APPENDIX B

GLOSSARY OF TERMS Section

B-2 RIO D’ ORO SPECIFIC PLAN APPENDIX B– Glossary of Terms

For the purpose of carrying out the intent of the Rio d’ Oro Specific Plan; words, phrases, and terms shall be deemed to have the meaning ascribed to them in this appendix. In construing the provisions of this Specific Plan, specific provisions shall supersede general provisions relating to the same subject.

The word “Board” or “Board of Supervisors” shall mean the Butte County Board of Supervisors which is the governing body of the County.

The word “County” shall mean Butte County.

The words “Commission” or “Planning Commission” shall mean the Butte County Planning Commission.

The word “Director” shall mean the Director of the identified Butte County department, division or agency acting in person or through a subordinate to whom the authority to act has been delegated.

The word “shall” is mandatory; the word “may” or “should” is permissive.

The word “state” shall mean the State of California.

The words “Zoning Code” or “Code” shall mean the Zoning Code of Butte County including all zoning district maps.

APPENDIX B: GLOSSARY OF TERMS B-1 Definitions (A)

Accent lighting: Directional lighting which highlights an object or attracts attention to a particular area.

Alternative energy sources: Energy derived from sources that do not use up natural resources or harm the environment.

Alternative modes of transportation: Bicycling, buses, walking, skating, and carpooling or vanpooling, as well as telecommuting, can reduce traffic congestion and provide benefits to individuals and to the community.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): Federal legislation that outlines the technical requirements are to be applied during the design, construction, and alteration of buildings and facilities to provide full accessibility to buildings and facilities by individuals with disabilities.

Annexation: A change in existing community boundaries resulting from the incorporation of additional land.

Apartment: See “dwelling, multi-family.”

Architectural features: Towers, gables, spires, chimneys, flagpoles and other architectural elements that are not habitable structures.

Articulation: A method of styling the joints in the formal elements of architectural design.

Arroyo: A deep gully cut by an intermittent stream; a dry gulch.

Arterial: A moderate or high-capacity roadway which is immediately below a highway level of service.

Attached buildings and structures: Two (2) or more buildings or structures that are physically connected with a wall, roof, deck, floor, bearing or support structures, trellises, architectural features or any other structure, fixture or device that exceeds thirty (30) inches in height above the finished grade.

Attenuation of noise: An act of reducing in force, value, amount, or degree of undesirable noise level.

Authenticity materials: Construction materials that provide the quality or condition of being authentic, trustworthy, or genuine, to the local tradition.

B-2 RIO D’ ORO SPECIFIC PLAN Definitions (B)

Balanced land uses: A practice of adequate distribution of land use decision that can ensure long-term economic stability.

Bedroom: Any habitable room other than kitchen, bathroom, dining room or living room.

Berm: For screening purposes, any strip of ground at the summit or sides, or along the base, of a slope.

Bio-filtration garden: A landscape feature that provides a pollution control technique using living material to capture and biologically degrade process pollutants. Also known as constructed wetland.

Building: A structure having a roof supported by columns or walls.

Building height: The vertical distance measured from the ground level at finish grade at the primary entry to the top of the building, not including architectural features.

Building line: An imaginary line on a building site specifying the closest point from an ultimate right-of-way line or a property line where a main building may be located.

Building orientation: Refers to the placement of buildings on lots, in respect to streets and the environment. For example, in general buildings are perpendicular or radian on the street, regardless of the shape of the lot.

Building parcel: A parcel or contiguous parcels of land that was established in compliance with the building site requirements of the Zoning Code.

Building parcel area: The total area, measured horizontally as a level plane, of the land within the boundaries of a building parcel, not including any public street, right-of-way or pedestrian or vehicular easement and not including any portion that does not meet applicable County regulations when a building site is divided by such an easement.

Building parcel coverage: The area of the land within the perimeter of all structures located on the building site (not including the area under unenclosed eaves and unenclosed post-supported overhangs, patios, courtyards, arcades and swimming pools) and including covered off-street parking facilities divided by building site area.

Buffer Zone: A strip of land zoned to protect one type of land use from another.

APPENDIX B: GLOSSARY OF TERMS B-3 Definitions (C)

Carport: A roofed structure, or a portion of a building that is open on two (2) or more sides, for the parking of automobiles belonging to occupants of the property.

Check dam: An artificial barrier constructed across a waterway to control the flow or raise the level of water.

CEQA: California Environmental Quality Act. Enacted in 1970 and amended through 1983, established state policy to require that all private and public projects be reviewed prior to approval for their potential adverse effects upon the environment.

Collector: Intermediate roadways designed to handle traffic between arterial streets and local streets. Community icon: The focus and symbol of the community.

Commercial: Businesses operated or conducted on a frequent basis for the purpose of financial gain.

Commercial mixed-use: See “Mixed-use, commercial.”

Commercial recreation: Any use or activity where the primary intent is to provide amusement, entertainment or sport but which is operated for financial gain. It includes establishments where food and beverages are sold as a secondary or ancillary use, but does not include restaurants, nightclubs, or cocktail lounges.

Community facility: A non-commercial use established primarily for the benefit or enjoyment of the population of the community in which it is located including schools, churches, community clubs, shared recreation facilities, parks and trails.

Condominium: An estate consisting of an undivided interest in common in a parcel of real property together with a separate interest in space in a residential, industrial or commercial building on such real property, such as an office, store or multi-family dwelling. A condominium may also include a separate interest in other portions of such real property.

Connector: Low volume streets providing access off of collectors into residential neighborhoods.

Cookie cutter: Housing development in which multiple identical or nearly-identical homes are built to create a community.

Cul-de-sac: A street that terminates in a permanent turn around and which design is not intended to continue beyond its terminal point.

Cut and fill slopes: System of bench construction on hill slopes to produce road rights-of-way and landings whereby convex slopes are excavated and concave slopes (gullies) are filled; also, excavation of the upslope side of the right-of-way, and fill on the down slope side.

B-4 RIO D’ ORO SPECIFIC PLAN Definitions (C)

Conventional single-family dwelling unit: A residential unit with street-front orientation detached from other dwelling units and situated on a lot of record.

Corner lots: A lot located with frontage on two or more streets.

Corridor Neighborhoods: Neighborhoods organized primarily around the arroyo or other major linear open space and drainage corridors.

Corridors: Internal connectors of neighborhoods and districts using elements such as iconic boulevards and pedestrian paseos as a means of special vehicular and/or pedestrian linkages within the Project.

APPENDIX B: GLOSSARY OF TERMS B-5 Definitions (D)

Defensible space: The landscape areas between house and lot line where optimum fire-resistant design features and maintenance procedures are followed.

Density: The average number of families, persons or housing units per unit of land. a. Gross density: The number of dwelling units per gross acre (see definition of “gross acres”). b. Net density: The number of dwelling units per net acre (see definition of “net acres”). c. Adjusted gross density: The number of acres remaining after subtracting the acres of surrounding parks and recreation, open space and agriculture, roads, community infrastructure and non-residential uses.

Detached buildings and structures: Two (2) or more buildings or structures that are each structurally independent and freestanding and not connected by walls, roofs, floors, decks, supports, trellises, architectural features or any other structure, fixture or device that exceeds thirty (30) inches in height above the finished grade.

Development: Residential, commercial, industrial, community facility or other construction, including necessary grading, together with the land upon which the buildings or structures are constructed.

Development Standards: A detailed design regulation provides setback, height, building coverage and other development requirement typically found in zoning code.

Drive apron: The privately owned paved area between an alley or private drive and the garage door for the exclusive use of each dwelling unit.

Drought tolerant landscape: Landscape feature that will survive in the typical or somewhat less than typical amount of rainfall in a given region.

Driveway: A vehicular passageway for the exclusive use of the occupants of a property and their guests.

Dwelling, multi-family: Two (2) or more dwelling units on the same building site.

Dwelling, single-family: One (1) dwelling unit per building site.

Dwelling unit: One or more rooms in a structure, including a kitchen of any size, designed for occupancy by one (1) family for living and sleeping purposes, including a mobile home when such mobile home bears an insignia of approval issued by the California Department of Housing and Community Development or a housing seal number from the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

B-6 RIO D’ ORO SPECIFIC PLAN Definitions (E)

Early Americana: Symbolic artifacts and materials evoking early American history, folklore, or geography or considered to be typical of American culture.

Easement: A less-than-fee interest that includes selected rights, or grants the holder the right to prevent certain land uses. A property owner retains ownership and the rights other than those expressly limited by the easement. Easements may be granted for a number of reasons, including access, public utilities, conservation, open-space, and scenic purposes.

Edge Neighborhood: Generally consists of lower density housing types and is located at the edge of Project. The plan form of the Edge Neighborhood tends to be more informal and work more closely with the natural landform.

Environmental Conservation: Land set aside to protect sensitive wetlands, vernal pools, swales and arroyo on site.

Environmental Mitigation: Step taken to avoid or minimize negative environmental impacts.

Environmental stewardship: The responsibility for environmental quality shared by all those whose actions affect the environment.

Ephemeral stream: A stream whose bed lies above the water table, so that the stream flows only when the rate at which water enters the stream from rainfall or melt water exceeds the rate at which water infiltrates the ground below.

APPENDIX B: GLOSSARY OF TERMS B-7 Definitions (F)

Facade: The face or elevation of building.

Flood: A general and temporary condition of partial or complete inundation of normally dry land areas.

Floodplain: A nearly flat plain along the course of a stream or river that is naturally subject to flooding.

Floodway: A channel or adjacent shore for an overflow of water caused by flooding.

Floor area ratio (FAR): the ratio of the total floor area of buildings on a certain location to the size of the land of that location, or the limit imposed on such a ratio. The Floor Area Ratio is the total building square footage (building area) divided by the site size square footage (site area).

FSC-certified lumber: Lumber products that are certified by The Forest Stewardship Council for embracing a responsible and sustainable forestry practice which ensures the long-term health, integrity, and viability of the entire forest ecosystem.

Focal point: The center of attention or interest.

Freeman Bicycle Trail: A trail that provides 41 miles of scenic off-road recreation riding for all-terrain bikes. The trail circles the North and South Thermalito Forebays, Thermalito Afterbay, and the crest of Oroville Dam.

B-8 RIO D’ ORO SPECIFIC PLAN Definitions (G)

Garage: A building, or a portion of a building, used primarily for the parking of motor vehicles.

General Plan: A County document containing a statement of development policies including a diagram and text setting forth the objectives of the plan. The general plan must include certain state mandated elements related to land use, circulation, housing, conservation, open-space, noise, and safety.

Grazing land: A field covered with grass or herbage and suitable for grazing by livestock.

Green building: Use of high performance technologies to reduce energy use, create healthier living environments and preserve non-renewable resources.

Greenhouse Emission: A gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation.

Greenway system: A network of interconnected hiking, walking, nature, bicycling, trails.

Green roofed building: Building structure employs a roof that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and soil, or a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane.

Gross residential acres: The total acreage of the building parcel including, but not limited to, parks and recreation, open space and agriculture, roads, community infrastructure and non-residential uses measured to the center line of the adjacent street.

Gross residential density: The number of dwelling units per gross acre.

Ground water recharge: A hydrologic process where water moves downward from surface water to groundwater.

Guiding principle: Broad philosophy that guides an organization throughout its life in all aspects of practice and operation.

APPENDIX B: GLOSSARY OF TERMS B-9 Definitions (H)

HCFC: A fluorocarbon that is replacing chlorofluorocarbon as a refrigerant and propellant in aerosol cans; considered to be somewhat less destructive to the atmosphere.

Heat Island effect: The tendency of large areas of roofs, asphalt, concrete and paved surfaces to absorb the heat, making urban areas considerably hotter than nearby rural areas.

High-water mark: A mark indicating the highest level reached by a body of water.

High efficiency toilets: Designed for water conservation, high efficiency toilets (HETs) have been defined by the plumbing industry and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as those that use an average of 20 percent less water per flush than the industry standard of 1.6 gallons (or, 1.28 gallons).

Highway services, commercial: Permitted commercial activities that cater to Highway 70 users.

Highway services, office: Land dedicated for exclusive uses of public safety agencies currently serving the immediate region.

Homeowner’s Association (HOA): An organization of homeowners residing within a particular development whose major purpose is to maintain and provide community facilities and services for the common enjoyment of the residents.

HVAC: Heating, Ventilation, and air conditioning.

B-10 RIO D’ ORO SPECIFIC PLAN Definitions (I-J-K)

Impact fee: A fee that is implemented by a local government on a new or proposed development to help assist or pay for a portion of the costs that the new development may cause with public services to the new development

Indoor air quality (IAQ): A technical measurement that deals with the content of interior air that could affect health and comfort of building occupants.

Infrastructure: A substructure or underlying foundation; especially the basic installations and facilities on which the continuance and growth of a community.

Intensity: The degree to which land is used.

Job-housing balance: A measure of harmony between employment and dwelling units in a specific area.

APPENDIX B: GLOSSARY OF TERMS B-11 Definitions (L)

Landscaping: The planting of trees, shrubs, grass or groundcover to improve the appearance of an area.

Land Uses: Determination by a governing authority of the use to which land within its jurisdiction may be put so as to promote the most advantageous development of the community.

Lane: A public or private accessway permanently reserved as a secondary means of access to abutting property and used to serve as garage access and trash collection purposes.

Light pollution: Illumination of the night sky by electric lights, which can interfere with astronomical observation.

Liquefaction: The process of liquefying.

Loggia: An open-sided, roofed or vaulted gallery, either free-standing or along the front or side of a building, often at an upper level.

Lot: Any area identified as a lot or parcel on a recorded final map, parcel map or record of survey recorded pursuant to an approved division of land, certificate of compliance or lot line adjustment. A lot is not necessarily a building site.

Low VOCs building materials: Construction materials consist of ingredients that releases lower odor and creates less impact on indoor air quality

B-12 RIO D’ ORO SPECIFIC PLAN Definitions (M)

Main Street: An iconic roadway designed to provide access into the Commercial Village.

Major arterial: Roadways that are designed to carry high volumes of traffic and allow for efficient movement of vehicles through major intersections.

Median: The landscaped area between vehicular travel lanes.

Metropolitan Planning Organization: a transportation policy-making organization made up of representatives from local government and transportation authorities.

Mine tailings: Large piles of crushed rock that are left over after the metals of interest like lead, zinc, copper, silver, gold and others, have been extracted from the mineral rocks that contained them.

Minor arterial: Roadways that are designed to carry high volumes of traffic and allow for efficient movement of vehicles through minor intersections.

Mitigation: Process or projects replacing lost or degraded resources, such as wetlands or habitat, at another location.

Mixed-use: Zoning area that allows a combination of residential and non-residential development.

Multi-generational: Of or relating to several generations.

Multiple-family dwelling: A residential structure wherein the number of permitted dwelling units per building site is two (2) or more and may include a variety of types of ownership including rental units.

Multi-family, Duplex: Attached multi-family dwellings that face the street or green court with automobile access via lanes and a maximum density of fourteen (12) units per acre.

Multi-family, Triplex & Rowhouse: Attached multi-family dwellings that face the street or green court with automobile access via lanes and a maximum density of fourteen (14) units per acre.

Multi-family, Stacked Flats: Attached multi-family dwellings facing the street or green court with automobile access via lanes. Typical maximum density is twenty one units (20) per acre.

APPENDIX B: GLOSSARY OF TERMS B-13 Definitions (N-O)

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Program: A federally regulated permit program controls water pollution by regulating point sources that discharge pollutants into waters of the United States.

Native materials: Materials that are indigenous to the region and readily available locally.

Natural habitat: Natural surroundings, place where plants or animals grow naturally.

Neighborhood: Groups of residential units that include a broad range of housing types and price levels to encourage interaction among people of diverse ages, races and incomes defined by character, intensity and location.

Neighborhood Greens: Localized parks ranging from 0.5~2.0 acres are proposed throughout residential neighborhoods to provide additional open spaces for recreational activities.

Net Residential Density: The number of dwelling units per net acre (see definition of “net residential acres”).

Net Residential Acres: The number of acres remaining after subtracting the acres of surrounding parks and recreation, open space and agriculture, major roads, community infrastructure and non-residential uses, connector streets and slopes greater than ten (10) feet in height from the adjusted gross acres.

Net residential area: The area of land remaining on a parcel, measured in acres or square feet, after deduction of the area contained in public and private street and highway rights-of-way, schools, parks, flood control works, off-street parking areas and any other use, easement, or encumbrance that prevents the surface use of the parcel for a building site or construction of structures (i.e., lettered lots).

Office: A room, set of rooms, or building where the business of a commercial or industrial organization or of a professional person is conducted. Office uses may include garden offices, flex offices, Class A offices, etc.

Oroville Wildlife Area: The 11,870 acre wildlife area in Oroville is adjacent to the Feather River, west of Highway 70 and south of Highway 162 (Oro Dam Blvd). Access is via Highway 162 to the headquarters entrance, about 1/2 mile west of Highway 70, or at Larkin Road.

Open space: Any parcel or area of land or water that is essentially unimproved and devoted to an open space use such as recreation, preserving natural resources, agriculture, providing relief in the urban structure of the environment, and setting aside potentially dangerous areas.

B-14 RIO D’ ORO SPECIFIC PLAN Definitions (P)

Parking accessway: A vehicular passageway that provides access and circulation from a street access point into and through a parking lot to parking aisles and between parking areas.

Parking space, compact: An accessible and usable space designated for parking a compact motor vehicle in accordance with ADA and state standards and regulations. Each space shall be clearly labeled as “compact”.

Parking space, regular: An accessible and usable space designated for parking a motor vehicle, at least ten (10) feet in width by twenty (20) feet in length.

Parking space, handicap: An accessible and usable space designated for parking a motor vehicle for accommodating the handicapped. Each handicap parking space shall be delineated by blue painted curbs and lines, and shall be clearly labeled in blue paint with the standard handicap symbol or clearly labeled “for handicapped only” in accordance with ADA and state standards and regulations.

Parking lot: An area, usually divided into individual spaces, intended for parking motor vehicles.

Paseo: A walkway or promenade.

Passive solar heating: A system of features incorporated into a building’s design to use and maximize the effects of the sun’s natural heating capability. It is the most cost effective means of providing heat to buildings.

Passive solar cooling: Design techniques that employing shading (trees and overhangs), low thermal mass materials, reflective exterior surfaces and natural ventilation to achieve a cooling indoor environment.

Pathways, pedestrian and bicycle: A trail or way designed for and used by equestrians, pedestrians, and cyclists using non-motorized bicycles.

Pervious paving: A paving system that allows water to infiltrate into layers of crushed rock placed below the paving and then into soil and groundwater below.

Photovoltaic Systems: Mechanical devices that convert light energy into electricity.

Place-making: Designing a building or area to make it more attractive to and compatible with the people who use it.

Planning Area: A planning area reflects a specific set of characters and focuses to best serve the needs of the Project although a wide range of land uses could occur within any planning area.

Plant evapotranspiration (Eto): A technical term used to describe the sum of evaporation and plant transpiration from the earth’s land surface to atmosphere.

APPENDIX B: GLOSSARY OF TERMS B-15 Definitions (P)

Private drive: Roadways designed as primary access to more than four (4) dwelling units.

Potable water: Water of sufficient quality to serve as drinking water.

Preservation zone: A designated area that is kept from injury, destruction, or decay.

Prevailing wind: A wind that blows predominantly from a single general direction.

Prime Farmland: Irrigated land use that is determined by Farmland Mapping & Monitoring Program (FMMP) staff by analyzing current aerial photos, local comment letters, and related GIS data, supplemented with field verification.

Project: See “Rio d’Oro.”

Project boundary: The lines that divide the Project from the street right-of-way or, if not abutting a street, the lines that divide the Project from adjacent ownerships.

Projections: A design element that extends outward beyond a prevailing line or surface

Public Facility, School: A site consisting of 13.5 gross acres is reserved for the construction of a future K-6 elementary school.

Public Utility Easement (PUE): Dedication of land strip to accommodate underground utility conduits.

B-16 RIO D’ ORO SPECIFIC PLAN Definitions (Q-R)

Quasi Public, land use: In some manner or to some degree related to public use.

Quimby Act: California legislation that requires the developers to help mitigate the impacts of property improvements. The act gives authority for passage of land dedication ordinances only to cities and counties. Special districts must work with cities, and/or counties to receive parkland dedication and/or in-lieu fees. The fees must be paid and land conveyed directly to the local public agencies that provide park and recreation services community-wide.

Rear loaded: Residential dwelling units with automobile access via alleys and primary entries and walkways facing the street.

Recreation: See “Parks/ Open Space/ Recreation.”

Residential, low density (LDR): A maximum of six (6) dwelling units per acre.

Residential, medium density (MDR): A maximum of fourteen (14) dwelling units per acre.

Residential, high density (HDR): A maximum of twenty (20) dwelling units per acre.

Residential, very high density (VHDR): A maximum of thirty (30) dwelling units per acre.

Residential Villages: Four (4) distinctive residential districts are designed and included in Rio d’Oro Specific Plan area.

Retail: The selling of goods, wares or merchandise directly to the ultimate consumer.

Retail with office above: 2-story building structure with office spaces stacking above retail establishments below.

Right-of-way: An area or strip of land, either public or private, on which an irrevocable right of passage has been recorded for the use of vehicles or pedestrians or both.

Roof massing: The composition and balance of roof forms.

Rain harvest garden: Garden that utilizes low tech system of collecting water from roofs and gutter systems into rain barrels, or cisterns.

Retaining wall: A generic structure that is employed to restrain a vertical-faced or near-vertical-faced mass of earth.

APPENDIX B: GLOSSARY OF TERMS B-17 Definitions (R)

Recycled water: Also known as reclaimed water, is the former wastewater that has been treated to remove solids and certain impurities, and then allowed to recharge the aquifer rather than being discharged to surface water.

Rights-of-way: An easement, a privilege to pass over the land of another, property dedicated for public roadway.

Roof, hip: A type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope.

Roof, gable: Triangular-form roof.

Runoff: Rainfall not absorbed by soil.

B-18 RIO D’ ORO SPECIFIC PLAN Definitions (S)

Sense of place: the intrinsic character of a place, or the meaning people give to it, but, more often, a mixture of both.

Segway: A two-wheeled, self-balancing electric vehicle (with top speeds over 12 MPH) invented by Dean Kamen.

Sewage plant: A facility that is designed to remove contaminants from wastewater, both runoff and domestic. It includes physical, chemical and biological processes to remove physical, chemical and biological contaminants.

Single-loaded street: A street serving property on one side only, with no need for access or parking on the other side.

Small Lot, Green court cluster, detached: Single-family detached dwelling units surrounding a green court with the primarily entries and walks facing the green court and a maximum density of fourteen (14) units per acre.

Small Lot, Motor court cluster: Single-family detached dwellings clustered around a motor court with primary entries and walks facing the motor court or street with a maximum density of fourteen (14) units per acre.

Solar orientation: A practice that places a home on the building site in such a way that the home takes full advantage of the sun’s natural heat.

Specific plan: A tool to implement a general or community plan (policy documents). The minimum contents of a specific plan are stipulated by state law. At various degrees of detail, specific plans address land use, infrastructure, development standards, and implementation measures. Specific plans are adopted by ordinance.

Sphere of influence: The probable ultimate physical boundaries and service area of a local agency.

Split view fencing: A fencing system that uses to demarcate property lines without obstructing the view of the landscape.

Streetscape: The space between the buildings on either side of a street that defines its character.

Street, multi-family: A driveway, easement, accessway or other private vehicular right-of-way to serve a unified multi-lot/multi-family project where residential setbacks are not required.

Structures: Anything constructed or erected that requires location on or in the ground including swimming pools but excluding driveways, uncovered patios or parking spaces.

APPENDIX B: GLOSSARY OF TERMS B-19 Definitions (S)

Student generation rate: A critical component of facility planning. Analytical methodology that analyzes the impact of development where the data is used to determine if and when a new school facility will be needed.

Sustainability: Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Sustainable communities: Communities planned, built, or modified to promote sustainable living. They tend to focus on environmental sustainability (including development and agriculture and economic sustainability. Sustainable communities can focus on sustainable urban infrastructure and/or sustainable municipal infrastructure.

Sustainable design: A design practice strives to strike a balance among the needs of people, nature, and the built environment It is an approach that recognized the long-term benefits of consuming fewer resources, saving energy, and conserving water, which will help to minimize impacts to the environment.

Swales: Slight land depressions that run along the contour of the land, especially when moist or marshy. Street: A public or private vehicular right-of-way, other than an alley or driveway, including both local streets and arterial highways.

B-20 RIO D’ ORO SPECIFIC PLAN Definitions (T-U)

Title-24: Part of the State of California’s building code, which regulates the building energy efficiency practices.

Tot lot: A playground for very young children.

Commercial Village: Neighborhood serving commercial area within Rio d’Oro Specific Plan project area.

Traditional Neighborhood Development: Pattern of land planning and development that emulates the towns and suburbs built in the early to mid-20th century more than the automobile-dominated suburbs of the 1960s and beyond. While the typical suburbs and planned communities built since the 1960s have stressed a separation of uses and great emphasis on the automobile, traditional neighborhood development stresses a walkable scale, an integration of different housing types and commercial uses, and the creation of a discernible center.

Transit shelter: Prefabricated structure which affords protection from the weather to persons who are waiting to board a publicly owned or franchised transit vehicle.

Urban Neighborhood: Neighborhoods that generally consist of higher-density and mixed-use housing types typically at or around a district core. Housing types in this neighborhood include apartments, condominiums, rowhouses, duplexes and small lot detached homes.

Urban sprawl: Pattern of unchecked urban expansion.

Use: The purpose for which land or buildings are occupied, arranged, designed or intended or for which either land or buildings are or may be occupied or maintained.

Use permit: Also known as a conditional use permit; use permits are discretionary acts approved through a public hearing process allowing special uses within a zone that are not allowed normally within that zone

Utility-scale wind farm: A wind energy system transforms the kinetic energy of the wind into mechanical or electrical energy that can be harnessed for practical use.

APPENDIX B: GLOSSARY OF TERMS B-21 Definitions (V-W-X-Y-Z)

Variable front yard setbacks: Building setbacks that vary depending on product type and location.

Variable lot width: Allows large units to be plotted on wider lots and smaller units on narrower lots. When variable lot widths are used, the average lot width usually equals the nominal lot width as permitted.

Vehicular accessway: A private, non-exclusive vehicular easement affording access to abutting properties.

Veranda: A porch or balcony, usually roofed and often partly enclosed, extending along the outside of a building, also known as gallery.

Vernal pools: Basins that form in soils over an impervious rock or clay layer that collect surface runoff from winter storms and gradually dry out by evaporation as the weather becomes warmer in the spring.

View corridor: Maximize view premium (mountain, river plain, green belt, lake, park), that may be used to guide the orientation of the development pattern.

View Sheds: The natural environment that is visible from one or more view points.

Village greens: Designed to be the largest parks in Rio d’Oro, to provide the distinctive identity for each of the residential villages.

Visual anchors: Visual interests or objects that serve to hold public attention.

VOCs: Volatile Organic Compounds are organic chemical compounds that have high enough vapor pressures under normal conditions to significantly vaporize and enter the atmosphere.

Wetlands: Transitional areas between terrestrial and aquatic systems where the water table is usually at or near the surface, or the land is covered by shallow water.

Zero Lot Line: The construction of a structure on any of the boundary lines of a lot.

Zoning: The primary instrument for implementing the general plan. Zoning divides a community into districts or “zones” that specify the permitted/prohibited land uses.

Zoning Map: A map that shows the exterior boundaries of zone divisions.

B-22 RIO D’ ORO SPECIFIC PLAN