§ 32-1. Definitions.

All terms as defined in the Land Division Act (MCL 560.101 et seq.) shall control in this chapter unless indicated to the contrary in this section. The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

Block means property abutting one side of a street and lying between the two nearest intersecting streets, or between the nearest such street and railroad right-of-way, unsubdivided acreage, river or live stream; or between any of the foregoing and any other barrier to the continuity of development.

Canal means a connecting body of water not less than four feet deep at low water state of 570.5 feet above sea level as provided by the International Great Lakes Datum and not less than 60 feet wide at water level at four foot depth.

Canal lot means a recorded lot or parcel of land, one side of which abuts a street and the opposite side abuts a canal or other body of water.

City engineer or engineer means the staff engineer or consulting engineer of the city.

City planner or planner means the staff planner or consulting planner of the city.

Easement means a grant by the owner of the use of a strip of land by the public, a corporation, or persons, for specific uses and purposes, to be designated as a "public" or "private" easement depending on the nature of the use.

Improvements means grading, street surfacing, curb and gutter sidewalks, crosswalks, water mains and lines, sanitary sewers, storm sewers, culverts, bridges, utilities, and other additions to the natural state of land which increases its value, utility or habitability.

Lot means a measured portion of a parcel or tract of land, which is described or fixed in a recorded plat.

Major streets or thoroughfare plan means the part of the master plan which sets forth the location, alignment and dimensions of existing and proposed streets and thoroughfares.

Master plan means the comprehensive land use plan for the city, including graphic and written proposals indicating the general locations recommended for the streets, parks, schools, public buildings, zoning districts and all physical developments of the city and includes any unit or part of such plan separately adopted, and any amendments to such plan or parts thereof duly adopted by the planning commission.

Parcel or tract means a continuous area or acreage of land that can be described as provided for in the Land Division Act (MCL 560.101 et seq.).

Plat means a map or chart of a subdivision of land.

(1)

Pre-preliminary plat means a map indicating the proposed layout of the subdivision in sufficient detail to provide adequate basis for review and to meet the requirements and procedures set forth in this chapter.

(2)

Preliminary plat means a map showing the salient features of a proposed subdivision submitted to an approving authority for purposes of preliminary consideration prepared in conformance with the Land Division Act (MCL 560.101 et seq.).

(3)

Final plat means a map of all or part of a subdivision providing substantial conformance to the preliminary plat of the Land Division Act (MCL 560.101 et seq.) and this chapter, and suitable for recording by the county register of deeds.

Proprietor means a natural person which may hold any ownership interest in land, whether recorded or not.

Street means any street, avenue, boulevard, road, lane, parkway, viaduct, alley or other way which is an existing state, county or municipal roadway; or, a street or way shown in a plat heretofore approved pursuant to law or approved by official action; or, a street or way on a plat duly filed and recorded in the office of the county register of deeds. The term "street" includes the land between the street lines, whether improved or unimproved, and may comprise pavement, shoulders, gutters, sidewalks, parking areas and lawns.

Alley means a minor service street used primarily to provide secondary vehicular access to the rear or side of properties otherwise abutting upon a street.

Boulevard street means a street developed to two two-lane, one-way pavements separated by a median.

Collector streets means a street intended to serve as a major means of access from minor streets to major thoroughfares which have considerable continuity within the framework of the major thoroughfare plan.

Cul-de-sac street means a short minor street having one end permanently terminated by a vehicular turnaround.

Major thoroughfare means an arterial street of great continuity which is intended to serve as a high-volume traffic way for both the immediate city area and region beyond, and may be designated in the city's major thoroughfare plan as a major thoroughfare, parkway, expressway or equivalent term to identify those streets comprising the basic structure of the street plan.

Marginal access street means a minor street paralleling and adjacent to a major thoroughfare that provides access to abutting properties and protection from through traffic.

Minor street means a street of limited continuity used primarily for access to abutting residential properties.

Turn-around means a short boulevard street permanently terminated by a vehicular turn-around.

Subdivision means the partitioning or dividing of a parcel or tract of land by the proprietor thereof or by his heirs, executors, administrators, legal representatives, successors or assigns for the purposes of sale, or lease of more than one year, or building development, where the act of division creates five or more parcels of land, each of which is ten acres or less in area; or five or more parcels of land, each of which is ten acres or less in area, which are created by successive divisions within a prior ten years.

Subdivision act means the partitioning or splitting of a parcel or tract of land by the proprietor thereof or by his heirs, executors, administrators, legal representatives, successors, or assigns for the purpose of sale, or lease of more than one year, or of building development that results in one or more parcels of less than 40 acres or the equivalent, and that is not exempted from the platting requirements of the Land Division Act by sections 108 and 109 (MCL 560.108, 560.109) thereof. The term "subdivide" or "subdivision" does not include a property transfer between two or more adjacent parcels, if the property taken from one parcel is added to an adjacent parcel; and any resulting parcel shall not be considered a building site unless the parcel conforms to the requirements of the Land Division Act or the requirements of an applicable local ordinance.

(Code 1977, § 20-3; Ord. No. 62, § 1, 5-12-1969)

State law reference

Similar definitions, MCL 560.102.