17B.10.050 Definitions.
The following definitions shall apply in the interpretation and enforcement of this Title:
A. "Access" means to enter, exit or reach a lot, parcel, building or structure.
B. "Alley or Alleyway" means a privately owned vehicle driving surface not designated for general travel that is primarily used as a means of access to the rear of residences.
C. "Applicant" means the person, party, firm, corporation, or other legal entity that proposes to develop property in unincorporated Pierce County by submitting an application for any of the activities covered by these regulations.
D. "Arterial" means a county road classified as a major, secondary, or collector arterial.
E. "Arterial Intersection" means the intersection of two or more arterials.
F. "Commercial" means any land use other than single-family detached or duplex lot.
G. "County" means the jurisdictional boundaries of Pierce County, and the Pierce County Executive or authorized representative.
H. "County Engineer" means the Pierce County Engineer or authorized representative, having authorities specified in RCW 36.75.050 and 36.80.
I. "Department" means the Pierce County Planning and Public Works – Office of the County Engineer.
J. "Development or Development Activity" means any type of construction or placement or conversion or expansion of a building, structure or use, or the siting of a mobile home, or any change in use of a building or structure, or any changes in the use of land that creates additional traffic.
K. "Development Traffic" means the traffic generated by a proposed development.
L. "Director of Planning and Public Works" means the Director of Planning and Public Works or authorized representative.
M. "Driveway" means a vehicle driving surface within a single lot or parcel that connects a building or structure with a road, shared access facility, alley, or vehicle driving surface within an ingress/egress easement (or tract). A driveway begins at the right-of-way line, private road easement (or tract) line, shared access easement (or tract) line, alley easement (or tract) line, or ingress/egress easement (or tract) line, and extends to the building or structure.
N. "Driveway Approach" means a privately maintained vehicle driving surface that provides a transition between a road and a driveway, a road and a shared access facility, or a road and an alley.
O. "Easement" means the legal right to use a described piece of land for a particular purpose. It does not include fee ownership, but may restrict the property owner's use of the land. All easements granted pursuant to the requirements of this Title shall be legally recorded with the County Auditor.
P. "Engineer" means a professional civil engineer, licensed by the State of Washington.
Q. "Gravel Surface" means a two inch crushed surfacing top course per Washington State Department of Transportation specifications.
R. "Impact Fee Project" means a traffic improvement project contained within the traffic impact fee program established pursuant to Title 4A PCC.
S. "Local Road" means a county road classified as a local road.
T. "Low impact development (LID)" is a stormwater and land use management strategy that strives to mimic pre-disturbance 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.
U. "Mitigation" means a traffic improvement that is intended to change a traffic impact to a level of non-significance.
V. "Newly constructed road" means: proposed private or public roads, improvements in existing County right-of-way that substantially change vertical or horizontal alignment or add additional through lanes or are intended to improve a roadway to a higher classification. "Newly constructed road" does not mean: existing off-site private roads that need to be upgraded to meet PCC 17B.20.040, channelization within existing County right-of-way at project access points, channelization within existing County right-of-way at intersections, correction of entering sight distance improvements within existing County right-of-way at project access points or impacted intersections, or correction of singular sight distance deficiencies or safety concerns within existing County right-of-way.
W. "Offsite Existing Private Road" means a private road created by a subdivision that is vested prior to November 1, 1999. "Offsite existing private road" also means an access easement recorded with the County Auditor prior to November 1, 1999. An offsite existing private road provides access from a proposed development to a public road. In order for the private road to be considered "offsite" it must be located outside of the proposed development's boundaries.
X. "Open right-of-way" means a county right-of-way that exists by dedication, deed or other instrument, that contains a constructed public roadway, is open to public travel, and is maintained by the county.
Y. "PCC" means Pierce County Code.
Z. "Peak-Hour Trip" means a vehicle trip end generated by a proposed development during the specific 60-minute period in the day within which the highest traffic volumes occur for a proposed development.
AA. "Private Road" means a roadway facility in private ownership providing private access and used for travel of vehicles by the owner(s) or those having express or implied permission from the owner(s), but not by other persons.
BB. "Proposed Development" means a development activity and all proposed divisions.
CC. "RCW" means Revised Code of Washington.
DD. "Road/Roadway" means an open private or public way for the passage of motor vehicles that, where appropriate, may include pedestrian, equestrian, and bicycle facilities. Elements of a road/roadway typically include, but are not limited to traveled way, sidewalks, curbing, paths, walkways, shoulders, ditches, culverts, conveyance piping, retaining walls, and slopes necessary for structural stability.
EE. "Rural" means those areas not included within an urban growth area.
FF. "Shared Access Facility" means a privately-owned drivable surface which provides vehicular access to at least two lots and meets the design standards specified in the Manual on Design Guidelines and Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction in Pierce County and is designated as a shared access facility on a recorded land division map.
GG. "Single-Family Dwelling Unit" means a structure used to house one family, including appurtenant structures such as a garage, storage shed, or other structure not used for living purposes, all for the private, non-commercial use of the property owner or renter.
HH. "Sight Obscuring" means equipment or facilities that block the visual perception or line of sight beyond the equipment or facilities or that makes something beyond the equipment or facilities so faintly perceptible as to lack clear delineation or be impossible to see.
II. "Small Wireless Facilities" means facilities that meet the following conditions:
1. The facilities:
a. Are mounted on structures 50 feet or less in height including their antennas; or
b. Are mounted on structures no more than 10 percent taller than other adjacent structures; or
c. Do not extend existing structures on which they are located to a height of more than 50 feet or by more than 10 percent, whichever is greater;
2. Each antenna associated with the deployment, excluding associated antenna equipment, is no more than three cubic feet in volume;
3. All other wireless equipment associated with the structure, including the wireless equipment associated with the antenna and any pre-existing associated equipment on the structure, is no more than 28 cubic feet in volume;
4. The facilities do not require antenna structure registration under federal law;
5. The facilities are not located on Tribal land as defined under federal law; and
6. The facilities do not result in human exposure to radio frequency radiation in excess of the applicable safety standards specified under federal law.
JJ. "TIA" means traffic impact analysis.
KK. "Traffic Impact" means the effects or consequences of proposed developments that changes or alters the demand for services on any public road.
LL. "Traffic Improvement" means an action that improves the operations or conditions of a road or intersection.
MM. "Trip Assignment" means the number of peak-hour trips from a proposed development expected to use specific county roads.
NN. "Trip Distribution" means the directional orientation of peak-hour trips from a proposed development.
OO. "Trip Generation" means the peak-hour trips generated by a proposed development.
PP. "Two-Family Dwelling Unit" means a structure used to house two families, including appurtenant structures such as a garage, storage shed, or other structure not used for living purposes, all for the private, non-commercial use of the property owner or renter.
QQ. "Unopened right-of-way" means a County right-of-way that exists by dedication or deed, but within which no road has been constructed for the purpose of public use or within which any constructed road is not maintained by the County.
RR. "Urban" means all areas identified within urban growth areas defined by the Pierce County Comprehensive Plan adopted in Pierce County Code Title 19A, meeting the statutory requirements of urban as defined by the Growth Management Act, Chapter 36.70A RCW.