Article 2 — Definitions

Buffer means the area of land immediately adjacent to the banks of a stream in its existing or enhanced state of vegetation (established by Subsection 4.1.1 herein).

Department means the City of Sugar Hill Department of Planning and Development.

Director means the Director of the Department of Planning and Development or the director’s designee.

Impervious Cover or Impervious Surface means any paved, hardened or structural surface, including but not limited to, buildings, dams, decks, driveways, parking areas, patios, streets, swimming pools, tennis courts, walkways, and other structures..

Land Development means 1. (verb) All activities associated with the conversion of land or the expansion or replacement of an existing use to any new use intended for human operation, occupancy or habitation, other than for agricultural purposes devoted strictly to the cultivation of the land, dairying or animal husbandry. Such activities include land disturbance (clearing and grubbing the land of vegetation and stumps, and grading) and the construction of improvements such as but not limited to streets, driveways or parking areas, water or sewer mains, storm water drainage facilities, sidewalks or other structures permanently placed on or in the property. 2. (noun) Where appropriate to the context, the term "development" also may be used to denote a specific subdivision or project which is a single entity or intended to be constructed as in interrelated whole, whether simultaneously or in phases.

Land Development Activity means those actions or activities which comprise, facilitate or result in land development.

Land Disturbance means any activity which may result in soil erosion from water or wind and the movement of sediments into state waters or onto lands within the state, including, but not limited to, clearing, clearing and grubbing, dredging, grading, excavating, transporting, and filling of land but not including agricultural practices.

Land Disturbance Activity means those actions or activities which comprise, facilitate or result in land disturbance.

Floodplain means those lands subject to flooding, which would have at least a one percent probability of flooding occurrence in any calendar year based on the basin being fully developed as shown on the current land use plan; i.e., the regulatory flood.

Lot or Parcel means a designated parcel, tract, or area of land established by plat, subdivision, or as otherwise permitted by law, to be separately owned, used, developed, or built upon.

Permit means the permit issued by the Department of Planning and Development required for undertaking land development activity.

Perennial Stream means a watercourse having a source, terminus, banks and channel through which water flows on a continuous basis as depicted on the most recent United States Geological Survey 7.5-minute quadrangle map (scale 1:24,000).

Person means any individual, partnership, firm, association, joint venture, public or private corporation, trust, estate, commission, board, public or private institution, utility, cooperative, state agency, municipality or other political subdivision of the State of Georgia, interstate body or any other legal entity.

Protection Area, or Stream Protection Area means, with respect to a stream, the combined areas of all required buffers and setbacks applicable to such stream.

Riparian means belonging or related to the bank of a river, stream, lake, pond or impoundment.

Setback means, with respect to a stream, the area established by Subsection 4.1.2 extending beyond any buffer applicable to the stream.

Stream Bank means the confining cut of a stream channel.

Stream Channel means the portion of a watercourse that contains the base flow of the stream.

Trail, Multi-use means a hard surface (concrete, asphalt, boardwalk, etc.) transportation structure specifically constructed for alternative transportation such as walking, biking, roller blading, etc.

and not intended to transport motorized vehicles such as cars, trucks, motorcycles, etc.

Utility means a public or private water or sewer piping systems, water or sewer pumping stations, electric power lines, fuel pipelines, telephone lines, roads, driveways, bridges, river/lake access facilities, storm water systems and railroads or other utilities identified by Gwinnett County.

Watercourse means any natural or artificial waterway, stream, river, creek, channel, ditch, canal, conduit, culvert, drain, gully, ravine, or wash in which water flows either continuously or intermittently, having a definite channel, bed and bank, and included any area adjacent thereto which is subject to inundation by reason of overflow or floodwater.”

Watershed means the land area that drains into a particular stream.