13.70.020 Definitions.
For the purposes of this chapter, the following definitions describe the meaning of the terms used in this chapter:
A. “Adverse impact” means any deleterious effect on water or wetlands, including their quality, quantity, surface area, species composition, aesthetics or usefulness for human or natural uses, which are or may potentially be harmful or injurious to human health, welfare, safety or property, to biological productivity, diversity or stability, or which unreasonably interferes with the enjoyment of life or property, including outdoor recreation.
B. “Agricultural land management practices” means those methods and procedures used in the cultivation of land in order to further crop production and conservation of related soil and water resources.
C. “Applicant” means any person, firm or governmental agency who executes the necessary forms to procure official approval of a project or a permit to carry out construction of a project.
D. “Aquifer” means a porous water-bearing geologic formation generally restricted to materials capable of yielding an appreciable supply of water.
E. “City engineer” means the city of Aberdeen public works director or his or her designee.
F. “Clearing” means the removal of trees and brush from the land, but shall not include the ordinary mowing of grass.
G. “Detention structure” means a permanent structure designed to store runoff for discharge at rates approximating what would have occurred under predevelopment conditions.
H. “Develop land” or “development” means to change the runoff characteristics of a parcel of land in conjunction with residential, commercial, industrial or institutional construction or alteration.
I. “Developer” means a person, group or company engaged in land or property development or proposed development.
J. “Director” or “public works director” means the city of Aberdeen public works director or his or her designee.
K. “Drainage area” means that area contributing runoff to a single point measured in a horizontal plane which is enclosed by a ridge line.
L. “Engineer” means a civil engineer or civil engineering firm that has been retained or employed by the city to perform engineering services.
M. “Easement” means a grant or reservation by the owner of land for the use of such land by others for specific purpose(s), and which must be included in the conveyance of land affected by such easement.
N. “Exemption” means those land development activities that are not subject to the storm and surface water management requirements contained in this chapter.
O. “Flow attenuation” means detaining or retaining runoff to reduce the peak discharge.
P. “Grading” means any act by which soil is cleared, stripped, stockpiled, excavated, scarified, filled or any combination thereof.
Q. “Infiltration” means the passage or movement of water into the soil surface.
R. “Off-site storm and surface water management” means the design and construction of a facility necessary to control storm and surface water from more than one (1) development.
S. “On-site storm and surface water management” means the design and construction of systems necessary to control storm and surface water within an immediate development.
T. “Retention structure” means a permanent structure that provides for the storage of runoff by means of a permanent pool of water or infiltration.
U. “Sediment” means soils or other surficial materials transported or deposited by the action of wind, water, ice or gravity as a product of erosion.
V. “Site” means any tract, lot or parcel of land or combination of tracts, lots or parcels of land which are in one (1) ownership, or are contiguous and in diverse ownership where development is to be performed as part of a unit, subdivision or project.
W. “Stabilization” means the prevention of soil movement by any of various vegetative and/or structural means.
X. “Storm and surface water management” means:
1. For quantitative control, a system of vegetative and structural measures that control the increased volume and rate of surface runoff caused by manmade changes to the land; and
2. For qualitative control, a system of vegetative, structural and other measures that reduce or eliminate pollutants that might otherwise be carried by surface runoff; and
3. For “low impact development (LID),” a stormwater and land use management strategy that strives to mimic predisturbance hydrologic processes of infiltration, filtration, storage, evaporation and transpiration by emphasizing conservation, use of on-site natural features, site planning, and distributed stormwater management practices that are integrated into a project design. LID best management practices (BMPs) include, but are not limited to, bioretention, rain gardens, permeable pavements, roof downspout controls, dispersion, soil quality and depth, vegetated roofs, minimum excavation foundations, and water reuse.
Y. “Storm drainage plan” means a set of drawings or other documents, submitted by a person as a prerequisite to obtaining a storm drainage permit, which contain all of the information and specifications pertaining to storm and surface water management.
Z. “Stripping” means any activity which removes the vegetative surface cover, including tree removal, clearing, grubbing and storage, or removal of topsoil.
AA. “Stormwater Management Manual for Western Washington” means the stormwater manual published by the Washington State Department of Ecology and adopted by the city.
BB. “Variance” means the modification of the minimum storm and surface water management requirements for specific circumstances where strict adherence of the requirements would result in unnecessary hardship and not fulfill the intent of this chapter.
CC. “Watercourse” means any natural or artificial stream, river, creek, ditch, channel, swale, conduit, culvert, drain, or ravine, in and including any area adjacent thereto which is subject to inundation by reason of overflow or flood water.
DD. “Watershed” means the total drainage area contributing runoff to a single point.
EE. “Western Washington Phase II Municipal Stormwater Permit” means the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) stormwater permit issued to the city by the Washington State Department of Ecology.
FF. “Wetlands” means an area that has saturated soils or periodic high ground water levels and vegetation adapted to wet conditions and periodic flooding.
Prior to the adoption of 6526 on 01/25/2012, Section 13.70.020 read as follows.
For the purposes of this chapter, the following definitions describe the meaning of the terms used in this chapter:
A. “Adverse impact” means any deleterious effect on water or wetlands, including their quality, quantity, surface area, species composition, aesthetics or usefulness for human or natural uses which are or may potentially be harmful or injurious to human health, welfare, safety or property, to biological productivity, diversity or stability, or which unreasonably interfere with the enjoyment of life or property, including outdoor recreation.
B. “Agricultural land management practices” means those methods and procedures used in the cultivation of land in order to further crop production and conservation of related soil and water resources.
C. “Applicant” means any person, firm or governmental agency who executes the necessary forms to procure official approval of a project or a permit to carry out construction of a project.
D. “Aquifer” means a porous water-bearing geologic formation generally restricted to materials capable of yielding an appreciable supply of water.
E. “City engineer” means the city of Aberdeen Public Works Director or his or her designee.
F. “Clearing” means the removal of trees and brush from the land, but shall not include the ordinary mowing of grass.
G. “Detention structure” means a permanent structure designed to store runoff for discharge at rates approximating what would have occurred under predevelopment conditions.
H. “Develop land” means to change the runoff characteristics of a parcel of land in conjunction with residential, commercial, industrial or institutional construction or alteration.
I. “Developer” means a person, group or company engaged in land or property development or proposed development.
J. “Director” or “Public Works Director” means the city of Aberdeen Public Works Director or his or her designee.
K. “Drainage area” means that area contributing runoff to a single point measured in a horizontal plane which is enclosed by a ridge line.
L. “Engineer” means a civil engineer or civil engineering firm that has been retained or employed by the city to perform engineering services.
M. “Easement” means a grant or reservation by the owner of land for the use of such land by others for specific purpose(s), and which must be included in the conveyance of land affected by such easement.
N. “Exemption” means those land development activities that are not subject to the storm and surface water management requirements contained in this chapter.
O. “Flow attenuation” means detaining or retaining runoff to reduce the peak discharge.
P. “Grading” means any act by which soil is cleared, stripped, stockpiled, excavated, scarified, filled or any combination thereof.
Q. “Infiltration” means the passage or movement of water into the soil surface.
R. “Off-site storm and surface water management” means the design and construction of a facility necessary to control storm and surface water from more than one development.
S. “On-site storm and surface water management” means the design and construction of systems necessary to control storm and surface water within an immediate development.
T. “Retention structure” means a permanent structure that provides for the storage of runoff by means of a permanent pool of water or infiltration.
U. “Sediment” means soils or other surficial materials transported or deposited by the action of wind, water, ice or gravity as a product of erosion.
V. “Site” means any tract, lot or parcel of land or combination of tracts, lots or parcels of land which are in one ownership, or are contiguous and in diverse ownership where development is to be performed as part of a unit, subdivision or project.
W. “Stabilization” means the prevention of soil movement by any of various vegetative and/or structural means.
X. “Storm and surface water management” means:
1. For quantitative control, a system of vegetative and structural measures that control the increased volume and rate of surface runoff caused by manmade changes to the land; and
2. For qualitative control, a system of vegetative, structural and other measures that reduce or eliminate pollutants that might otherwise be carried by surface runoff.
Y. “Storm drainage plan” means a set of drawings or other documents submitted by a person as a prerequisite to obtaining a storm drainage permit, which contains all of the information and specifications pertaining to storm and surface water management.
Z. “Stripping” means any activity which removes the vegetative surface cover, including tree removal, clearing, grubbing and storage, or removal of topsoil.
AA. “Variance” means the modification of the minimum storm and surface water management requirements for specific circumstances where strict adherence of the requirements would result in unnecessary hardship and not fulfill the intent of this chapter.
BB. “Watercourse” means any natural or artificial stream, river, creek, ditch, channel, swale, conduit, culvert, drain, or ravine, in and including any area adjacent thereto which is subject to inundation by reason of overflow or flood water.
CC. “Watershed” means the total drainage area contributing runoff to a single point.
DD. “Wetlands” means an area that has saturated soils or periodic high groundwater levels and vegetation adapted to wet conditions and periodic flooding.