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Glossary
of Planning and Geographic
Information
Systems (GIS)
Terms
ACCESSORY
USE: The use of a building, structure
or land that is subordinate to, customarily
incidental to, and ordinarily found in association
with, a principal use, which it serves. (See
Section 27-107.01 of the Zoning Ordinance.)
ACRE: 43,560 square feet (about the
size of a football field).
ACTIVITY CENTER: A community focal
point providing for the combination, rather
than scatteration, of general retail, service
commercial, professional office, higher density
housing, and appropriate public/quasi-public
uses. (See VILLAGE ACTIVITY CENTER, COMMUNITY
ACTIVITY CENTER, AND MAJOR COMMUNITY ACTIVITY
CENTER.)
ADEQUATE PUBLIC FACILITIES (APF) ORDINANCE:
The ordinance requiring a determination
of the adequacy of public facilities to accommodate
growth resulting from approval of a subdivision
application.
AFFORESTATION: The establishment
of a tree cover on an area from which it has
always or very long been absent, or the planting
of open areas that are not presently in forest
cover. (See also REFORESTATION)
AGRICULTURAL ASSESSMENT: A state
program in which land used for agricultural
purposes is assessed based on its value as
agricultural land as opposed to a higher valuation.
AIR INSTALLATION COMPATIBLE USE ZONE (AICUZ)
STUDY: An extensive analysis of the
effects of noise, aircraft accident potential,
and land use and development upon present
and future neighbors of Andrews Air Force
Base.
AIR RIGHTS: The development rights
of the space above a piece of land and its
existing ground level use.
ANCILLARY: Certain small shops, stores,
restaurants associated with larger uses, e.g.,
office and residential, that supply necessities
in frequent demand and the daily needs of
an area, with a minimum of consumer travel
(e.g., restaurants, dry cleaners in an office
or mid-rise residential building).
AREA MASTER PLAN OR AREA PLAN:
Area Master Plans: Area master plans consist
of a plan map along with supporting data,
text and other maps. They provide specific
recommendations on a planning area or subregion
basis on the environment, historic preservation,
living areas, housing, commercial areas, employment
areas, urban design, circulation, and transportation.(See
also MASTER PLAN.)
ARTERIAL: A highway, usually within
a 120-foot right-of-way, for through traffic
with access controlled to minimize direct
connections, usually divided and on a continuous
route.
AT-GRADE: Level for a road, building
or other structure at the same grade or level
as the adjoining property (as opposed to a
depressed or elevated road, building or other
facility).
AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC (ADT): The
average number of vehicles passing a specified
point on a highway during a 24-hour period.
BASIC PLAN: Phase 1 of the Comprehensive
Design Zone process. It sets forth general land
use relationships, including the approximate number
of dwelling units and building intensity. Proposed
land uses are also described. (See COMPREHENSIVE
DESIGN ZONE.) (See also COMPREHENSIVE
DESIGN PLAN AND SPECIFIC DESIGN PLAN.)
BERM: An earthen mound designed to provide
visual interest on a site, screening of undesirable
views, noise reduction, etc.
BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES (BMPs): Conservation
practices or systems of practices and management
measures that control soil loss and reduce water
quality degradation caused by nutrients, animal
waste, toxins and sediment.
BIKEWAY: A lane, path or other surface
reserved exclusively for bikers.
BUFFER: An area of land designed or managed
for the purpose of separating and insulating two
or more land areas whose uses conflict or are incompatible
(trees separating homes from an expressway).
BUFFERYARD: One of several specific combinations
of minimum building setbacks, landscaped yard widths,
and plant material requirements set forth in the
Landscape Manual for use in buffering incompatible
land uses.
BUILD-OUT: A theoretical measure of "full
development" for which public facilities are
planned. (See HOLDING CAPACITY.)
BUS RAPID TRANSIT (BRT):
A fixed guideway transit (FGT) system in which transit
buses operate on rights-of-way that are physically
or otherwise off-limits to regular vehicular traffic.
These systems are often constructed so that they
can be upgraded to light-rail vehicle operations
when ridership grows beyond the operational capacity
of transit buses. The state Department of Transportation
is considering bus rapid transit for several major
arterial roads in Prince George’s County.
CAPACITY:
The maximum number of vehicles that have a reasonable
expectation of passing over a given section of a
lane or a roadway during a given period under a
specified speed or level of service. Strictly, capacity
is an absolute number equivalent to Level-of-Service
E. (See LEVEL OF SERVICE.)
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (CIP): A six-year
comprehensive statement of the objectives of capital
programs with cost estimates and proposed construction
schedules for specific projects. The CIP is submitted
annually to the County Council by the County Executive.
CHARRETTE: A brief, intense design workshop
in which community teams work together with municipal
staff, city council members, the landowner, the
developer, and all interested citizens in order
to produce a plan that addresses the needs of the
community.
CHESAPEAKE BAY CRITICAL AREA: All waters
of and lands under the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries
to the head of tide as indicated on the state wetlands
maps, and all land and water areas within 1,000
feet beyond the landward boundaries of and heads
of tides as indicated on approved Chesapeake Bay
Critical Area Overlay Zoning Map Amendments.
CLUSTER DEVELOPMENT: An alternative development
technique under zoning and subdivision regulations.
A cluster subdivision is basically one in which
a number of residential lots are grouped or clustered,
leaving some land undivided for common use. Generally
the same number of lots or dwelling units permitted
under conventional subdivision procedures are clustered
on smaller-than-usual lots. The land remaining from
lot reduction is left undivided and is available
as common area or open space.
COLLECTOR: A two- to four-lane roadway,
usually within an 80-foot right-of-way, providing
movement between developed areas and the arterial
system with minimum control of access.
COMMISSION 2000: A 53-member broad-based,
blue ribbon panel appointed by the County Executive
and the County Council charged with the preparation
of a Biennial Growth Policy Plan. The plan was adopted,
with amendments, as the Interim General Plan in
November 2000.
COMMUNITY ACTIVITY CENTER (as defined in
Master Plans): A commercial center containing 10-25
acres of commercial development on a site area of
20-30 acres, serving a population of at least 50,000
and anchored by a general merchandise store and
may also include a supermarket. A community activity
center should also include other commercial, public/quasi-public
and residential uses. (See also ACTIVITY CENTER.)
COMMUNITY CENTERS: Concentration of activities,
services and land uses that serve, and are focal
points for, the immediate neighborhoods.
(See also METROPOLITAN AND REGIONAL CENTERS.)
COMMUNITY (as defined in some
master plans): A grouping of neighborhoods and
villages, the population of which may range from
23,000 to 30,000 in suburban areas and up to 40,000
in corridor communities. Most communities should
have as their centers of focal points a Community
Activity Center. (See NEIGHBORHOOD and VILLAGE.)
COMPREHENSIVE DESIGN PLAN (CDP): Phase
II of the Comprehensive Design Zone process. It
establishes the general location, distribution,
and size of proposed structures. (See COMPREHENSIVE
DESIGN ZONE.) (See also BASIC PLAN
AND SPECIFIC DESIGN PLAN.)
COMPREHENSIVE DESIGN ZONE (CDZ): Provisions
enacted in the Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision
Regulations providing developers the opportunities
to comprehensively plan all aspects of a development,
from zoning and land use to the final specific details
of the site, architecture, and landscaping. The
process involves a three-phase (Basic Plan, Comprehensive
Design Plan, and Specific Design Plan) site plan
review procedure, which may result in specific density
or intensity increments being added to a base density
or intensity in return for the provision of certain
public benefits.
COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN: (See MASTER
PLAN.)
COMPREHENSIVE REZONING: (See SECTIONAL
MAP AMENDMENT [SMA].)
COMPREHENSIVE TEN-YEAR WATER AND SEWERAGE PLAN:
A plan required by the state and adopted
annually by the county that describes county policy
related to water and sewerage planning and delineates
geographic areas to be serviced over the next ten
years.
CONSERVATION AGREEMENT: A formal agreement
that commits a grading or building permit applicant
within the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area to the execution
of various approved elements of a Conservation Plan,
including a stormwater management concept plan,
an erosion and sedimentation concept plan, a vegetation
management plan, and other plans that may be required
by the Department of Environmental Resources or
the Prince George's County Planning Board.
CONSERVATION EASEMENT: A nonpossessory
interest in land that restricts the manner in which
the land may be developed in an effort to preserve
natural resources for future use.
CONSERVATION MANUAL: The manual that describes
how a Conservation Plan is to be prepared in order
to meet the requirements of the Chesapeake Bay Critical
Area program, and which is adopted by the District
Council and revised and amended from time to time
by the District Council.
CONSOLIDATED TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM (CTP):
The state transportation capital improvement
plan, including all state-funded or sponsored road,
transit, bike/pedestrian projects, and studies to
be undertaken in Prince George’s County.
CONSTRAINED LONG-RANGE PLAN (CLRP): The
approved regional plan for highway, transit, and
bikeway projects, as well as major jurisdictional
and regional studies. Individual jurisdictional
submissions are prepared by the District of Columbia,
Maryland and Virginia for the National Capital Transportation
Planning Board. To be eligible for federal financial
assistance, a Prince George’s County highway,
transit, trail or bikeway project, or major transportation
study, such as those proposed or required by the
new General Plan or the Master Plan of Transportation
(see below), will have to be submitted to the state
for inclusion in the Maryland section of the CLRP
and the appropriate Transportation Improvement Plan
(TIP) (see below).
CONTROLLED INTERSECTIONS: Intersections
with traffic lights or other traffic control devices.
COOPERATIVE FORECASTS: A series of population,
household, and employment forecasts prepared by
local jurisdictions through the auspices of the
Metropolitan-Washington Council of Governments (COG).
CORRIDOR(S): a. An uninterrupted
path or channel of developed or undeveloped land
paralleling the route of a street or highway. b.
The land within one-quarter mile of both sides of
designated high-volume transportation facilities,
such as arterial roads. If the designated transportation
facility is a limited access highway, the corridor
extends one-quarter mile from the interchanges.
DECIBEL“A” WEIGHTED
(dBA): A measure of sound
levels in average decibels usually
over a 24-hour period calculated
using
a logarithmic average.
DENSITY: The number
of dwelling units or persons per
acre of land, usually expressed
in units per gross acre.
- Single-family
detached dwellings (range from
less than 1 to 6 per acre) on
a single lot.
-
Townhouses
(range from 6 to 12
per
acre) attached in a row.
-
Multifamily
Apartments (range from
12 to 48 per acre) in
one structure.
DEVELOPED
TIER (As
defined by the
2002 General
Plan): The subarea
of
the county
consisting primarily
of inner-county
areas
that are largely
developed.
(See DEVELOPING
TIER
and RURAL TIER.)
DEVELOPING
TIER (As
defined by the 2002
General
Plan): The
largely suburban
subarea
of the county located
primarily in the
central
portion of the county.
(See DEVELOPING
TIER
and RURAL TIER.)
DEVELOPMENT
(as defined
in Zoning Ordinance):
Any activity that
materially affects
the condition or use
of dry land, land
under water, or any
structure.
DOWNZONING:
A popular term for
an action that changes
a property to a lower
density, in effect
limiting development
to less-intense uses
than previously permitted.
DWELLING UNIT:
A room or
group of rooms, occupied
or intended for occupancy
as separate living
quarters.
EASEMENT: A contractual agreement to gain
temporary or permanent use of, and/or access through,
a property, usually for public facilities and access
ways.
ECOLOGICAL FUNCTION: The functions
of a natural system that includes water, air, soil,
flora, fauna, and all related elements. These functions
regulate air, water, and soil temperatures and provide
appropriate habitat for ecosystem residents and
migrants.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT (EIR): A
report prepared by M-NCPPC in accordance with Article
28, Section 8-110 for all requests for special exception
to the zoning regulations for the mining of sand
and gravel.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT (EIS):
A document, prepared by a federal agency, on the
environmental impact of its proposals for legislation
and other major actions that significantly affect
the quality of the human environment. Environmental
Impact Statements are used as tools for decision
making and are required by the National Environmental
Policy Act. Similar environmental analyses are undertaken
by state and local agencies.
ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING: Used in
the Historic Sites and Districts Plan to define
an area of land (including or within the property
boundaries) to which a historic resource relates
visually and historically, and which is essential
to the integrity of the historic resource.
EUCLIDEAN ZONE: A traditional zone
in which certain types of land uses with specific
regulations are permitted. Euclidean zones can be
granted by the District Council upon approval of
a comprehensive rezoning or a piecemeal rezoning
application. Through a piecemeal application the
property owner must demonstrate either that a change
in the character of the neighborhood has occurred
since the last comprehensive rezoning; or 2) that
a mistake was made in the last comprehensive rezoning.
EXPRESSWAY: A divided highway,
generally within a 150-200 foot right-of-way, with
full or partial control of access and interchanges
at selected public roads, with some at-grade intersections
spaced at 1,500 foot to 2,000 foot intervals.
FAR: (See FLOOR AREA RATIO)
FINAL PLAT: The final detailed
drawing (to scale) of a tract of land, depicting
the proposed division of the tract into lots, blocks,
streets, alleys, or other areas within a proposed
subdivision. (See Subtitle 24 for further information
regarding Subdivisions.)
Fixed Guideway Transit (FGT): Transit
service provided on its own right-of-way: a rail
track, physically restricted vehicle lanes, or a
dedicated roadway in the road and highway system.
Both the Metrorail regional rapid transit and MARC
commuter rail systems that serve Prince George’s
County are FGT systems.
FLAG LOT: A flag-shaped lot, created
under the Optional Residential Design Approach provisions
of Subtitle 24, which has a street frontage smaller
than that other required for the zone in which it
is located.
FLOATING ZONE: A zone that is more
flexible than euclidean zones in terms of permissible
densities, intensities and land uses and overall
development design opportunities. Most floating
zones require the following findings by the District
Council to be granted: 1) The proposed zone is in
conformance with the Master Plan; 2) Is compatible
with the surrounding community; and 3) Meets the
purposes of the zone. Findings of change or mistake,
required for granting a euclidean zone, are not
required for floating zones. Some floating zones
require Master Plan recommendation.
FLOODPLAIN: A relatively flat or
lowland area adjoining a river, stream, or watercourse,
which is subject to periodic, partial or complete
inundation.
FLOOR AREA RATIO (FAR): The ratio of the
gross floor area of a building to the area of the
lot on which it is located.
FORECAST: As defined for use in the Council
of Governments (COG) Cooperative Forecasting Program,
a projection tempered by stated policy considerations,
including the reconciliation of past and current
trends with current and future policies. Ideally,
forecasts reflect the best professional judgment
concerning the impact of trends and present conditions
on the future trend of development and the likely
effectiveness of policies to alter this trend. Therefore,
forecasts should represent the most realistic assessment
of the future.
FOREST STAND DELINEATION: A detailed accounting
of woody vegetation, prepared in document form,
as required by the Prince George's County Woodland
Conservation and Tree Preservation Policy Document.
FREEWAY: A divided highway for through
traffic with full control of access and interchanges
at selected public roads only.
FUNCTIONAL PLAN: A plan for a specific,
generally Countywide concern, such as highways,
schools, hospitals, or fire stations.
FUNCTIONAL PLANS: Map and supporting text
that comprehensively cover a specific topic (such
as public safety, transportation or historic preservation)
for the entire county.
GENERAL PLAN: The Prince George's County
General Plan, approved by the County Council in
October 2002, provides long-range guidance for the
future growth of the county. It identifies Centers
and Corridors where intensive mixed use (residential,
commercial and employment development) is to be
encouraged. The plan also divides the county into
three development tiers (Developed, Developing,
Rural) recognizing the different development goals
and needs of different parts of the county. The
plan also makes recommendations for infrastructure
elements: green infrastructure, transportation systems,
and public facilities. The plan includes guidance
for economic development, revitalization, housing,
urban design and historic preservation. Future implementation
efforts are outlined.
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS): An
organized collection of computer hardware, software
and geographic data designed to efficiently capture,
store, update, manipulate, analyze and display all
forms of geographically referenced information.
GREEN AREA: An area of land associated
with, and located on the same parcel of land as,
a building for which it serves to provide light
and air, or scenic, recreational, or similar purposes.
GREEN BUILDING: Practices that consider
the impacts of buildings on the local, regional,
and global environment, energy and water efficiency,
reduction of operation and maintenance costs, minimization
of construction waste, and eliminating the use of
harmful building materials.
GREEN CORRIDOR: See GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
GREEN HUB: See GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE: A network
of large undisturbed land areas (hubs) connected
by designated pathways for the movement of wildlife
and humans (green corridors).
GREENWAYS: Areas of protected open
space that follow natural and manmade linear features
for recreation, transportation and conservation
purposes and link ecological, cultural and recreational
amenities.
GROSS FLOOR AREA (GFA): The total
number of square feet of floor area in a building.
HIGH-OCCUPANCY VEHICLE (HOV): A passenger
vehicle containing more than one person. HOV facilities—such
as John Hanson Highway (US 50) in Prince George’s
County—generally require a minimum number
of occupants for a vehicle to be granted access
to HOV lanes.
HISTORIC DISTRICT: A group of historic
resources comprised of two or more properties that
are significant as a cohesive unit and contribute
to the historical, architectural, archeological,
or cultural values within the Maryland-Washington
Regional District and that has been so classified
in the county's Historic Sites and Districts Plan.
HISTORIC RESOURCE: An area of land,
building, structure or object that may be significant
in American history, architecture, archaeology,
or culture. Historic resources, designated as such
in the county's Historic Sites and Districts Plan
are considered unclassified and are not protected
by the Prince George's County Historic Preservation
Ordinance.
HISTORIC SITE: An individual historic
resource that is significant in American history,
architecture, archaeology, or culture and is so
designated on the county's Historic Sites and Districts
Plan. A historic site is protected by the Prince
George's County Historic Preservation Ordinance.
HOLDING CAPACITY: The estimate
of the maximum housing and employment development
permitted by an area's zoning.
IMPERVIOUS SURFACE: In environmental language,
a surface, such as pavement or a building, that
water cannot penetrate or permeate.
INFILL DEVELOPMENT: Development
that takes place on vacant or underutilized parcels
within an area that is already characterized by
urban development and has access to urban services.
INFRASTRUCTURE: The built facilities,
generally publicly funded, that are required in
order to serve a community's developmental and operational
needs. The infrastructure includes such things as
roads and water and sewer systems.
INTENSITY: A term referring to
the gross (total) floor area and/or the degree to
which commercial and industrial land uses generate
traffic, noise, air pollution and other potential
problems, for commercial and industrial uses.
INTERMODAL SURFACE TRANSPORTATION EFFICIENCY
ACT (ISTEA): An act to develop a national
intermodal transportation system that is economically
efficient, environmentally sound, provides a foundation
for the nation to compete in the global economy,
and will move people and goods in an energy-efficient
manner.
LAND USE (OR USE): The types of
buildings and activities existing in an area or
on a specific site. Land use is to be distinguished
from zoning, the latter being the regulation of
existing and future land uses.
LANDSCAPE MANUAL: Part of the County
Zoning Ordinance, its purpose is to enhance the
appearance of the County by improving the quality
of landscaping, buffering and screening. The manual
establishes minimum mandatory standards and provides
options that will allow approval of alternative
methods of compliance.
LEVEL OF SERVICE (LOS): a.
A set of operating conditions describing
the ability of a road network to handle traffic.
Level A specifies the best traffic conditions; Level
F indicates gridlock. b. The adequacy of the road
and street network in the county transportation
system is generally measured and expressed in terms
of its LOS. Each level of service is one in a hierarchy
of indices that evaluate the level and severity
of automotive traffic congestion on a specific road
segment or at specific intersections. The General
Plan recommends the minimum acceptable LOS by Tier.
LIGHT RAIL: Urban rail vehicles
operating predominantly on private rights-of-way
at surface level or fully grade separated, e.g.,
Metro.
LIGHT SPILL-OVER: Light from nonnatural
sources that covers areas beyond that needed for
the lighting use or that trespasses onto another
person’s property.
LOT COVERAGE: The percentage of
a lot that is covered by buildings (including covered
porches) and areas for vehicular access and parking
of vehicles.
MAJOR COMMUNITY ACTIVITY CENTER (as defined
in master plans): A commercial center containing
20-50 acres of commercial development on a site
area of 30-60 acres, serving a population of at
least 150,000. A major community activity center
typically includes uses listed under community activity
center plus one or more general merchandise anchor
stores. Can also be defined as a community focal
point providing for a concentration of activities
such as general retail, service commercial, professional
office, higher-density housing, and appropriate
public and open space uses easily accessible by
pedestrians. (See also ACTIVITY CENTER.)
MANDATORY (LAND) DEDICATION: Land excluded
from subdivision approved for residential development.
The land is dedicated to M-NCPPC (or held in private
ownership) for the purpose of providing suitable
and adequate open space, light, and air to serve
the recreational needs of the future occupants of
the subdivision.
MASTER PLAN: A document that guides
the way an area should be developed. It includes
a compilation of policy statements, goals, standards,
maps and pertinent data relative to the past, present,
and future trends of a particular area of the County
including, but not limited to, its population, housing,
economics, social patterns, land use, water resources
and their use, transportation facilities, and public
facilities. In Prince George's County, master plans
amend the county's General Plan.
MASTER PLAN OF TRANSPORTATION (MPOT): A
countywide functional, comprehensive plan of street,
road, and highway; transit; and trail, bike and
pedestrian facilities needed to ensure the operational
integrity of the county transportation system and
to complement the development and growth envisioned
and recommended in the General Plan, and adopted
and approved area plans, in Prince George’s
County.
METROPOLITAN CENTERS: Areas of
the county with a high concentration of land uses
(such as government service or major employment,
major educational complexes, high-intensity commercial
uses) that attract employers and customers from
other parts of the metropolitan Washington region.
Metropolitan centers are, or may be, cost-effectively
served by mass transt. (See also COMMUNITY AND REGIONAL
CENTERS.)
MIXED-USE ZONING: Zoning that permits
a combination of uses within a single development.
Many zoning districts specify permitted combinations
of, for example, residential and office/commercial
uses. The term has also been applied to major developments,
often with several high-rise buildings, that may
contain offices, shops, hotels, apartments and related
uses.
MODERATELY PRICED DWELLING UNIT (MPDU):
A dwelling unit that is constructed, sold,
or rented pursuant to Subtitle 13, Division 8 of
the Prince George's County Code.
NATURAL RESERVE AREA: A delineation (usually
on master plans) of physical features that exhibit
natural constraints that make conditions unsuitable
for development or that are important to sensitive
ecological systems. The physical features that delineate
the Natural Reserve Area are: the streams and their
buffers, including the 100-year floodplain and nontidal
wetlands. Also included are severe slopes and steep
slopes associated with highly erodible soils, the
Patuxent River Primary Management Area, Chesapeake
Bay Critical Area buffers, and Marlboro clay on
steep slopes.
NEIGHBORHOOD: (As defined in some master plans)
The smallest unit of community structure. Neighborhood
population ranges from 3,000 to 6,000, depending
on the ratio of single-family to multifamily housing.
(See VILLAGE and COMMUNITY).
NEIGHBORHOOD CONVENIENCE CENTER(as
defined in master plans): A commercial center containing
2-6 acres of commercial development on a site of
4-10 acres, serving a population of approximately
8,000 and anchored by a small grocery or drug store.
It should also include a limited range of other
commercial and residential uses.
NET LOT AREA: The total contiguous
area included within a lot, excluding public ways
(i.e., streets, alleys) and land with 100-year floodplain.
(See Section 27-107.01 of the Zoning Ordinance.)
NODE: A location along a corridor
at a major intersection or major transit stop (bus
or rail) that consists of a concentration of high-intensity,
mixed-use residential and commercial development.
Nodes should be interspersed with stretches of lower
intensity land uses or open space.
NONATTAINMENT AREA: A geographic
area in which the level of a criteria air pollutant
is higher than the level allowed by federal standards.
Portions of Prince George's County are currently
classified as nonattainment for carbon monoxide
and all of the county is a nonattainment area for
ozone.
NONCONFORMING BUILDING OR STRUCTURE:
Any building or structure that is not in conformance
with a requirement of the zone in which it is located
(as it applies to the building or structure), provided
that: (a) The requirement was adopted after the
building or structure was lawfully erected; or (b)
The building or structure was erected after the
requirement was adopted and the District Council
has validated a building, use and occupancy, or
sign permit issued for it in error.
NONCONFORMING USE: A use that is
prohibited by, or does not conform to, the Zoning
Ordinance. Except when construction has occurred
in outright violation of the code, nonconforming
uses are generally ones that were allowed under
the original zoning but have not been allowed since
the land was rezoned or the law changed. The use
may continue to operate subject to limitations.
NONTIDAL WETLAND: An area inundated
or saturated by surface or groundwater at a frequency
and duration sufficient to support a prevalence
of vegetation typically adapted for life in saturated
soil conditions under normal circumstances. Nontidal
wetlands are also referred to as swamps, marshes
and bogs.
OPEN SPACE (land
use, not zoning): Areas of land
not covered by structures, driveways, or parking
lots. Open space may include homeowners association
common areas, parks, lakes, streams and ponds, etc.
OPPORTUNITY HOUSING: Dwellings constructed
by a not-for-profit housing organization pursuant
to Subtitle 13, Division 8, of the Prince George's
County Code.
PATTERN OF DEVELOPMENT: The physical form
or shape of land development.
PATUXENT RIVER PRIMARY MANAGEMENT AREA (PMA):
An area along all perennial streams in the Patuxent
River watershed within which land use is managed
to protect water quality and preserve wildlife habitat.
PEDESTRIAN-ORIENTED DESIGN: Land
use activities that are designed and arranged in
a way that emphasizes travel on foot rather than
by car. The factors that encourage people to walk
are often subtle, but they most regularly focus
upon the creation of a pleasant environment for
the pedestrian. Elements include compact, mixed-use
development patterns with facilities and design
that enhance the environment for pedestrians in
terms of safety, walking distances, comfort, and
the visual appeal of the surroundings. Pedestrian-friendly
environments can be created by locating buildings
close to the sidewalk, by lining the street with
trees, and by buffering the sidewalk with planting
strips or parked cars, small shops, street-level
lighting and signs, and public art or displays.
PERSON OF RECORD (PARTY OF RECORD): (A)
In any zoning case, a Person of Record shall include:
1. The owner, applicant and correspondent. 2. Any
municipality or person who (in writing) requests
to become a Person of Record during testimony before
the Zoning Hearing Examiner (ZHE) or prior to the
case having been taken under advisement by the ZHE.
3. The Development Review District Commission if
the property is located in a Development Review
District. (B) In any sectional map amendment (SMA)
or other matter (under the Zoning Ordinance) not
heard by the ZHE, Person of Record shall include
the owner, applicant and correspondent of a pending
Zoning Map Amendment or other pertinent application;
person or municipality who, in writing or in testimony
before the District Council, Planning Board, or
other applicable hearing body, requests to be made
a Person of Record, and the Development Review District
Commission if the property is located in a Development
Review District, prior to the closing of the hearing
record on the matter.
PIECEMEAL REZONING: The rezoning
of individual properties, one-by-one, upon the petitioning
of individual property owners. Piecemeal rezoning
can include euclidean zones, floating zones and
comprehensive design zones.
PIPELINE DEVELOPMENT: A colloquial term encompassing
projects that have received development approval
and public commitments are in effect, but development
has not yet been completed. For example, the number
of housing units "in the pipeline" would
be accounted for in the construction permits, sewer
connection authorizations, or subdivision approval
for housing.
PLANNING AREA: A district geographically
defined by natural or manmade boundaries as described
in the Zoning Ordinance. It is the smallest geographical
area for which a master plan is prepared. Prince
George's ounty is divided into 37 planning areas,
covering all of the county with the exception of
the City of Laurel (which is not under M-NCPPC jurisdiction).
POLLUTION: The presence of matter
or energy, the nature, location, or quantity of
which produces undesirable environmental effects.
(a.) Nonpoint source pollution—Pollution
generated by diffuse land use activities rather
than from an identifiable or discrete facility.
It is conveyed to waterways through natural processes,
such as rainfall, stormwater runoff, or groundwater
seepage rather than by deliberate discharge. (b.)
Point source pollution—In
air pollution, a stationary source of large individual
emission, generally of an industrial nature. In
water pollution, a stationary source of wastewater
discharge into a stream, such as from a factory
or sewage treatment plant.
PRELIMINARY PLAN OF SUBDIVISION:
The preliminary detailed drawing (to scale) of a
tract of land, depicting its proposed division into
lots, blocks, streets, alleys, or other designated
areas within a proposed subdivision.
PUBLIC FACILITY: A facility such
as a road, school or sewage treatment plant financed
by public revenues and available for use by the
public.
PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS: A variety
of facilities and services provided by government
such as street lighting, street widening, trash
collection, and drainage systems.
RECLAMATION: The action
of returning to use, such as the returning of strip-mined
land to a new use by recontouring and replanting.
RECORD PLAT: An official plat of
subdivision as recorded in the Land Records of Prince
George's County, Maryland.
RECREATION—ACTIVE: Includes
activities such as swimming, skating, hiking, biking,
fitness trails, frisbee or conventional golf, baseball,
basketball, etc.
RECREATION—PASSIVE: Reading,
sitting on a park bench, viewing scenery, picnicking
and/or visiting with friends.
REFORESTATION: The replanting of
trees on recently forested land as required by the
publication, A Technical Manual for Woodland
Conservation with Development in Prince George's
County (October 1992). (See also AFFORESTATION.)
REGIONAL CENTERS: Concentrations
of regionally marketed commercial and retail centers,
office and employment areas, some higher-education
facilities, and possibly sports and recreational
complexes. Regional centers are, or can be, effectively
served by mass transit. (See also COMMUNITY AND
METROPOLITAN CENTERS.)
REGIONAL DISTRICT ACT: An act of
the Maryland State Legislature that sets forth the
duties and responsibilities for planning, zoning
and subdivision in Prince George's County (except
the City of Laurel). The act (Article 28) delegates
these responsibilities to the District Council and
the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning
Commission.
REMAND DE NOVO: A return of a zoning
case back to the Planning Board for the purpose
of processing the application over again as if it
were a new one.
REVITALIZATION OVERLAY: A method
of designating areas that will be targeted for revitalization
assistance. Designations will be temporary (generally
from five to ten years), limited in size (generally
no larger than ten acres) and will focus attention
on neighborhoods that are experiencing: (1) problems
with attracting investment due to obsolescent infrastructure
and facilities, and/or (2) concentrated levels of
household poverty with elevated levels of social
and economic distress.
RIGHT-OF-WAY: (A.) A general term
denoting land or an interest therein, usually in
a strip, devoted to transportation or other public
purposes (e.g., utilities). (B.) the legal right
to pass through the grounds of another; also the
public strip of land on which a highway, railroad,
transit line or other public utility (power and
sewer lines) are built.
RUBBLEFILL: Fill placed in a controlled
manner consisting of construction and/or building
demolition rubble, including both irreducible materials
(concrete, rock, brick) and those subject to decay
(lumber). Such fills, in addition to rubble, may
accept root material, brush, tree limbs, and stumps.
SANITARY LANDFILL: A planned and systematic
method of refuse disposal whereby the waste material
is placed in the earth in layers, then compacted
and covered with earth or other approved material.
SCREENING: A method of reducing the impact
of visual and/or noise intrusions through the use
of plant materials, berms, fences and/or walls,
or any combination thereof. Screening blocks that
which is unsightly or offensive with a more harmonious
element.
SECTIONAL MAP AMENDMENT (SMA): (A) The
rezoning of a planning area (or a combination of
planning areas, municipalities, those areas subject
to a master plan, or areas subject to an adopted
urban renewal plan), either selectively or in its
entirety, to implement a master plan and policies
to achieve specified planning goals. (B) A legislative
act that implements the land use recommendations
contained in a master plan by comprehensively rezoning
property to reflect master plan policies, but need
not follow all master plan land use policies or
recommendations.
SENSITIVE ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES: These
features include streams, stream valleys, and their
associated features; the habitats of state-listed
species that are rare, threatened, and endangered;
100-year floodplains; and certain high-priority
forests.
SETBACK: The distance between a building
or structure (not including ground-level parking
lots or other paved surfaces) from property lines
or from other buildings.
SEVERE SLOPES: Those slopes that
are greater than 25 percent. (Example: a 25-foot
change in elevation in a 100-foot horizontal distance.)
SINGLE-OCCUPANCY VEHICLE (SOV): Vehicle
containing only the driver .
SKY GLOW: Light from nonnatural sources
that reflects off the night sky and causes a reduction
in the overall darkness of an area.
SPECIFIC DESIGN PLAN (SDP): Phase III of
the Comprehensive Design Zone process. It is a precise
site plan that includes exact locations of lots,
buildings and streets, etc., architectural plans,
exterior building elevations and detailed landscaping
plans. (See COMPREHENSIVE DESIGN ZONE.) (See also
BASIC PLAN AND COMPREHENSIVE DESIGN PLAN)
STAGED DEVELOPMENT: A timing concept for
the staging of private development and growth in
an area so that development and growth are coordinated
with the provision of needed public facilities,
all in accordance with an adopted policy or plan.
STATE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN (SIP):
A detailed description
of the programs a state will use to carry out its
responsibilities under the Clean Air Act.
STEEP SLOPES: Those slopes that are between
15 and 25 percent. (Example: a 15-foot change in
elevation in a 100-foot horizontal distance.)
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT: The collection,
conveyance, storage, treatment and disposal of stormwater
runoff in a manner to prevent accelerated channel
erosion, increased flood damage, and/or degradation
of water quality.
STREAM VALLEYS: Floodplains and adjacent
slope areas directly associated with a stream, e.g.,
the Anacostia River stream valley.
STREET LINE: A line separating the street
from abutting property.
STREET: A public or dedicated right-of-way
at least 30 feet in width or a private road, right-of-way,
or easement along which development is authorized
pursuant to Subtitle 24. (See Section 27-107.01
of the Zoning Ordinance.)
STREETSCAPE: The environment of the public
right-of-way as defined by adjacent private and
public buildings, character of the pavement and
street furniture, and use of the right-of-way.
STRUCTURE: Anything constructed or built,
including parking lots and fencing. (See Section
27-107.01 of the Zoning Ordinance.
SUBDIVISION:
The division by plat
or deed of a piece of property into two or more
lots, plots, sites, tracts, parcels, or other land
divisions in accordance with Subtitle 24 of the
Prince George's County Code.
SUBDIVISION REGULATIONS: Laws or regulations
for the division of any land, lot or parcel into
two or more lots, including the provision of streets
and other public facilities.
SUBREGION:
A grouping of planning areas into a larger portion
of a regional area. Prince George's County is divided
into seven subregions.
TRADE-OFF:
A balancing or exchange of factors or conditions,
not all of which are attainable. Trade-offs are
used in decision-making situations when complete
satisfaction is not possible. Trade-offs involve
sacrifice of one good for attainment of another.
TRAFFIC LEVELS OF SERVICE (LOS): See LEVELS
OF SERVICE
TRANSFER OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS (TDR): A
growth management tool used to protect designated
rural and environmentally sensitive areas by allowing
development rights to be transferred to properties
in other parts of the county.
TRANSIT DISTRICT OVERLAY ZONE (TDOZ): A
mapped zone superimposed over other zones in a designated
area around a Metro station. The TDOZ may modify
certain requirements for development within those
underlying zones. Permitted uses of the underlying
zones are unaffected. However, underlying zones
can be changed via the TDOZ.
TRANSIT MASTER PLAN (TMP): A five-year
comprehensive blueprint for regional and local bus
and paratransit service to be provided in and by
Prince George’s County, prepared by the Department
of Public Works and Transportation.
TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT (TOD):
Land uses that are sited, designed and combined
to maximize transit, particularly rail, ridership.
TRANSIT SUPPORTING DEVELOPMENT (TSD):
Similar to TOD, transit-supporting development is
land use that is generally sited and designed to
increase, as opposed to maximize, transit ridership.
TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT (TDM)/TRANSPORTATION
SYSTEM MANAGEMENT (TSM): Techniques used
to increase the efficiency of the existing transportation
system through lower cost programs like ride sharing,
bus fare subsidy, parking management, and flextime.
TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (TIP):
A six-year regional schedule for the study, acquisition,
upgrading, or development of major highway, transit,
bike and pedestrian facilities, and services. A
joint effort of the National Capital Transportation
Planning Board and its constituent jurisdictions—principally
the state transportation agencies of Maryland, the
District of Columbia, and Virginia—the TIP
complements the CLRP (see above). Any project that
is to be a candidate for federal financial assistance
must be included in both plans.
TREE CONSERVATION PLAN: A site
map that delineates tree save areas and text that
details the requirements, penalties or mitigation
negotiated during the development and/or permit
review process.
URBAN DESIGN: the process of giving form,
shape and character to the arrangement of buildings,
to whole neighborhoods, or the city. Urban design
blends architecture, landscaping and city planning
concepts together to make an urban area accessible,
attractive and functional.
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