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8 - GlossaryGLOSSARY Abbreviations ADT Average daily trips made by vehicles or persons in a 24 hour period CBO Central Business District CC Rs Covenants Conditions and Restrictions CDBG Community Development Block Grant CEQA California Environmental Quality Act CIP Capital Improvements Program CNEL Community Noise Equivalent Level CMP Congestion Management Plan COG Council of Governments dB Decibel dBA A weighted decibel EOU Equivalent Dwelling Unit EIR Environmental Impact Report State EIS Environmental Impact Statement Federal EPA Environmental Protection Agency Federal FAR Floor Area Ratio FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency FIRM Flood Insurance Rate Map HCD Housing and Community Development Department of the State of California HOV High Occupancy Vehicle HUO U S Dept of Housing and Urban Development JPA Joint Powers Authority LAFCo Local Agency Formation Commission Ldn Day and Night Average Sound Level L q Sound Energy Equivalent Level LOS Level of Service LRT Light duty Rail Transit NEPA National Environmental Policy Act OPR Office of Planning and Research State of California SRO Single Room Occupancy TOM Transportation Demand Management TSM Transportation Systems Management UBC Uniform Building Code UHC Uniform Housing Code VMT Vehicle Miles Traveled INCLUDES AMENDMENTS THROUGH GPA 9401 GLOSSARY 1 POWA Y COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN Acceptable Risk A hazard deemed to be a tolerable exposure to danger given the expected benefits to be obtained Different levels of acceptable risk may be assigned according to the potential danger and the criticalness of the threatened population and or structure Access Egress The ability to enter a site from a roadway and exit a site onto a roadway by motorized vehicle Accessory Apartment A Self contained living unit either attached to or detached from and in addition to the primary residential unit on a single lot Sometimes called Granny Flat or Second Unit Acoustical Analysis Report This Report is required when a project is located in a area of noise incompatibility to document evidence of compliance with Noise level limits and performance standards of Land Use Planning Zoning and Building Construction Acres Gross The entire acreage of a site including easements Acres Net The area of a parcel of land exclusive of public or private streets and other easements such as floodway and flood control channel Active Solar System A system that uses a mechanical device such as pumps or fans run by electricity in addition to solar energy to transport air or water between a solar collector and the interior of a building for heating or cooling See Passive Solar System Adverse Impact A negative consequence for the physical social or economic environment resulting from an action or project Affordability Requirements Provisions established by a public agency to require that a specific percentage of housing units in a project or development remain affordable to very low and low income households for a specific period Affordable Housing Housing capable of being purchased or rented by a household with very low low or moderate income based on a household s ability to make monthly payments necessary to obtain housing Housing is considered affordable when a household pays less than 30 percent of its gross monthly income for all housing costs including utilities Agriculture Use of land for the production of food and fiber including the growing of crops and or the grazing of animals on natural prime or improved pasture land Agriculture related Business Feed mills dairy supplies poultry processing creameries auction yards veterinarians and other businesses supporting local agriculture GLOSSARY 2 INCLUDES AMENDMENTS THROUGH GPA 941 PDWA Y COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN Air Pollution Concentrations of substances found in the atmosphere that exceed naturally occurring quantities and are undesirable or harmful in some way Alley A narrow service way either public or private which provides a permanently reserved but secondary means of public access not intended for general traffic circulation Alleys typically are located along rear property lines Alluvial Soils deposited by stream action Alquist Priolo Act Seismic Hazard Zone A seismic hazard zone designated by the State of California within which specialized geologic investigations must be prepared prior to approval of certain new development Ambient Noise Ambient noise is the all encompassing noise associated with a given environment being usually a composite of sounds from many sources near and far Annex v To incorporate a land area into an existing district or municipality with a resulting change in the boundaries of the annexing jurisdiction Apartment 1 One or more rooms of a building used as a place to live in a building containing at least one other unit used for the same purpose 2 A separate suite not owner occupied which includes kitchen facilities and is designed for and rented as the home residence or sleeping place of one or more persons living as a single housekeeping unit Aquifer An underground water bearing layer of earth porous rock sand or gravel through which water can seep or be held in natural storage Aquifers generally hold sufficient water to be used as a water supply Arable Land capable of being cultivated for farming Archaeological Relating to the material remains of past human life culture or activities Area Median Income As used in State of California housing law with respect to income eligibility limits established by the U S Department of Housing and Urban Development HUD area means metropolitan area or non metropolitan county In non metropolitan areas the area median income is the higher of the county median family income or the statewide non metropolitan median family income Area of Noise Incompatibility As defined in this Plan is any area exposed to CNEL Community Noise Equivalent Level greater than that shown in the maximum CNEL levels permitted for sensitive land uses addressed in this Plan When a project lies within a Area of noise incompatibility an Acoustical Analysis Report is required to identify and resolve significant noise impacts with project mitigation INCLUDES AMENDMENTS THROUGH GPA 9401 GLOSSARY 3 POWA Y COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN Arterial Medium speed 30 45 mph medium capacity 10 000 35 000 average daily trips roadway that provides intra community travel and access to the county wide highway system Access to community arterials should be provided at collector roads and local streets rather than from individual parcels Artesian An aquifer in which water is confined under pressure between layers of impermeable material Wells tapping into an artesian stratum will flow naturally without the use of pumps See Aquifer Article 34 Referendum Article 34 of the Constitution of the State of California requires passage of a referendum within a city or county for approval of the development or acquisition of a publicly financed housing project where more than 49 percent of the units are set aside for low income households Articulation Variation in the depth of the building plan roof line or height of a structure that breaks up plain monotonous areas and creates patterns of light and shadow Assembly Bill 939 Legislation requiring jurisdictions to reduce the generation of solid waste going to landfills through techniques such as recycling source reduction and trash to energy plants Assisted Housing Generally multi family rental housing but sometimes single family ownership units whose construction financing sales prices or rents have been subsidized by federal state or local housing programs including but not limited to Federal Section 8 new construction substantial rehabilitation and loan management set asides Federal Sections 213 236 and 202 Federal Section 221 d 3 below market interest rate program Federal Section 101 rent supplement assistance CDBG FmHA Section 515 multi family mortgage revenue bond programs local redevelopment and in lieu fee programs and units developed pursuant to local inclusionary housing and density bonus programs By January 1 1992 all California Housing Elements are required to address the preservation or replacement of assisted housing that is eligible to change to market rate housing by 2002 Band Pressure Level The band pressure level of a sound for a specified frequency band is the effective sound pressure level for the sound energy contained within the band The width of the band and the reference pressure must be specified The width of the band may be indicated by the use of a qualifying adjective e g octave band sound pressure level half octave band level third octave band level 50 ups band level If the sound pressure level is caused by thermal noise the standard deviation of the band pressure level will not exceed 1 decibel if the product of the band width in cycles per second by the integration time in seconds exceeds 20 GLOSSARY 4 INCLUDES AMENDMENTS THROUGHGPA 9401 POWAY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN Base Flood In any given year a 1 DO year flood that has 1 percent likelihood of occurring and is recognized as a standard for acceptable risk Bicycle Lane Class II facility A corridor expressly reserved for bicycles existing on a street or roadway in addition to any lanes for use by motorized vehicles Bicycle Path Class I facility A paved route not on a street or roadway and expressly reserved for bicycles traversing an otherwise unpaved area Bicycle paths may parallel roads but typically are separated from them by landscaping Bicycle Route Class III facility A facility shared with motorists and identified only by signs a bicycle route has no pavement markings or lane stripes Bikeways A term that encompasses bicycle lanes bicycle paths and bicycle routes Biomass Plant material used for the production of such things as fuel alcohol and non chemical fertilizers Biomass sources may be plants grown especially for that purpose or waste products from livestock harvesting milling or from agricultural production or processing Biotic Community A group of living organisms characterized by a distinctive combination of both animal and plant species in a particular habitat Blight A condition of a site structure or area that may cause nearby buildings and or areas to decline in attractiveness and or utility The Community Redevelopment Law Health and Safety Code Sections 33031 and 33032 contains a definition of blight used to determine eligibility of proposed redevelopment project areas Buffer Zone An area of land separating two distinct land uses that acts to soften or mitigate the effects of one land use on the other Building Any structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy Building Height The vertical distance from the average grade to the highest point of the coping of a flat roof or to the deck line of a mansard roof or to the highest gable of a pitch or hip roof but exclusive of vents air conditioners chimneys or other such incidental appurtenances Buildout Build out Development of land to its full potential or theoretical capacity as permitted under current or proposed planning or zoning designations See Carrying Capacity 3 INCLUDES AMENDMENTS THROUGH GPA 9401 GLOSSARY 5 POWAY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN Business Services A subcategory of commercial land use that permits establishments primarily engaged in rendering services to other business establishments on a fee or contract basis such as advertising and mailing building maintenance personnel and employment services management and consulting services protective services equipment rental and leasing photo finishing copying and printing travel office supply and similar services Busway A vehicular right of way or portion thereof often an exclusive lanereserved exclusively for buses California Environmental Quality Act CEQA A State law requiring State and local agencies to regulate activities with consideration for environmental protection If a proposed activity has the potential for a significant adverse environmental impact an Environmental Impact Report EIR must be prepared and certified as to its adequacy before taking action on the proposed project General Plans require the preparation of a program EIR Caltrans California Department of Transportation Capital Improvements Program CIP A program administered by a city or county government Carbon Dioxide A colorless odorless non poisonous gas that is a normal part of the atmosphere Carbon Monoxide A colorless odorless highly poisonous gas produced by automobiles and other machines with internal combustion engines that imperfectly burn fossil fuels such as oil and gas Carrying Capacity Used in determining the potential of an area to absorb development 1 The level of land use human activity or development for a specific area that can be accommodated permanently without an irreversible change in the quality of air water land or plant and animal habitats 2 The upper limits of development beyond which the quality of human life health welfare safety or community character within an area will be impaired 3 The maximum level of development allowable under current zoning See Buildout Census The official decennial enumeration of the population conducted by the federal government Channelization 1 The straightening and or deepening of a watercourse for purposes of storm runoff control or ease of navigation Channelization often includes lining of stream banks with a retaining material such as concrete 2 At the intersection of roadways the directional separation of traffic lanes through the use of curbs or raised islands that limit the paths that vehicles may take through the intersection GLOSSARY 6 INCLUDES AMENDMENTS THROUGH GPA 941 POWAY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN City City with a capital C means Poway City with a lower case c may mean any city or may refer to the geographical area of a city e g the city bikeway system Clustered Development Development in which a number of dwelling units are placed in closer proximity than usual or are attached with the purpose of retaining an open space area Cogeneration The harnessing of heat energy that normally would be wasted to generate electricity usually through the burning of waste Collector Relatively low speed 25 35 mph relatively low volume 2 000 3 000 average daily trips street that provides circulation within and between neighborhoods Collectors usually serve short trips and are intended for collecting trips from local streets and distributing them to the arterial network Commercial A land use classification that permits facilities for the buying and selling of commodities and services Commercial Strip Commercial development usually one store deep that fronts on a major street for a distance of one city block or more Includes individual buildings on their own lots with or without on site parking and small linear shopping centers with shallow on site parking in front of the stores Community Care Facility Elderly housing licensed by the State Health and Welfare Agency Department of Social Services typically for residents who need supervision Services normally include three meals daily housekeeping security and emergency response a full activities program supervision in the dispensing of medicine personal services such as assistance in grooming and bathing but no nursing care Sometimes referred to as residential care or personal care See Congregate Care Community Development Block Grant CDBG A grant program administered by the U S Department of Housing and Urban Development HUD on a formula basis for entitlement communities and by the State Department of Housing and Community Development HCD for non entitled jurisdictions This grant allots money to cities and counties for housing rehabilitation and community development including public facilities and economic development Community Facilities District Under the Mello Roos Community Facilities Act of 1982 Government Code Section 53311 et seq a legislative body may create within its jurisdiction a special district that can issue tax exempt bonds for the planning design acquisition construction and or operation of public facilities as well as provide public services to district residents Special tax assessments levied by the district are used to repay the bonds INCLUDES AMENDMENTS THROUGH GPA 9401 GLOSSARY 7 POWA Y COMPREHENSIVE PIAN GENERAL PIAN Community Noise Equivalent Level CNEL A 24 hour energy equivalent level derived from a variety of single noise events with weighing factors of 5 and 10 dBA applied to the evening 7 PM to 10 PM and nighttime 10 PM to 7 AM periods respectively to allow for the greater sensitivity to noise during these hours Community Park Land with full public access intended to provide recreation opportunities beyond those supplied by neighborhood parks Community parks are larger in scale than neighborhood parks but smaller than regional parks Community Service Area A geographic subarea of a city or county used for the planning and delivery of parks recreation and other human services based on an assessment of the service needs of the population in that subarea Commute shed The area from which people do or might commute from their homes to a specific workplace destination given specific assumptions about maximum travel time or distance Compatible Capable of existing together without conflict or ill effects Conditional Use Permit The discretionary and conditional review of an activity or function or operation on a site or in a building or facility Condominium A structure of two or more units the interior spaces of which are individually owned the balance of the property both land and building is owned in common by the owners of the individual units See Townhouse Congestion Management Plan CMP A mechanism employing growth management techniques including traffic level of service requirements standards for public transit trip reduction programs involving transportation systems management and jobs housing balance strategies and capital improvement programming for the purpose of controlling and or reducing the cumulative regional traffic impacts of development AB 1791 effective August 1 1990 requires all cities and counties that include urbanized areas to adopt by December 1 1991 and annually update a Congestion Management Plan Congregate Care Apartment housing usually for seniors in a group setting that includes independent living and sleeping accommodations in conjunction with shared dining and recreational facilities See Community Care Facility Conservation The management of natural resources to prevent waste destruction or neglect Consistent Free from variation or contradiction Programs in the General Plan are to be consistent not contradictory or preferential State law requires consistency between a general plan and implementation measures such as the zoning ordinance GLOSSARY 8 INCLUDES AMENDMENTS 7HROUGHGPA 9401 POWAY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN Convenience Goods Retail items generally necessary or desirable for everyday living usually purchased at a convenient nearby location Because these goods cost relatively liltle compared to income they are often purchased without comparison shopping Cordon Count A measurement of all travel usually vehicle trips but sometimes person trips in and out of a defined area around which a cordon is drawn County County with a capital C generally refers to San Diego County County with a lower case c may mean any county or may refer to the geographical area of a county e g the county road system Covenants Conditions and Restrictions CC Rs A term used to describe restrictive limitations that may be placed on property and its use and which usually are made a condition of holding title or lease Criterion A standard upon which a judgment or decision may be based See Standards Critical Facility Facilities housing or serving many people which are necessary in the event of an earthquake or flood such as hospitals fire police and emergency service facilities utility lifeline facilities such as water electricity and gas supply sewage disposal and communications and transportation facilities Cul de sac A short street or alley with only a single means of ingress and egress at one end and with a large turnaround at its other end Cumulative Impact As used in CEQA the total impact resulting from the accumulated impacts of individual projects or programs over time Cycle per Second cps A unit of frequency In many European countries the cycle per second is called the Hertz dBA The A weighted scale for measuring sound in decibels weighs or reduces the effects of low and high frequencies in order to simulate human hearing Every increase of 10 dBA doubles the perceived loudness though the noise is actually ten times more intense Decibel dB The decibel is a unit of level which denotes the ratio between two quantities that are proportional to power the number of decibels corresponding to the ratio sound fields the sound pressure ratios are not proportional to the square root of the corresponding power ratios so that strictly speaking the term decibel should not be used in such cases however it is common practice to extend the use of the unit to these cases see for example Sound Pressure Level INCLUDES AMENDMENTS THROUGH GPA 9401 GLOSSARY 9 POWA Y COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN Dedication The turning over by an owner or developer of private land for public use and the acceptance of land for such use by the governmental agency having jurisdiction over the public function for which it will be used Dedications for roads parks school sites or other public uses often are made conditions for approval of a development by a city or county Dedication In lieu of Cash payments that may be required of an owner or developer as a substitute for a dedication of land usually calculated in dollars per lot and referred to as in lieu fees or in lieu contributions Defensible space 1 In fire fighting and prevention a 30 foot area of non combustible surfaces separating urban and wildland areas 2 In urban areas open spaces entry points and pathways configured to provide maximum opportunities to rightful users and or residents to defend themselves against intruders and criminal activity Density Residential The number of permanent residential dwelling units per acre of land Densities specified in the General Plan may be expressed in units per gross acre or per net developable acre See Acres Gross and Developable Acres Net Density Bonus The allocation of development rights that allow a parcel to accommodate additional square footage or additional residential units beyond the maximum for which the parcel is zoned usually in exchange for the provision or preservation of an amenity at the same site or at another location Under California law a housing development that provides 20 percent of its units for lower income households or 10 percent of its units for very low income households or 50 percent of its units for seniors is entitled to a density bonus See Development Rights Transfer of Density Control of A limitation on the occupancy of land Density can be controlled through zoning in the following ways use restrictions minimum lot size requirements floor area ratios land use intensity ratios setback and yard requirements minimum house size requirements ratios comparing number and types of housing units to land area limits on units per acre and other means Allowable density often serves as the major distinction between residential districts Density Employment A measure of the number of employed persons per specific area for example employees acre Design Review Design Control The comprehensive evaluation of a development and its impact on neighboring properties and the community as a whole from the standpoint of site and landscape design architecture materials colors lighting and signs in accordance with a set of adopted criteria and standards Design Control requires that certain specific things be done and that other things not be done Design Control language is most often found within a zoning ordinance Design Review usually GLOSSARY 10 INCLUDESAMENDMEIITS THROUGH GPA 941 POWA Y COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN refers to a system set up outside of the zoning ordinance whereby projects are reviewed against certain standards and criteria by a specially established design review board or committee Destination Retail Retail businesses that generate a special purpose trip and that do not necessarily benefit from a high volume pedestrian location Detention Dam Basin Pond Dams may be classified according to the broad function they serve such as storage diversion or detention Detention dams are constructed to retard flood runoff and minimize the effect of sudden floods Detention dams fall into two main types In one type the water is temporarily stored and released through an outlet structure at a rate which will not exceed the carrying capacity of the channel downstream Often the basins are planted with grass and used for open space or recreation in periods of dry weather The other type most often called a Retention Pond allows for water to be held as long as possible and mayor may not allow for the controlled release of water In some cases the water is allowed to seep into the permeable banks or gravel strata in the foundation This latter type is sometimes called a Water Spreading Dam or Dike because its main purpose is to recharge the underground water supply Detention dams are also constructed to trap sediment These are often called Debris Dams Developable Acres Net The portion of a site that can be used for density calculations Public or private road rights of way areas with slope in excess of 45 flag portions of a lot and areas within a floodway are not included in the net developable acreage of a site Developable Land Land that is suitable as a location for structures and that can be developed free of hazards to and without disruption of or significant impact on natural resource areas Developer An individual who or business that prepares raw land for the construction of buildings or causes to be built physical building space for use primarily by others and in which the preparation of the land or the creation of the building space is in itself a business and is not incidental to another business or activity Development The physical extension and or construction of urban land uses Development activities include subdivision of land construction or alteration of structures roads utilities and other facilities installation of septic systems grading deposit of refuse debris or fill materials and clearing of natural vegetative cover with the exception of agricultural activities Routine repair and maintenance activities are exempted Development Fee See Impact Fee Development Rights The right to develop land by a land owner who maintains fee simple ownership over the land or by a party other than the owner who has obtained the rights to develop Such rights usually are expressed in terms of density allowed under INCLUDES AMENDMENTS THROUGH GPA 9401 GLOOSARY 11 POWA Y COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN existing zoning For example one development right may equal one unit of housing or may equal a specific number of square feet of gross floor area in one or more specified zone districts See Interest Fee and Interest Less than fee and Development Rights Transfer of TDR Discretionary Decision As used in CEQA an action taken by a governmental agency that calls for the exercise of judgment in deciding whether to approve and or how to carry out a project Discretionary Project A designation used in CEQA to differentiate between applications which require discretionary approval as opposed to those which do not see Ministerial Discretionary approval is required for tentative maps subdivisions or any other land use This term also may apply to variances or permits issued to permit a project to be approved outside the established requirements of a code or law such as the Zoning ordinance or the adopted sections of the Uniform Building Code Distribution Use See Warehousing Use Diversion The direction of water in a stream away from its natural course i e as in a diversion that removes water from a stream for human use Diversity Differences among otherwise similar elements that give them unique forms and qualities E g housing diversity can be achieved by differences in unit size tenure or cost Duplex A detached building that is designed for occupation as the residence of two families living independently of each other Dwelling Unit A room or group of rooms including sleeping eating cooking and sanitation facilities but not more than one kitchen which constitutes an independent housekeeping unit occupied or intended for occupancy by one household on a long term basis It may be a single family dwelling an apartment a condominium a modular home a mobile home or any other residential unit considered real property under State law Easement Usually the right to use property owned by another for specific purposes or to gain access to another property For example utility companies often have easements on the private property of individuals to be able to install and maintain utility facilities Ecology The interrelationship of living things to one another and their environment the study of such interrelationships Economic Base Economic Base theory essentially holds that the structure of the economy is made up of two broad classes of productive effort basic activities that produce and GLOSSARY 12 INCLUDES AMENDMENTS THROUGHGPA 9W1 POWAY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN distribute goods and services for export to firms and individuals outside a defined localized economic area and non basic activities whose goods and services are consumed at home within the boundaries of the local economic area Viewed another way basic activity exports goods and services and brings new dollars into the area non basic activity recirculates dollars within the area This distinction holds that the reason for the growth of a particular region is its capacity to provide the means of payment for raw materials food and services that the region cannot produce itself and also support the non basic activities that are principally local in productive scope and market area See Industry Basic and Industry Non basic Ecosystem An interacting system formed by a biotic community and its physical environment Emergency Shelter A facility that provides immediate and short term housing and supplemental services for the homeless Supplemental services may include food counseling and access to other social programs See Homeless and Transitional Housing Eminent Domain The right of a public entity to acquire private property for public use by condemnation and the payment of just compensation Emission Standard The maximum amount of pollutant legally permitted to be discharged from a single source either mobile or stationary Encourage v To stimulate or foster a particular condition through direct or indirect action by the private sector or government agencies Endangered Species A species of animal or plant is considered to be endangered when its prospects for survival and reproduction are in immediate jeopardy from one or more causes Energy Benefit Net The difference between the energy produced and the energy required for production including the indirect energy consumed in the manufacture and delivery of components Enhance v To improve existing conditions by increasing the quantity or quality of beneficial uses or features Environment CEQA defines environment as the physical conditions which exist within the area which will be affected by a proposed project including land air water mineral flora fauna noise and objects of historic or aesthetic significance Environmental Impact Report EIR A report required by the California Environmental Quality Act which assesses the environmental effects of any proposed project which may have a significant negative effect on the environment INCLUDES AMENDMENTS THROUGH GPA 941 GLOSSARY 13 POWA Y COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN Environmental Impact Statement EIS Under the National Environmental Policy Act a statement on the effect of development proposals and other major actions that significantly affect the environment Equivalent Dwelling Unit A term to describe the amount of sewer capacity required to serve a typical single family residence The same term is used to calculate the amount of sewer capacity necessary for commercial industrial agricultural or recreational uses Erosion 1 The loosening and transportation of rock and soil debris by wind rain or running water 2 The gradual wearing away of the upper layers of earth Exaction A contribution or payment required as an authorized precondition for receiving a development permit usually refers to mandatory dedication or fee in lieu of dedication requirements found in many subdivision regulations Expansive Soils Soils that swell when they absorb water and shrink as they dry Export employment Use An activity that produces and or distributes goods and services for export to firms and individuals outside of the city or county See Economic Base Expressway A divided multi lane major arterial street for through traffic with partial control of access Fair Market Rent The rent including utility allowances determined by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development for purposes of administering the Section 8 Existing Housing Program Family 1 Two or more persons related by birth marriage or adoption U S Bureau of the Census 2 An individual or a group of persons living together who constitute a bona fide single family housekeeping unit in a dwelling unit not including a fraternity sorority club or other group of persons occupying a hotel lodging house or institution of any kind California Fast food Restaurant Any retail establishment intended primarily to provide short order food services for on site dining and or take out including self serve restaurants excluding cafeterias where food is consumed on the premises drive in restaurants and formula restaurants required by contract or other arrangement to offer standardized menus ingredients and fast food preparation Fault A fracture in the earth s crust forming a boundary between rock masses that have shifted GLOSSARY 14 INCLUDES AMENDMENTS THROUGHGPA 9401 POWAY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN Feasible Capable of being accomplished in a successful manner within a reasonable period of time taking into account economic environmental social and technological factors Feasible Technically Capable of being implemented because the industrial mechanical or application technology exists Field Act Legislation passed after a 1933 Long Beach earthquake that collapsed a school that established more stringent structural requirements and standards for construction of schools than for other buildings Finding s The result s of an investigation and the basis upon which decisions are made Findings are used by government agents and bodies to justify action taken by the entity Fire Hazard Zone An area where due to slope fuel weather or other fire related conditions the potential loss of life and property from a fire necessitates special fire protection measures and planning before development occurs Fire resistive Able to withstand specified temperatures for a certain period of time such as a one hour fire wall not fireproof Fiscal Impact Analysis A projection of the direct public costs and revenues resulting from population or employment change to the local jurisdiction s in which the change is taking place Enables local governments to evaluate relative fiscal merits of general plans specific plans or projects Fiscal Impact Report FIR A report projecting the public costs and revenues that will result from a proposed program or development See Fiscal Impact Analysis Flood 100 Year The magnitude of a flood expected to occur on the average every 100 years based on historical data The 100 year flood has a 1 100 or one percent chance of occurring in any given year Flood Insurance Rate Map FIRM For each community the official map on which the Federal Insurance Administration has delineated areas of special flood hazard and the risk premium zones applicable to that community Flood Plain The relatively level land area on either side of the banks of a stream regularly subject to flooding That part of the flood plain subject to a one percent chance of flooding in any given year is designated as an area of special flood hazard by the Federal Insurance Administration Flood Plain Fringe All land between the floodway and the upper elevation of the 100 year flood INCLUDES AMENDMENTS THROUGH GPA 9401 GLOSSIRY 15 POWAY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN Floodway The channel of a river or other watercourse and the adjacent land areas that must be reserved in order to discharge the base flood without cumulatively increasing the water surface elevation more than one foot No development is allowed in floodways Floor Area Ratio FAR The gross floor area of buildings on a site divided by the total net area of the site expressed in decimals to one or two places For example on a site with 10 000 net sq ft of land area a Floor Area Ratio of 1 0 equals 10 000 gross sq ft of building floor area On the same site an FAR of 1 5 represents 15 000 sq ft of floor area and an FAR of 0 5 equals 5 000 sq ft Footprint Building Footprint The outline of a building at all of those points where it meets the ground Freeway A high speed high capacity limited access transportation facility serving regional and county wide travel Such roads are free of tolls as contrasted with turnpikes or other toll roads that are now being introduced into Southern California Freeways generally are used for long trips between major land use generators At Level of Service E they carry approximately 1 875 vehicles per lane per hour in both directions Major streets cross at a different grade level Friction Factor Constraint applied in a traffic model to introduce an approximation of conditions that exist on streets in a city or county These conditions reduce the speed of traffic and the desirability of specific links in the network upon which the traffic model distributes trips Examples are frequency of low speed curves frequency of driveways narrowness of lanes and lack of turning lanes at intersections Gateway A point along a roadway entering a city or county at which a motorist gains a sense of having left or entered the city or county General Plan A compendium of city or county policies regarding its long term development in the form of maps and accompanying text The General Plan is a legal document required of each local agency by the State of California Government Code Section 65301 In California the General Plan has 7 mandatory elements Circulation Conservation Housing Land Use Noise Open Space Safety and Seismic Safety and may include any number of optional elements such as Air Quality Economic Development Hazardous Waste and Parks and Recreation Geologic Review The analysis of geologic hazards including all potential seismic hazards surface ruptures liquefaction landsliding mudsliding and the potential for erosion and sedimentation Geological Pertaining to rock or solid matter GLOSSARY 16 INCLUDES AMENDMENTS THROUGHGPA 9401 POWAY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN Geotechnical Interpretative Mapping Symbols An exhibit which depicts soil engineering and engineering geologic information with symbols to represent the principal considerations that can impact the feasibility and economics of land use Goal A general overall and ultimate purpose aim or end toward which the City or County will direct effort Grade The rate of rise or descent of a sloping surface usually expressed in degrees or in percentage calculated by the number of feet of rise or drop per 100 feet horizontal distance Graduated Street System A means of determining the appropriate criteria for constructing and improving various roadways such as width amount of aggregate base and type or road surface based on the amount of traffic the proper speed limits nearby land uses and topography Granny Flat Accessory Apartment Grasslands Land reserved for pasturing or mowing in which grasses are the predominant vegetation Greenhouse Effect A term used to describe the warming of the Earth s atmosphere due to accumulated carbon dioxide and other gases in the upper atmosphere These gases absorb energy radiated from the Earth s surface trapping it in the same manner as glass in a greenhouse traps heat Ground Failure Ground movement or rupture caused by strong shaking during an earthquake Includes landslides lateral spreading liquefaction and subsidence Ground Shaking Ground movement resulting from the transmission of seismic waves during an earthquake Group Quarters A residential living arrangement other than the usual house apartment or mobile home in which two or more unrelated persons share living quarters and cooking facilities Institutional group quarters include nursing homes orphanages and prisons Non institutional group quarters include dormitories shelters and large boarding houses Groundwater Water under the earth s surface often confined to aquifers capable of supplying wells and springs Groundwater Recharge The process of infiltration and percolation of rainwater from land areas or streams or other sources of water through permeable soils into water holding rocks that provide underground storage aquifers INCLUDES AMENDMENTS THROUGH GPA 9401 GLOSSARY 17 POWA Y COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN Guidelines General statements of policy direction around which specific details may be later established Guideway A roadway system that guides the vehicles using it as well as supporting them The monorail is one such system The most familiar and still most used guideway is the railroad Most guideway transit systems make use of wayside electrical power for propulsion Habitat The physical location or type of environment in which an organism or biological population lives or occurs Handicapped A person determined to have a physical impairment or mental disorder expected to be of long or indefinite duration Hazardous Material Any substance that because of its quantity concentration or physical or chemical characteristics poses a significant present or potential hazard to human health and safety or to the environment if released into the workplace or the environment The term includes but is not limited to hazardous substances and hazardous wastes Hertz Hz See Cycle per Second High Occupancy Vehicle HOV Any vehicle other than a driver only automobile e g a vanpool a bus or two or more persons to a car Highway High speed high capacity limited access transportation facility serving regional and county wide travel Highways or may not may cross at a different grade level Hillsides Land that has an average percent of slope equal to or exceeding fifteen percent Historic Historical An historic building or site is one that is noteworthy for its significance in local state or national history or culture its architecture or design or its works of art memorabilia or artifacts Historic Preservation The preservation of historically significant structures and neighborhoods and in order to facilitate restoration rehabilitation and maintenance of the building s to a former condition Historic Structure A building landmark sign or other architectural feature representing an important example of past construction techniques as specified by Ordinance 296 of the poway Municipal Code Home Occupation A commercial activity conducted by the occupants of a dwelling unit in a manner incidental to residential occupancy GLOSSARY 18 INCLUDESAMENDMEIITS THROUGH GPA 9401 POWA Y COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN Hospital Campus A minimum 40 acre development which includes several medical services in an integrated complex centered around a minimum 100 bed inpatient acute care hospital as the most significant principal use other uses may include doctors offices laboratories outpatient surgery centers imaging centers medical training and research facilities mental health clinics continuing care facilities outpatient clinics rehabilitation clinics pharmacies and other outpatient service facilities For purposes of this section an acute care hospital shall be given the same meaning as that used by the state agency responsible for licensing such hospitals Amended per GPA 93 01A Homeless Persons and families who lack a fixed regular and adequate nighttime residence Includes those staying in temporary or emergency shelters or who are accommodated with friends or others with the understanding that shelter is being provided as a last resort California Housing Element law Section 65583 c 1 requires all cities and counties to address the housing needs of the homeless See Emergency Shelter and Transitional Housing Hotel A facility in which guest rooms or suites are offered to the general public for lodging with or without meals and for compensation and where no provision is made for cooking in any individual guest room or suite See MoteL Household All those personsrelated or unrelatednwho occupy a single housing unit See Family Householder The head of a household Households Number of The count of all year round housing units occupied by one or more persons The concept of household is important because the formation of new households generates the demand for housing Each new household formed creates the need for one additional housing unit or requires that one existing housing unit be shared by two households Thus household formation can continue to take place even without an increase in population thereby increasing the demand for housing Housing and Community Development Department of the State of California HCD The State agency that has principal responsibility for assessing planning for and assisting communities to meet the needs of low and moderate income households Housing Authority Local LHA Local housing agency established in State law subject to local activation and operation Originally intended to manage certain federal subsidies but vested with broad powers to develop and manage other forms of affordable housing Housing Element Article 10 6 of the California Government Code requires each city and county to prepare and maintain a current Housing Element as part of the community s General Plan in order to attain a statewide goal of providing decent housing and INCLUDES AMENDMENTS THROUGH GPA 9401 GLOSSARY 19 POWAY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN a suitable living environment for every California family Under State law Housing Elements must be updated every five years Housing and Urban Development U S Department of HUD A cabinet level department of the federal government that administers housing and community development programs Housing Overpayment Rent and or mortgage costs which comprise 25 percent or more of total income Housing Unit See Dwelling Unit Hydrocarbons A family of compounds containing carbon and hydrogen in various combinations They are emitted into the atmosphere from manufacturing storage and handling or combustion of petroleum products and through natural processes Certain hydrocarbons interact with nitrogen oxides in the presence of intense sunlight to form photochemical air pollution Identity A consistent quality that makes a city place area or building unique and gives it a distinguishing character Image The mental picture or impression of a city or place taken from memory and held in common by members of the community Impact The effect of any direct man made actions or indirect repercussions of man made actions on existing physical social or economic conditions Impact Fee A fee also called a development fee levied on the developer of a project by a city county or other public agency as compensation for otherwise unmitigated impacts the project will produce California Government Code Section 66000 et seq specifies that development fees shall not exceed the estimated reasonable cost of providing the service for which the fee is charged To lawfully impose a development fee the public agency must verify its method of calculation and document proper restrictions on use of the fund Impervious Surface Surface through which water cannot penetrate such as roof road sidewalk and paved parking lot The amount of impervious surface increases with development and establishes the need for drainage facilities to carry the increased runoff Implementation Actions procedures programs or techniques that carry out policies Inclusionary Zoning A means of providing new housing at affordable prices by requiring that all new projects provide a percentage of their units for low and moderate income households Incubator Space Retail or industrial space that is affordable to new low margin businesses GLOSSARY 20 INCLUDES AMENDMENTS 7HROUGHGPA 9401 POWA Y COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN Industrial The manufacture production and processing of consumer goods Industrial is often divided into heavy industrial uses such as construction yards quarrying and factories and light industrial uses such as research and development and less intensive warehousing and manufacturing Industrial Park Office Park A planned assemblage of buildings designed for Workplace Use See Workplace Use Industry Basic The segment of economic activity that brings dollars to a region from other areas Traditional examples are manufacturing mining and agriculture The products of these activities are exported sold to other regions The money thus brought into the local economy is used to purchase locally provided goods and services as well as items that are not available locally and that must be imported from other regions Other less traditional examples of basic industry are tourism higher education and retirement activities that also bring new money into a region Industry Non basic The segment of economic activity that is supported by the circulation of dollars within a region Examples are the wholesale retail and service functions that supply goods and services to local sources of demand such as businesses public agencies and households Infill Development Development of vacant land usually individual lots or left over properties in areas that are already largely developed Infrastructure Public services and facilities such as sewage disposal systems water supply systems other utility systems and roads In Lieu Fee See Dedication In lieu of Institutional Use 1 Publicly or privately owned and operated activities that are institutional in nature such as hospitals museums and schools 2 churches and other religious organizations and 3 other nonprofit activities of a welfare educational or philanthropic nature that can not be considered a residential commercial or industrial activity Inter agency Indicates cooperation between or among two or more discrete agencies in regard to a specific program Interest Fee Entitles a land owner to exercise complete control over use of land subject only to government land use regulations Interest Less than fee The purchase of interest in land rather than outright ownership includes the purchase of development rights via conservation open space or scenic easements See Lease and Leasehold Interest INCLUDES AMENDMENTS THROUGH GPA 9401 GLOSSARY 21 POWA Y COMPREHENS VE PLAN GENERAL PLAN Intermittent Stream A stream that normally flows for at least thirty 30 days after the last major rain of the season and is dry a large part of the year Jobs Housing Balance Jobs Housing Ratio The availability of housing for employees The jobs housing ratio divides the number of jobs in an area by the number of employed residents A ratio of 1 0 indicates a balance A ratio greater than 1 0 indicates a net in commute less than 1 0 indicates a net out commute Joint Powers Authority JPA A legal arrangement that enables two or more units of government to share authority in order to plan and carry out a specific program or set of programs that serves both units Landmark Refers to a building site object structure or significant tree having historical architectural social or cultural significance and marked for preservation by the local state or federal government Landscaping Planting including trees shrubs ground covers along with hardscape such as accent paving boulders and dry streambeds suitably designed selected installed and maintained as to enhance a site or roadway permanently Landslide Downslide movement of soil and or rock which typically occurs during an earthquake or following heavy railfall Land Use The occupation or utilization of land or water area for any human activity or any purpose defined in the General Plan Land Use Classification A system for classifying and designating the use of properties Land Use Element A required element of the General Plan that uses text and maps to designate the future use or reuse of land within a given jurisdiction s planning area The land use element serves as a guide to the structuring of zoning and subdivision controls urban renewal and capital improvements program and to official decisions regarding the distribution and intensity of development and the location of public facilities and open space See Mandatory Element Larae Familv Household A household havinQ five or more members Ld Day Night Average Sound Level The A weighted average sound level for a given area measured in decibels during a 24 hour period with a 10 dB weighting applied to night time sound levels The Ldn is approximately numerically equal to the CNEL for most environmental settings GLOSSARY 22 NCLUDESAMENDMENTS THROUGHGPA 9401 POWA Y COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN Lease A contractual agreement by which an owner of real property the lessor gives the right of possession to another a lessee for a specified period of time term and for a specified consideration rent Leasehold Interest 1 The interest that the lessee has in the value of the lease itself in condemnation award determination 2 The difference between the total remaining rent under the lease and the rent the lessee would currently pay for similar space for the same time period Leq The energy equivalent level defined as the average sound level on the basis of sound energy or sound pressure squared The Leq is a dosage type measure and is the basis for the descriptors used in current standards such as the 24 hour CNEL used by the State of California Level of Service LOS 1 A scale that measures the amount of traffic a roadway may be capable of handling on a roadway or at the intersection of roadways Levels range from A to F with A representing the highest level of service as follows Level of Service A Indicates a relatively free flow of traffic with liltle or no limitation on vehicle movement or speed Level of Service B Describes a steady flow of traffic with only slight delays in vehicle movement and speed All queues clear in a single signal cycle Level of Service C Denotes a reasonably steady high volume flow of traffic with some limitations on movement and speed and occasional backups on critical approaches Level of Service D Denotes the level where traffic nears an unstable flow Intersections still function but short queues develop and cars may have to wait through one cycle during short peaks Level of Service E Describes traffic characterized by slow movement and frequent although momentary stoppages This type of congestion is considered severe but is not uncommon at peak traffic hours with frequent stopping long standing queues and blocked intersections Level of Service F Describes unsatisfactory stop and go traffic characterized by traffic jams and stoppages of long duration Vehicles at signalized intersections usually have to wait through one or more signal changes and upstream intersections may be blocked by the long queues Light duty Rail Transit LRT Street cars or trolley cars that typically operate entirely or substantially in mixed traffic and in non exclusive at grade rights of way Passengers typically board INCLUDES AMENDMENTS THROUGH GPA 9401 GLOSSARY 23 POWA Y COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN vehicles from the street level as opposed to a platform that is level with the train and the driver may collect fares Vehicles are self propelled Liquefaction The transformation of loose wet soil from a solid to a liquid state often as a result of ground shaking during an earthquake Local Agency Formation Commission LAFCo A five or seven member commission within each county that reviews and evaluates all proposals for formation of special districts incorporation of cities annexation to special districts or cities consolidation of districts and merger of districts with cities Each county s LAFCo is empowered to approve disapprove or conditionally approve such proposals The five LAFCo members generally include two county supervisors two city council members and one member representing the general public Some LAFCos include two representatives of special districts Low income Household A household with an annual income no greater than 80 percent of the area median family income adjusted by household size L o A statistical descriptor indicating peak noise levels the sound level exceeded ten percent of the time It is a commonly used descriptor of community noise and has been used in Federal Highway Administration standards and the standards of some cities and counties Maintain v To keep in an existing state See Preserve v Mandatory Element A component of the General Plan mandated by State Law California State law requires that a General Plan include elements dealing with seven subjects circulation conservation housing land use noise open space and safety and specifies to various degrees the information to be incorporated in each element See Land Use Element Manufactured Housing Residential structures that are constructed primarily in a factory and that since June 15 1976 have been regulated by the federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974 under the administration of the U S Department of Housing and Urban Development HUD See Mobile Home and Modular Unit Marsh Any area designated as marsh or swamp on the largest scale United States Geologic Survey topographic map most recently published A marsh usually is an area periodically or permanently covered with shallow water either fresh or saline Maximum Sound Pressure The maximum sound pressure for any given cycle of a periodic wave is the maximum absolute value of the instantaneous sound pressure occurring during that cycle In the case of a sinusoidal sound wave this maximum sound pressure is also called the pressure amplitude GLOSSARY 24 INCLUDES AMENDMENTS THROUGHGPA 9401 POWA Y COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN Mean The average of a number of figures computed by adding up all the figures and dividing by the number of figures Median The middle number in a series of items in which 50 percent of all figures are above and 50 percent are below MedianlMedian Strip The dividing area either paved or landscaped between opposing lanes of traffic on a roadway Mercalli Intensity Scale A subjective measure ofthe observed effects human reactions structural damage geologic effects of an earthquake Expressed in Roman numerals from I to XII Microclimate The climate of a small distinct area such as a city street or a building s courtyard can be favorably altered through functional landscaping architecture or other design features Mineral Resource Land on which known deposits of commercially viable mineral or aggregate deposits exist This designation is applied to sites determined by the State Division of Mines and Geology to be a resource of regional significance and is intended to help maintain the quarrying operations and protect them from encroachment of incompatible land uses Minimize v To reduce or lessen to the extent feasible but not necessarily to eliminate Mining The act or process of extracting resources such as coal oil or minerals from the earth Minipark Small neighborhood park of approximately one acre or less Ministerial Administrative Decision An action taken by a governmental agency that follows established procedures and rules and does not call for the exercise of special discretion or judgment in deciding whether to approve a project Ministerial Projects A project which may be approved after demonstrating conformance with established requirements codes standards etc See Ministerial Decision Mitigate v To ameliorate alleviate or avoid to the extent reasonably feasible Mitigation Measures Per CEQA may include avoiding the impact minimizing impacts rectifying the impact reducing or eliminating the impact or compensating for the impact Mixed use Various uses such as office commercial institutional and residential combined in a single building or on a single site in an integrated development project with INCLUDES AMENDMENTS THROUGH GPA 9401 GLOSSARY 25 POWA Y COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN significant functional interrelationships and a coherent physical design A single site may include contiguous properties Mobile Home A structure transportable in one or more sections built on a permanent chassis and designed for use as a single family dwelling unit and that 1 has a minimum of 400 square feet of living space 2 has a minimum width in excess of 102 inches 3 is connected to all available permanent utilities and 4 is tied down a to a permanent foundation on a lot either owned or leased by the homeowner or b is set on piers with wheels removed and skirted in a mobile home park See Manufactured Housing and Modular Unit Moderate income Household A household with an annual income between 80 percent and 120 percent of the area median family income adjusted by household size Modular Unit A factory fabricated transportable building or major component designed for use by itself or for incorporation with similar units on site into a structure for residential commercial educational or industrial use Differs from mobile homes and manufactured housing by in addition to lacking an integral chassis or permanent hitch to allow future movement being subject to California housing law design standards California standards are more restrictive than federal standards in some respects e g plumbing and energy conservation Also called Factory built Housing and regulated by State law of that title See Mobile Home and Manufactured Housing Motel A facility in which guest rooms or suites are offered to the general public for lodging with or without meals and for compensation and where guest parking is provided in proximity to guest rooms See Hotel Multiple Family Building A building containing three or more separate dwelling units Multiplier Effect The recirculation of money through the economy multiplies its impact on jobs and income For example money paid as salaries to industrial and office workers is spent on housing food clothes and other locally available goods and services This spending creates jobs in housing construction retail stores e g grocery and drug stores and professional offices The wage paid to workers in those industries is again re spent creating still more jobs Overall one job in basic industry is estimated to create approximately one more job in non basic industry National Ambient Air Quality Standards The prescribed level of pollutants in the outside air that cannot be exceeded legally during a specified time in a specified geographical area National Environmental Policy Act NEPA An act passed in 1974 establishing federal legislation for national environmental policy a council on environmental quality and the requirements for environmental impact statements GLOSSARY 26 INCLUDES AMENDMENTS THROUGH GPA9401 POWA Y COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN National Flood Insurance Program A federal program that authorizes the sale of federally subsidized flood insurance in communities where such flood insurance is not available privately National Historic Preservation Act A 1966 federal law that established a National Register of Historic Places and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and that authorized grants in aid for preserving historic properties National Register of Historic Places The official list established by the National Historic Preservation Act of sites districts buildings structures and objects significant in the nation s history or whose artistic or architectural value is unique Neighborhood Park City or County owned land intended to serve the recreation needs of people living or working within one half mile radius of the park Nitrogen Oxide s A reddish brown gas that is a byproduct of combustion and ozone formation processes Often referred to as NOX this gas gives smog its dirty air appearance Noise Any sound that is undesirable because it interferes with speech and hearing or is intense enough to damage hearing or is otherwise annoying Noise simply is unwanted sound Noise Attenuation Reduction of the level of a noise source using a substance material or surface such as earth berms and or solid concrete walls Noise Contour A line connecting points of equal noise level as measured on the same scale Noise levels greater than the 60 Ldn contour measured in dBA require noise attenuation in residential development Noise Level The acoustical noise level is the sound level Non attainment The condition of not achieving a desired or required level of performance Frequently used in reference to air quality Non conforming Use A use that was allowed under ordinances in effect when it was brought into existence but which by subsequent regulation has become no longer conforming Non conforming use is a generic term and includes 1 non conforming structures by virtue of size type of construction location on land or proximity to other structures 2 non conforming use of a conforming building 3 non conforming use of a non conforming building and 4 non conforming use of land Thus any use lawfully existing on any piece of property that is inconsistent with a new or amended General Plan and that in turn is a violation of a zoning ordinance amendment subsequently adopted in conformance with the General Plan will be a non conforming use INCLUDES AMENDMENTS THROUGH GPA 9401 GLOSSARY 27 POWA Y COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN Octave Band Pressure Level The octave band pressure level of a sound is the band pressure level for a frequency band corresponding to a specified octave The location of the octave band pressure level on a frequency scale is usually specified as the geometric mean of the upper and lower frequencies of the octave Office Park See Industrial Park Open Space Land Any parcel or area of land or water that is essentially unimproved and devoted to an open space use for the purposes of 1 the preservation of natural resources 2 the managed production of resources 3 outdoor recreation or 4 public health and safety Orchard A group of fruit or nut trees either small and diverse and grown for home use or large and uniform i e of one variety and cultivated for revenue Such a collection must be planted managed and renewed by the householder or farmer and should not be confused with a naturally occurring grove Citrus and nut plantations are customarily called groves Ordinance A law or regulation set forth and adopted by a governmental authority usually a city or county Outdoor Advertising Structure Any device used or intended to direct attention to a business profession commodity service or entertainment Outdoor Recreation Use A privately or publicly owned or operated use providing facilities for outdoor recreation activities Overlay A land use designation on the Land Use Map or a zoning designation on a zoning map that modifies the basic underlying designation in some specific manner Ozone A tri atomic form of oxygen 03 created naturally in the upper atmosphere by a photochemical reaction with solar ultraviolet radiation In the lower atmosphere ozone is a recognized air pollutant that is not emitted directly into the environment but is formed by complex chemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen and reactive organic compounds in the presence of sunlight and becomes a major agent in the formation of smog Para transit Refers to transportation services and that operate vehicles such as buses jitneys taxis and vans for senior citizens and or mobility impaired Parking Shared A public or private parking area used jointly by two or more uses Parking Area Public An open area excluding a street or other public way used for the parking of automobiles and available to the public whether for free or for compensation GLOSSARY 28 INCLUDESAMENDMENTS THROUGHGPA 9401 POWAY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN Parking Management An evolving TDM technique designed to obtain maximum utilization from a limited number of parking spaces Can involve pricing and preferential treatment for HOVs non peak period users and short term users See High Occupancy Vehicle and Transportation Demand Management Parking Ratio The number of parking spaces provided per 1 000 square of floor area e g 2 1 or two per thousand Parks Open space lands whose primary purpose is recreation See Open Space Land Community Park and Neighborhood Park Parkway 1 An expressway or freeway designed for non commercial traffic only usually located within a strip of landscaped park or natural vegetation 2 A piece of land located between the rear of a curb and the front of a sidewalk usually used for planting low ground cover and or street trees also known as parkway strip or planter strip Passive Solar System A system that distributes collected heat via direct transfer from a thermal mass rather than mechanical power Passive systems rely on building design and materials to collect and store heat and to create natural ventilation for cooling See Active Solar System Pathway Pedestrian ways effectively separated from automobile traffic Patio Homes A detached single family unit typically situated on a reduced sized lot that orients outdoor activity within rear or side yard patio areas for better utilization of the site for outdoor living space Payback Period The number of years required to accumulate savings or profit equal to the value of a proposed investment Peak Hour Peak Period For any given roadway a daily period during which traffic volume is highest usually occurring in the morning and evening commute periods Performance Standards Zoning regulations that permit uses based on a particular set of standards of operation rather than on particular type of use Performance standards provide specific criteria limiting noise air pollution emissions odors vibration dust dirt glare heat fire hazards wastes traffic impacts and visual impact of a use Personal Services Services of a personal convenience nature as opposed to products that are sold to individual consumers as contrasted with companies Personal services include barber and beauty shops shoe and luggage repair photographers laundry and cleaning services and pick up stations copying repair and fitting of clothes and similar services INCLUDES AMENDMENTS THROUGH GPA 9401 GLOSSARY 29 POWAY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN Physical Diversity A quality of a site city or region in which are found a variety of architectural styles natural landscapes and or land uses Picnic Area Group An area equipped with picnic tables and barbecue stands and which may be provided with a roofed shelter Planned Community A large scale development whose essential features are a definable boundary a consistent but not necessarily uniform character and overall control during the development process by a single development entity Planning and Research Office of OPR A governmental division of the State of California that has among its responsibilities the preparation of a set of guidelines for use by local jurisdictions in drafting General Plans Planning Area The Planning Area is the land area addressed by the General Plan Limits including land within the City land within the approved sphere of influence and any land outside the boundaries which in the planning agency s judgement bears relations to its planning Policy A general direction that a governmental agency sets to follow in order to meet its goals before undertaking an action program Pollutant Any introduced gas liquid or solid that makes a resource unfit for its normal or usual purpose Pollution The presence of matter or energy whose nature location or quantity produces undesired environmental effects Pollution Non Point Sources for pollution that are less definable and usually cover broad areas of land such as agricultural land with fertilizers that are carried from the land by runoff or automobiles Pollution Point A discrete source from which pollution is generated such as a sewer outfall a smokestack or an industrial waste pipe Poverty level As used by the U S Census families and unrelated individuals are classified as being above or below the poverty level based on a poverty index that provides a range of income cutoffs or poverty thresholds varying by size of family number of children and age of householder The income cutoffs are updated each year to reflect the change in the Consumer Price Index Preserve n An area in which beneficial uses are protected for example a nature preserve or an agricultural preserve GLOSSARY 30 INCLUDESAMENDMEN1S THROUGH GPA 9401 POWAY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN v To keep safe from destruction or decay to maintain or keep intact See Maintain Professional Offices A use providing professional or consulting services in the fields of law medicine architecture design engineering accounting and similar professions but not including financial institutions or real estate or insurance offices Program An action activity or strategy carried out in response to adopted policy to achieve a specific goal or objective Policies and programs establish the who how and when for carrying out the what and where of goals Pro Rata Refers to the proportionate distribution of the cost of something to something else or to some group such as the cost of infrastructure improvements associated with new development apportioned to the users of the infrastructure on the basis of projected use Protect v To maintain and preserve beneficial uses in their present condition as nearly as possible See Enhance Public and Quasi public Facilities Institutional academic governmental and community service uses either publicly owned or operated by non profit organizations Reclaimed Water Wastewater that has been treated using a variety of biological and physical chemical processes which is reusable for irrigation under the regulations of Title 22 Division 4 California Code of Administration Recreation Active A type of recreation or activity that requires the use of organized play areas including but not limited to softball baseball football and soccer fields tennis and basketball courts and various forms of children s play equipment Recreation Passive Type of recreation or activity that does not require the use of organized play areas Recycle The process of extraction and reuse of materials from waste products Redevelopment Agency A local agency created under California Redevelopment Law for the purpose of planning developing re planning redesigning clearing reconstructing and or rehabilitating all or part of a specified area with residential commercial industrial and or public including recreational structures and facilities The redevelopment agency s plans must be compatible with adopted community general plans Regional Pertaining to activities or economies at a scale greater than that of a single jurisdiction and affecting a broad geographic area Regional Pertaining to activities or economies at a scale greater than that of a single jurisdiction and affecting a broad geographic area INCLUDES AMENDMENTS THROUGH GPA 9401 GLOOSARY 31 POWAY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN Regional Housing Needs Assessment Quantification by SANDAG of existing and projected housing need by household income group for all localities within a region Regional Park A park typically 150 500 acres in size focusing on activities and natural features not included in most other types of parks and often based on a specific scenic or recreational opportunity Regulation A rule or order prescribed for managing government Rehabilitation The repair preservation and or improvement of substandard housing Research and Development Use A use engaged in study testing design analysis and experimental development of products processes or services Residential Multiple Family Two or more dwelling units on a single site which may be in the same or separate buildings Residential Single family A single dwelling unit on a building site Single family residential including sites with an accessory apartment Resources Non renewable Refers to natural resources such as fossil fuels and natural gas which once used cannot be replaced and used again Restore v To renew rebuild or reconstruct to a former state Restrict v To check bound or decrease the range scope or incidence of a particular condition Retention Basin Retention Pond See Detention Basin Detention Pond Retrofit v To add materials and or devices to an existing building or system to improve its operation safety or efficiency Reverberation rt Reverberation is the sound that persists at a given point after direct reception from the source has stopped Reverberation Time t60 The reverberation time for a given frequency is the time required for the average sound pressure level originally in a steady state to decrease 60 decibel after the source is stopped Usually the pressure level for the upper part of this range is measured and the result extrapolated to cover 60 decibel Reverse Annuity Mortgages A home financing mechanism that enables a homeowner who a senior citizen to release equity from his or her home The senior receives periodic payments that GLOSSARY 32 INCLUDES AMENDMENTS THROUGHGPA 9401 POWA Y COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN can be put to immediate use Loans are fixed term and are paid when the house is sold or when the term expires Rezoning An amendment to the map and or text of a zoning ordinance to effect a change in the nature density or intensity of uses allowed in a zoning district and or on a designated parcel or land area Richter Scale A measure of the size or energy release of an earthquake at its source The scale is logarithmic the wave amplitude of each number on the scale is 10 times greater than that of the previous whole number Rideshare A travel mode other than driving alone such as buses rail transit carpools and van pools Ridgeline A line connecting the highest points along a ridge and separating drainage basins or small scale drainage systems from one another Ridges Prominent ridges are ranges of hills or mountains which define the horizon Intermediate ridges are those with visible land behind them which create a backdrop to the ridge as viewed from the valley floor Right of way A strip of land occupied or intended to be occupied by certain transportation and public use facilities such as roadways railroads and utility lines Riparian Lands Riparian lands are comprised of the vegetative and wildlife areas adjacent to perennial and intermittent streams Riparian areas are delineated by the existence of plant species normally found near freshwater Risk The danger or degree of hazard or potential loss Runoff That portion of rain snow or irrigation that does not percolate into the ground and is discharged into streams instead Rural Walkway A pathway in the least densely populated portions of the city which serves to connect neighborhoods and open space areas This type of pathway would have a natural surface of well compacted decomposed granite or comparable material to be multi purpose for pedestrians equestrians and bicyclists Sabin Square foot Unit of Absorption The sabin is a measure of the sound absorption of a surface it is the equivalent of 1 square foot of perfectly absorptive surface SANDAG San Diego Association of Governments The San Diego County Council of Governments COG which serves as the regional planning agency The governing board is composed of elected officials from each city and the county INCLUDES AMENDMENTS THROUGH GPA 9401 GLOSSARY 33 POWA Y COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN Sanitary Sewer A system of subterranean conduits that carries refuse liquids or waste matter to a plant where the sewage is treated as contrasted with storm drainage systems that carry surface water and septic tanks or leech fields that hold refuse liquids and waste matter on site See Combined Sewer and Septic System Scenic Highway Scenic Route A highway road drive or street that in addition to its transportation function provides opportunities for the enjoyment of natural and man made scenic resources and access or direct views to areas or scenes of exceptional beauty or historic or cultural interest The aesthetic values of scenic routes often are protected and enhanced by regulations governing the development of property or the placement of outdoor advertising Until the mid 1980s general plans in California were required to include a Scenic Highways element School District Lands Properties owned by public school districts and used for educational recreational and administrative purposes Second Unit See Accessory Apartment Section 8 Rental Assistance Program A federal HUD rent subsidy program that is one of the main sources of federal housing assistance for low income households The program operates by providing housing assistance payments to owners developers and public housing agencies to make up the difference between the Fair Market Rent of a unit set by HUD and the household s contribution toward the rent which is calculated at 30 percent of the household s adjusted gross monthly income GMI Section 8 also includes programs for new construction existing housing and substantial or moderate housing rehabilitation Seiche An earthquake generated wave in an enclosed body of water such as a lake reservoir or bay Seismic Caused by or subject to earthquakes or earth vibrations Senior Housing Typically one and two bedroom apartments or condominiums designed to meet the needs of persons 62 years of age and older or if more than 150 units persons 55 years of age and older and restricted to occupancy by them See Congregate Care Septic System A sewage treatment system that includes a settling tank through which liquid sewage flows and in which solid sewage settles and is decomposed by bacteria in the absence of oxygen Septic systems are often used for individual home waste disposal where an urban sewer system is not available See Sanitary Sewer Setback The horizontal distance between the property line and any structure GLOSSARY 34 INCLUDESAMENDMENrS THROUGH GPA 9401 POWA Y COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN Settlement 1 The drop in elevation of a ground surface caused by settling or compacting 2 The gradual downward movement of an engineered structure due to compaction Differential settlement is uneven settlement where one part of a structure settles more or at a different rate than another part Shared Living The occupancy of a dwelling unit by persons of more than one family in order to reduce housing expenses and provide social contact mutual support and assistance Shared living facilities serving six or fewer persons are permitted in all residential districts by Section 1566 3 of the California Health and Safety Code Shoppers Goods Another name for comparison goods Shopping Center A group of commercial establishments planned developed owned or managed as a unit with common off street parking provided on the site Sight Distance A term used for traffic engineering to describe the shortest path for a driver from a stopped or moving vehicle to view oncoming traffic from any direction or to see a reasonable way around part of a curve hill or other feature of a roadway Sign Any representation written or pictorial used to convey information or to identify announce or otherwise direct attention to a business profession commodity service or entertainment and placed on suspended from or in any way attached to any structure vehicle or feature of the natural or manmade landscape Signal Preemption A system used by emergency vehicles public transit vehicles and or trains to change signal phasing from red to green assigning immediate right of way for a specific purpose Significant Effect A substantial or potentially substantial adverse change in the environment Siltation 1 The accumulating deposition of eroded material 2 The gradual filling in of streams and other bodies of water with sand silt and clay Single family Dwelling Attached A separately owned dwelling unit occupied or intended for occupancy by only one household that is structurally connected with at least one other such dwelling unit See Townhouse Single family Dwelling Detached A dwelling unit occupied or intended for occupancy by only one household that is structurally independent from any other such dwelling unit or structure other than an accessory apartment intended for residential or other use Single Room Occupancy SRO A single room intended for short or long term occupancy typically 80 250 square feet with a sink and closet but that may require the occupant to share a communal bathroom shower and kitchen INCLUDES AMENDMENTS THROUGH GPA 9401 GLOSSARY 35 POWA Y COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN Site A parcel of land used or intended for one use or a group of uses Slope Land gradient described as the vertical rise divided by the horizontal run and expressed in percent Soil The unconsolidated material on the immediate surface of the earth created by natural forces that serves as natural medium for growing land plants Solar Access The provision of direct sunlight to an area specified for solar energy collection when the sun s azimuth is within 45 degrees of true south Solar System Active A system using a mechanical device such as a pump or a fan and energy in addition to solar energy to transport a conductive medium air or water between a solar collector and the interior of a building for the purpose of heating or cooling Solar System Passive A system that uses direct heat transfer from thermal mass instead of mechanical power to distribute collected heat Passive systems rely on building design and materials to collect and store heat and to create natural ventilation for cooling Solid Waste Any unwanted or discarded material that is not a liquid or gas Includes organic wastes paper products metals glass plastics cloth brick rock soil leather rubber yard wastes and wood but does not include sewage and hazardous materials Organic wastes and paper products comprise about 75 percent of typical urban solid waste Sound a Sound is an alteration in pressure stress particle displacement or shear etc in an elastic medium or b sound is an auditory sensation evoked by the alterations described above In case of possible confusion the term sound wave or elastic wave may be used for concept a and the term sound sensation for concept b Not all sound waves evoke an auditory sensation The medium in which the sound exists is often indicated by an appropriate adjective e g air borne structure borne Sound Level Sound level in decibels is the weighted sound pressure level obtained by use of a sound level meter whose weighting characteristics are specified in the latest revision of the American Standards Association standard on sound level meters The reference pressure is 0 0002 microbar unless otherwise specified Sound level Meter A sound level meter is a device which is used to measure sound pressure level or weighted sound pressure level constructed in accordance with the standard specifications for sound level meters set up by the American Standards Association The sound level meter consists of a microphone an amplifier to raise the microphone output to useful levels a calibrated attenuator to adjust the amplification to values appropriate to the sound levels being measured and an GLOSSARY 36 INCLUDES AMENDMENTS THROUGHGPA 941 POWAY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN instrument to indicate the measured sound level optional weighting networks are included to adjust the over all frequency characteristic of the response provision is made for an output connection to additional measuring equipment Sound Pressure Level Lp The sound pressure level in decibels of a sound is 20 times the logarithm to the base 10 of the ratio of the pressure of this sound to the reference pressure The reference pressure employed throughout this text is 0 0002 microbar In many sound fields the sound pressure ratios are not proportional to the square root of corresponding power ratios and hence cannot be expressed in decibels in the strict sense however it is common practice to extend the use of the decibel to these cases Specific Plan Under Article 8 of the Government Code Section 65450 et seq a legal tool for detailed design and implementation of a defined portion of the area covered by a General Plan A specific plan may include all detailed regulations conditions programs and or proposed legislation that may be necessary or convenient for the systematic implementation of any General Plan element s Spectrum The spectrum of a function of time is a description of its resolution into components which are sinusoidal functions of time each of different frequency and usually different amplitude and phase spectrum is also used to signify a continuous range of components usually wide in extent within which waves have some specified common characteristic e g audio frequency spectrum Speed Average The sum of the speeds of the cars observed divided by the number of cars observed Speed Critical The speed that is not exceeded by 85 percent of the cars observed Sphere of Influence The probable ultimate physical boundaries and service area of a local agency city or district as determined by the Local Agency Formation Commission LAFCo of the County Standards 1 A rule or measure establishing a level of quality or quantity that must be complied with or satisfied The State Government Code Section 65302 requires that general plans spell out the objectives principles standards and proposals of the general plan Examples of standards might include the number of acres of park land per 1 000 population that the community will attempt to acquire and improve or the traffic Level of Service LOS that the plan hopes to attain 2 Requirements in a zoning ordinance that govern building and development as distinguished from use restrictions for example site design regulations such as lot area height limit frontage landscaping and floor area ratio Storm Runoff Surplus surface water generated by rainfall that does not seep into the earth but flows overland to flowing or stagnant bodies of water INCLUDES AMENDMENTS THROUGH GPA 9401 GLOSSARY 37 POWAY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN Street Furniture Those features associated with a street that are intended to enhance that street s physical character and use by pedestrians such as benches trash receptacles kiosks lights newspaper racks Streetscape The total scene along a roadway including the hardscape sidewalks street furniture signs and the softscape landscaping Street Tree Plan A comprehensive plan for all trees on public streets that sets goals for solar access and standards for species selection maintenance and replacement criteria and for planting trees in patterns that will define neighborhood character while avoiding monotony or maintenance problems Streets Local See Streets Minor Streets Major The transportation network that includes a hierarchy of freeways arterials and collectors to service through traffic Streets Minor Local streets not shown on the Circulation Plan Map or Diagram whose primary intended purpose is to provide access to fronting properties Streets Through Streets that extend continuously between major streets in the community Structure Anything constructed or erected an edifice or building of any kind or any piece of work artificially built up or composed of parts joined together in some definite manner Subdivision The division of a tract of land into defined lots either improved or unimproved which can be separately conveyed by sale or lease and which can be altered or developed Subdivision includes a condominium project as defined in Section 1350 of the California Civil Code and a community apartment project as defined in Section 11004 of the Business and Professions Code Subdivision Map Act Division 2 Sections 66410 et seq of the California Government code This act vests in local legislative bodies the regulation and control of the design and improvement of subdivisions including the requirement for tentative and final maps See Subdivision Subregional Pertaining to a portion of a region Subsidence The sudden sinking or gradual downward settling and compaction of soil and other surface material with little or no horizontal motion Subsidence may be caused by a variety of human and natural activity including earthquakes See Settlement GLOSSARY 38 INCLUDES AMENDMENTS THROUGHGPA 9401 POWAY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN Subsidize To assist by payment of a sum of money or by the granting of terms or favors that reduce the need for monetary expenditures Housing subsidies may take the forms of mortgage interest deductions or tax credits from federal and or state income taxes sale or lease at less than market value of land to be used for the construction of housing payments to supplement a minimum affordable rent and the like Substandard Housing Residential dwellings that because of their physical condition do not provide safe and sanitary housing Title 22 That section of the California Code of Administration which establishes uses and level of treatment of reclaimed water to assure safety for public health Topography Configuration of a surface including its relief and the position of natural and man made features Tourism The business of providing services for persons traveling for pleasure Tourism contributes to the vitality of the community by providing revenue to local business Townhouse Townhome A one family dwelling in a row of such units in which each unit has its own direct access to the outside no unit is located over another unit and each unit is separated from any other unit by one or more common and fire resistant walls Townhouses usually have separate utilities however in some condominium situations common areas are serviced by utilities purchased by a homeowners association on behalf of all townhouse members of the association See Condominium Traffic Model A mathematical representation of traffic movement within an area or region based on observed relationships between the kind and intensity of development in specific areas Many traffic models operate on the theory that trips are produced by persons living in residential areas and are attracted by various non residential land uses See Trip Transit The conveyance of persons or goods from one place to another by means of a local public transportation system Transit dependent Refers to persons unable to operate automobiles or other motorized vehicles or those who do not own motorized vehicles Transit dependent citizens must rely on transit para transit or owners of private vehicles for transportation Transit dependent citizens include the young the handicapped the elderly the poor and those with prior violations in motor vehicle laws Transit Public A system of regularly scheduled buses and or trains available to the public on a fee per ride basis Also called Mass Transit INCLUDES AMENDMENTS THROUGH GPA 9401 GLOOSARY 39 POWA Y COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN Transition Zone Controlled airspace extending upward from 700 or more feet above the ground wherein procedures for aircraft approach have been designated The transition zone lies closer to an airport than the outer approach zone and outside of the inner approach zone See Approach Zone and Outer Approach Zone Transitional Housing Shelter provided to the homeless for an extended period often as long as 18 months and generally integrated with other social services and counseling programs to assist in the transition to self sufficiency through the acquisition of a stable income and permanent housing See Homeless and Emergency Shelter Transmission Loss Transmission loss is the reduction in the magnitude of some characteristic of a signal between two stated points in a transmission system The characteristic is often some kind of level such as power level or voltage level in acoustics the characteristic that is commonly measured is sound pressure level If the levels are expressed in decibels then the transmission loss is likewise in decibels Transportation Demand Management TOM A strategy for reducing demand on the road system by reducing the number of vehicles using the roadways and or increasing the number of persons per vehicle TOM attempts to reduce the number of persons who drive alone on the roadway during the commute period and to increase the number in carpools vanpools buses and trains walking and biking TOM can be an element of TSM see below Transportation Systems Management TSM A comprehensive strategy developed to address the problems caused by additional development increasing trips and a shortfall in transportation capacity Transportation Systems Management focuses on more efficiently utilizing existing highway and transit systems rather than expanding them TSM measures are characterized by their low cost and quick implementation time frame such as computerized traffic signals metered freeway ramps and one way streets Trees Heritage Trees planted by a group of citizens or by the City or County in commemoration of an event or in memory of a person figuring significantly in history Trees Landmark Trees whose size visual impact or association with a historically significant structure or event have led the City or County to designate them as landmarks Trees Street Trees strategically planted usually in parkway strips medians or along streets to enhance the visual quality of a street Trip A one way journey that proceeds from an origin to a destination via a single mode of transportation the smallest unit of movement considered in transportation studies Each trip has one production end or origin often from home but not always and one attraction end destination See Traffic Model GLOSSARY 40 INCLUDES AMENDMENTS THROUGHGPA 9401 POWAY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN Trip Generation The dynamics that account for people making trips in automobiles or by means of public transportation Trip generation is the basis for estimating the level of use for a transportation system and the impact of additional development or transportation facilities on an existing local transportation system Trip generations of households are correlated with destinations that attract household members for specific purposes Truck Route A path of circulation required for all vehicles exceeding set weight or axle limits a truck route follows major arterials and avoids sensitive areas to the extent possible Undevelopable Specific areas where topographic geologic and or surficial soil conditions indicate a significant danger to future occupants and a liability to the City or County are designated as undevelopable by the City or County Uniform Building Code UBC A national standard building code that sets forth minimum standards for construction Uniform Housing Code UHC State housing regulations governing the condition of habitable structures with regard to health and safety standards and which provide for the conservation and rehabilitation of housing in accordance with the Uniform Building Code UBC Urban Design The attempt to give form in terms of both beauty and function to selected urban areas or to whole cities Urban design is concerned with the location mass and design of various urban components and combines elements of urban planning architecture and landscape architecture Urban Sprawl Haphazard growth or outward extension of a city resulting from uncontrolled or poorly managed development Use The purpose for which a lot or structure is or may be leased occupied maintained arranged designed intended constructed erected moved altered and or enlarged in accordance with the City or County zoning ordinance and General Plan land use designations Use Non conforming See Non conforming Use Utility Corridors Rights of way or easements for utility lines on either publicly or privately owned property See Right of way or Easement Vacant Lands or buildings that are not actively used for any purpose INCLUDES AMENDMENTS THROUGH GPA 9401 GLOSSARY 41 POWA Y COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN Variance A departure from any provision of the zoning requirements for a specific parcel except use without changing the zoning ordinance or the underlying zoning of the parcel A variance usually is granted only upon demonstration of hardship based on the peculiarity of the property in relation to other properties in the same zone district Vehicle Miles Traveled VMT A key measure of overall street and highway use Reducing VMT is often a major objective in efforts to reduce vehicular congestion and achieve regional air quality goals Very Low income Household A household with an annual income usually no greater than 50 percent of the area median family income adjusted by household size as determined by a survey of incomes conducted by a city or a county or in the absence of such a survey based on the latest available eligibility limits established by the U S Department of Housing and Urban Development HUD for the Section 8 housing program See Area View Corridor The line of sight identified as to height width and distanceof an observer looking toward an object of significance to the community e g ridgeline river historic building etc the route that directs the viewers attention Viewshed The area within view from a defined observation point Volume to Capacity Ratio A measure of the operating capacity of a roadway or intersection in terms of the number of vehicles passing through divided by the number of vehicles that theoretically could pass through when the roadway or intersection is operating at its designed capacity Abbreviated as v c At a vlc ratio of 1 0 the roadway or intersection is operating at capacity If the ratio is less than 1 0 the traffic facility has additional capacity Although ratios slightly greater than 1 0 are possible it is more likely that the peak hour will elongate into a peak period See Peak Hour and Level of Service Warehousing Use A use engaged in storage wholesale and distribution of manufactured products supplies and equipment excluding bulk storage of materials that are inflammable or explosive or that present hazards or conditions commonly recognized as offensive Watercourse Natural or once natural flowing perennially or intermittently water including rivers streams and creeks Includes natural waterways that have been channelized but does not include manmade channels ditches and underground drainage and sewage systems GLOSSARY 42 INCLUDES AMENDMENTS THROUGHGPA 9401 POWAY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN Watershed The total area above a given point on a watercourse that contributes water to its flow the entire region drained by a waterway or watercourse that drains into a lake or reservoir Waterway See Watercourse 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 Under a unified methodology now used by all federal agencies wetlands are defined as those areas meeting certain criteria for hydrology vegetation and soils Wildlife Refuge An area maintained in a natural state for the preservation of both animal and plant life Williamson Act Known formally as the California Land Conservation Act of 1965 it was designed as an incentive to retain prime agricultural land and open space in agricultural use thereby slowing its conversion to urban and suburban development The program entails a 10 year contract between the City or County and an owner of land whereby the land is taxed on the basis of its agricultural use rather than the market value The land becomes subject to certain enforceable restrictions and certain conditions need to be met prior to approval of an agreement Workplace Use The combination of a variety of businesses from office to research and development to light industry to warehousing located in structures built with open floor plans so as to leave most interior improvements to the tenants to design to their needs See also Industrial Park Xeriscape A landscaping approach to minimize water use through use of drought tolerant and low water usage plants Zero Lot Line Homes A detached single family unit distinguished by the location of one exterior wall on a side property line Zone Change See Rezoning Zone Traffic In a mathematical traffic model the area to be studied is divided into zones with each zone treated as producing and attracting trips The production of trips by a zone is based on the number of trips to or from work or shopping or other trips produced per dwelling unit Zoning The division of a city or county by legislative regulations into areas or zones which specify allowable uses for real property and size restrictions for buildings within these areas a program that implements policies of the General Plan INCLUDES AMENDMENTS THROUGH GPA 9401 GLOSSARY 43 POWA Y COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GENERAL PLAN Zoning District A designated section of a city or county for which prescribed land use requirements and building and development standards are uniform Zoning Incentive The awarding of bonus credits to a development in the form of allowing more intensive use of land if public benefits such as preservation of greater than the minimum required open space provision for low and moderate income housing or plans for public plazas and courts at ground level are included in a project Zoning Inclusionary Regulations that increase housing choice by providing the opportunity to construct more diverse and economical housing to meet the needs of low and moderate income families Often such regulations require a minimum percentage of housing for low and moderate income households in new housing developments and in conversions of apartments to condominiums Zoning Map Government Code Section 65851 permits a legislative body to divide a county a city or portions thereof into zones of the number shape and area it deems best suited to carry out the purposes of the zoning ordinance These zones are delineated on a map or maps called the Zoning Map This glossary is based on the California General Plan Glossary published by the California Planning Roundtable at Palo Alto California 1990 and revised 1991 The City of poway appreciates the efforts of this organization to prepare the glossary and to grant permission to reproduce all or part of their document GLOSSARY 44 INCLUDESAMENOMENTS THROUGH GPA 9401