

C.

Individually listed on a state inventory of historic places in states with historic preservation programs which have been approved by the Secretary of Interior; or

D.

Individually listed on a local inventory of historic places in communities with historic preservation programs that have been certified either:

(1)

By an approved state program as determined by the Secretary of the Interior; or

(2)

Directly by the Secretary of the Interior in states without approved programs.

IDENTIFIED FLOODPLAIN AREA

The floodplain area specifically identified in this chapter as being inundated by the one-hundred-year flood.

LAND DEVELOPMENT

Any of the following activities:

A.

The improvement of one lot or two or more contiguous lots, tracts, or parcels of land for any purpose involving:

(1)

A group of two or more residential or nonresidential buildings, whether proposed initially or cumulatively, or a single nonresidential building on a lot or lots regardless of the number of occupants or tenure; or

(2)

The division or allocation of land or space, whether initially or cumulatively, between or among two or more existing or prospective occupants by means of, or for the purpose of streets, common areas, leaseholds, condominiums, building groups or other features.

B.

A subdivision of land.

MANUFACTURED HOME

A structure, transportable in one or more sections, which is built on a permanent chassis, and is designed for use with or without a permanent foundation when attached to the required utilities. The term includes park trailers, travel trailers, recreational and other similar vehicles which are placed on a site for more than 180 consecutive days.

MANUFACTURED HOME PARK

A parcel of land under single ownership, which has been planned and improved for the placement of two or more manufactured homes for nontransient use.

MINOR REPAIR

The replacement of existing work with equivalent materials for the purpose of its routine maintenance and upkeep, but not including the cutting away of any wall, partition or portion thereof, the removal or cutting of any structural beam or bearing support, or the removal or change of any required means of egress, or rearrangement of parts of a structure affecting the exit way requirements; nor shall minor repairs include addition to, alteration of, replacement or relocation of any standpipe, water supply, sewer, drainage, drain leader, gas, oil, waste, vent, or similar piping, electric wiring or mechanical or other work affecting public health or general safety.

NEW CONSTRUCTION

Structures for which the start of construction commenced on or after April 6, 2001, and includes any subsequent improvements thereto.

ONE-HUNDRED-YEAR FLOOD

A flood that, on the average, is likely to occur once every 100 years (i.e., that has a one-percent chance of occurring each year, although the flood may occur in any year).

PERSON

An individual, partnership, public or private association or corporation, firm, trust, estate, municipality, governmental unit, public utility or any other legal entity whatsoever, which is recognized by law as the subject of rights and duties.

RECREATIONAL VEHICLE

A vehicle which is:

A.

Built on a single chassis;

B.

Not more than 400 square feet, measured at the largest horizontal projections;

C.

Designed to be self-propelled or permanently towable by a light-duty truck;

D.

Not designed for use as a permanent dwelling but as temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, travel, or seasonal use.

REGULATORY FLOOD ELEVATION

The one-hundred-year flood elevation plus a freeboard safety factor of 1 1/2 feet.

STRUCTURE

Anything constructed or erected on the ground or attached to the ground, including but not limited to buildings, sheds, manufactured homes, and other similar items. This term includes any man-made object having an ascertainable stationary location on or in land or water whether or not affixed to land.

SUBDIVISION

The division or redivision of a lot, tract, or parcel of land by any means into two or more lots, tracts, parcels or other divisions of land, including changes in existing lot lines for the purpose, whether immediate or future, of lease, partition by the court for distribution to heirs or devisees, transfer of ownership or building or lot development; provided, however, that the subdivision by lease of land for agricultural purposes into parcels of more than 10 acres, not involving any new street or easement of access or any residential dwelling, shall be exempted.

SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE

Damage from any cause sustained by a structure whereby the cost of restoring the structure to its before-damaged condition would equal or exceed 50% or more of the market value of the structure before the damage occurred.

SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT

Any reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition, or other improvement of a structure, the cost of which equals or exceeds 50% of the market value of the structure before the start of construction of the improvement. This term includes structures which have incurred substantial damage, regardless of the actual repair work performed. The term does not, however, include either:

A.

Any project for improvement of a structure to correct existing violations of state or local health, sanitary, or safety code specifications which have been identified by the local code enforcement official and which are the minimum necessary to assure safe living conditions; or

B.

Any alteration of an historic structure, provided that the alteration will not preclude the structure's continued designation as an historic structure.