Easement is the portion of a property for which access or use is allowed by a person or agency other than the owner.

Encroachment is any obstruction or protrusion into a right of way or adjacent property, whether on the land or above it.

Environmental Impact Assessment is an assessment of a proposed project or activity to determine whether it will have significant environmental effects on the natural and man – made environments. When no significant environmental impact will result, a “negative declaration” is issued instead of the environmental impact report (EIR), which is the detailed report on how the project will affect the environment. An EIR may also be known as an Environmental Impact Statement or EIS.  

Environmental Impact Report is the public document used by government agencies which analyzes the significant environmental effects of a proposed project, compares alternatives and discusses possible methods to reduce or avoid the environmental damage.

Final Subdivision Map is a map of an approved subdivision is recorded. It usually shows surveyed lot lines, street right-of-way, easement, monuments, and distances, angles, and bearings pertaining to the exact dimensions of all parcels, street lines, etc.

Floor Area Ratio (FAR) is the gross floor area of all building on a lot divided by the lot area.  

Floor Area, Gross is the sum of the gross horizontal areas of the several floors of a building measured from the exterior face of exterior walls, or from the center line of a wall separating two buildings, but not including interior parking spaces, loading space for motor vehicles, or any space where the floor-to-ceiling height is less than six feet.

General Plan is a legal document in the form of a map and accompanying text adopted by the local legislative body, which is a compendium of its policies regarding the long-term development of its jurisdiction. It is sometimes called a city plan, comprehensive plan, or master plan.

Home Owners Association is a non-profit organization representing the particular interest of home owners. Home Owners Association normally operate under recorded legal agreements attached to land ownership. Generally, each lot owner is a condominium or similar planned development becomes a member upon purchase and each lot is subject to a charge for a proportionate share of the expenses for the organization’s activities such as landscaping or maintaining common areas, recreation facilities and parking areas.

Home Occupation is any activity for monetary gain conducted by a resident as an accessory use in the resident’s dwelling unit.

Infill Development is the development of new housing or other buildings on scattered vacant sites in a built-up area.

Initial Study is a preliminary analysis of the potential environmental impacts of a proposed project. Where the lead agency finds that the project may individually or cumulatively cause a significant effect on the environment, an EIR must be prepared. The potential environmental impacts as identified in the initial study becomes the focus of the EIR.

Ordinance is a law adopted by a city, county or local agency governing body.

Overlay Zone is a set of zoning requirements in addition to those of the underlying district. Development within an overlay zone must conform to the requirements of both zones and the more restrictive of the two. It usually is employed to deal with special physical characteristics such as flood plains or historical areas.

Parcel is a lot, or contiguous group of lots in single ownership and under single control, and usually considered a unit for purposes of development.

Parcel Map is a subdivision map that divides a parcel into four or fewer lots. Local authorities can place conditions on the approval of maps.

Permitted Use is a use which is specifically authorized in a particular zoning district. It is contrasted with conditional uses which are authorized only if certain requirements are met and after review and approval by the appropriate public agency.

Planned Development is a self-contained development, often with a mixture of land uses and densities, in which the subdivision and zoning controls are applied to the project as a whole rather than to individual lots. Commercial and even industrial uses are combined with different types of residential uses. A planned development with just residential uses is referred to as a residential planned development.

Planned Unit Development is land use zoning which allows the adoption of a set of development standards that are specific to a particular project. PUD zones usually do not contain detailed development standards; those are established during the process of considering proposals and adopted by ordinance upon project approval.

Planning Commission is the body, appointed by the city council or board of supervisors, charged with the development of the general plan, formulation and administration of the zoning map and ordinance, and review of development application.

Public Hearing is a meeting announced and advertised in advance and open to the public, at which the public has an opportunity to talk and participate.

Right-of-Way is a strip of land acquired by reservation, dedication, forced dedication, prescription or condemnation and occupied or intended to be occupied by a road, crosswalk, railroad, electric transmission line, oil or gas pipeline, water line, sanitary storm sewer and other similar uses.

Setback is the minimum distance required by zoning to be maintained between two structures or between a structure and a property line.

Sign is any object, device, display or structure, or part thereof, situated outdoors or indoors, which is used to advertise, identify, display, direct or attract attention to an object, person, institution, organization, business, product, service, event or location by any means, including words, letters, figures, design, symbols, fixtures, colors, illumination or projected images.

Sign, Off Premise is a sign which directs attention to business, commodity, service or entertainment conducted, sold or offered at a location other than the premises on which the sign is located.

Site Plan is a plan, to scale, showing uses and structures proposed for a parcel land. It includes lot lines, streets, buildings sites, public open space, buildings, major landscape features – both natural and man-made – and, depending on requirements, the locations of proposed utility lines.

Specific Plan is a plan adopted by a city or county to implement their general plan for designated areas. It contains the locations and standards for land uses densities, streets, and other public facilities in greater detail than the general plan map and Text.

Sphere of Influence is the probable ultimate physical boundary and service limits of a local agency as approved by the LAFCO. It identifies the area available to a city for future annexation. However, unless another arrangement has been made, the city has no actual authority over such area outside its city limits.

Subdivision is the division of any unit or units of land for the purpose of sale, lease or financing.

Temporary Use is a use established for a fixed period of time with the intent to discontinue such use upon the expiration of the time period.

Tentative Subdivision Map is a map showing the design and improvements of a proposed subdivision of five or more lots. It includes existing conditions in and around the subdivision. This is the stage when a city or county must place all the restrictions it deems necessary on the map. The term tentative is misleading, because additional conditions or substantive design changes cannot be required once a tentative subdivision map is approved.

Use is the purpose or activity for which a piece of land or its buildings is designed, arranged, or intended or for which it is occupied and maintained.

Variance is the permissions to depart from the literal requirements of a zoning ordinance. For a variance to be granted findings must be made by the local decision making body that a hardship would exist if a variance were not granted and that granting the variance would not constitute a special privilege.

Williamson Act is the California Land Conservation Act of 1965 (Govt. Code section 51200 et seq.). The Williamson Act authorizes the designation of “agricultural preserves” by local governments and allows for property taxation of land within those preserves based on agricultural use, rather than the “highest and best use,” which might be residential, industrial or commercial. In return for this preferential tax treatment, the landowner must agree to maintain the land in agricultural uses for a minimum of ten years.

Zero Lot Line is when a building is sited on one or more lot lines. Conceivably, three of the four sides of a building could be on the lot lines. The intent is to allow more flexibility in site design and to increase the amount of usable open space on the lot.

Zoning Map is the map or maps, which are part of the zoning ordinance, and delineate the boundaries of zone districts.

Zoning Ordinance is a local law that contains detailed standards and procedures to implement the General Plan. The ordinance divides the city into various zoning districts with different land uses permitted in the districts.