§ 13-6. Definitions.

Unless the provision or context requires otherwise, the definitions contained in this section shall govern the construction of this chapter. The definition of a word applies to any of that word's variants.

"Accessory building" means any building containing solely a Group U occupancy as defined in the county building code.

"Agricultural building" means any structure designed and constructed to house farm implements, hay, grain, poultry, livestock or other horticultural products. This structure shall not be a place of human habitation or a place of employment where agricultural products are processed, treated or packaged; nor shall it be a place used by the public.

"Agricultural operation" means includes the cultivation and tillage of the soil, dairying, the production, cultivation, growing and harvesting of any agricultural commodity, including timber, viticulture, apiculture or horticulture, and the raising of livestock, fur-bearing animals, fish or poultry.

"All-weather driving surface" means any surface that provides unobstructed access to conventional drive vehicles, including sedans and fire engines, and is capable of supporting a minimum of forty thousand-pound axle load during wet weather conditions.

"Board of building appeals" means the board of building appeals created in Chapter 7 of the Sonoma County Code.

"Building" means any structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy. Building is also any structure as to which state agencies have regulatory power, and housing or enclosure of persons, animals, chattels, equipment or property of any kind. Building is also any structure wherein things may be grown, made, produced, kept, handled, stored or disposed of, and all appendages, accessories, apparatus, appliances and equipment installed as a part thereof. Building shall not include machinery, equipment or appliances installed for manufacture or process purposes only, nor shall it include any construction installations which are not a part of a building, any tunnel, mine shaft, highway or bridge, or include any house trailer or vehicle which conforms to the California Vehicle Code.

Note: Building shall have the same meaning as defined in Health and Safety Code, Section 17920 and 18908 for the applications specified in Sections 101.17.9 and 101.17.10 of the Building Code.

"Building, existing" means a building legally erected prior to the adoption of this code, or one (1) for which a legal building permit was issued for the construction or legalization thereof prior to the adoption of this Code.

"Building, new" means a building for which a legal building permit is issued for the construction or legalization thereof after the adoption of this code.

"Building code" means the county building code as set forth in Chapter 7 of the Sonoma County Code.

"Building official" means the chief building official as defined in Section 7-2 of the Sonoma County Code.

"California Fire Code" means the regulations in California Code of Regulations, Title 24, Part 9, 2016 California Fire Code, which incorporate by adoption the 2015 Edition of the International Fire Code of the International Code Council with necessary California amendments.

"Central alarm station" means a publicly or privately operated alarm receiving center that is constantly attended by appropriately trained staff.

"Chief" means the county fire chief or his or her authorized representative for those portions of the unincorporated area of the county not in a fire protection district, and the local fire chief or his or her authorized representative for those portions of the unincorporated area of the county in a local fire protection district. Notwithstanding the preceding, the county fire chief shall be responsible for plan checking and inspection of new construction and alterations subject to this Code within both those portions of the unincorporated area of the county not in a fire protection district and those portions of the unincorporated area of the county in a local fire protection district, unless a local fire protection district notifies the county fire chief in writing that it has elected to have the local fire chief exercise those responsibilities within its jurisdictional area.

"Commercial building" means any building containing an occupancy other than a Group R-3 occupancy, a one- or two-family dwelling, or Group U Occupancy accessory to a Group R-3 occupancy, as defined in the county building code.

"County" means the county of Sonoma, in the state of California.

"County building code" means the building regulations in Chapter 7 of this code.

"County fire chief" means the director of the Sonoma County Fire and Emergency Services Department.

"Certified Unified Program Agencies (CUPA)" means the regulatory division of Sonoma County Fire and Emergency Services Department hazardous materials enforcement division.

"Dairy milking facility" means a single-story structure constructed of non-combustible materials with two or more open sides that is used exclusively for milking dairy animals. A dairy milking facility may have either an office or a storage area of less than four hundred (400) square feet. A dairy milking facility shall not have any sleeping areas within the structure.

"Dangerous fireworks" means dangerous fireworks as defined in Health and Safety Code, Section 12505.

"Dead-end road" means any road that has only one point of vehicular ingress/egress, including cul-de-sac and looped or circular roads.

"Development approval" means any of the following: (1) any discretionary approval granted pursuant to Chapter 25, 26, or 26C of this Code to allow residential, commercial, or industrial development of land, including, but not limited to, any approval of a zone change, tentative map, lot line adjustment, use permit, or design review; (2) any building permit issued pursuant to Chapter 7 of this code to erect, construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, improve, or convert any building, or to install a manufactured home; or (3) any grading permit issued pursuant to Chapter 7 of this code to construct a new road or driveway, or to extend, reconstruct, or improve an existing road or driveway.

"Director of forestry and fire protection" means the director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection or his or her authorized representative.

"Director of permit and resource management" means the county director of permit and resource management or his or her authorized representative.

"Driveway" means any way or place in private ownership that provides vehicular access to no more than two (2) residential buildings, containing no more than three (3) dwelling units, and any number of accessory buildings on a single parcel.

"Driveway structure" means any bridge, culvert or other appurtenant structure that supplements the driveway bed or shoulder.

"Dwelling unit" means any building or portion thereof which contains living facilities, including provisions for sleeping, eating, cooking and sanitation, as required by the county building code, for not more than one (1) family.

"Exception" means an alternative to a standard specified in Article V of this chapter that is requested by an applicant for development due to health, safety, environmental conditions, physical site limitations or other limiting conditions, and provides mitigation of a problem.

"Executive body" means the board of supervisors of the county for those portions of the county not in a fire protection district, and the board of directors of the fire protection district having jurisdiction for those portions of the county in that fire protection district.

"Exterior wall" means any wall or element of a wall, or any member or group of members, which defines the exterior boundaries or courts of a building and which has a slope of sixty (60) degrees or greater from the horizontal plane.

"Existing building" see "building, existing."

"Fire alarm" means any device, control or circuit designed to produce an alarm signal in the event of fire or system activation, together with the energy necessary to sound an alarm, electrically supervise the system where required, and activate the alarm bells, trouble bells or trouble signals.

"Fire and emergency services department" means the county fire and emergency services department.

"Fire apparatus access road" means a road that provides fire apparatus access from a fire station to a facility, building or portion thereof. This is a general term inclusive of all other terms such as fire lane, public street, private street, parking lot lane and access roadway. Public streets maybe defined by the standards of the local agency having jurisdiction over the project.

"Fire code official" means the fire chief and any other designated authority charged with the administration and enforcement of code, or a duly authorized representative. This shall include representatives who enforce county code Chapter 29 Hazardous Materials Management.

"Fire department" means the county fire and emergency services department for those unincorporated areas of the county not in a local fire protection district, and the local fire protection district having jurisdiction for those unincorporated areas of the county in a local fire protection district.

"Fire lane" means that portion of an access roadway reserved for emergency vehicles and the conduct of firefighting or rescue operations, or as designated by the fire department, and posted in accordance with California Vehicle Code Section 22500.1.

"Fireworks" means any fireworks as defined in Health and Safety Code, Section 12511.

"Floor area-fire flow calculations" means the floor area used for calculating the required fire flow shall be the total floor area of all floor levels within the exterior walls that are under the horizontal projection of the roof, except as modified in Appendix B, Section B104.

"General plan" means the county general plan.

"Greenbelt" means a facility or land use designed for a use other than fire protection which will slow or resist the spread of a wildfire. Greenbelts include parking lots, irrigated or landscaped areas, golf courses, parks, playgrounds, maintained vineyards, orchards and annual crops that do not cure in the field.

"Hammerhead/T" means a roadway that provides a "T" shaped, three-point turnaround space for emergency equipment. The turnaround space shall be no narrower than the road it serves.

"HB-17 and HS-20" means the class of highway loading as defined by the American Association of state highway and transportation officials.

"Hydrant" means a valve connection on a water supply/storage system to supply fire apparatus and hoses with water.

"Jurisdiction" means the county of Sonoma, in the state of California.

"Jurisdictional area" means the territory within a local fire protection district.

"Local fire chief" means the fire chief of a local fire protection district or his or her authorized representative.

"Local fire protection district" means any fire protection district organized and operating under the provisions of the Fire Protection District Law of 1987, Part 3 (commencing with Section 13800) of Division 12 of the Health and Safety Code, or any other special district lawfully exercising any of the powers, functions, or duties vested in or imposed upon a fire protection district pursuant to the Fire Protection District Law of 1987, all or part of whose territory is within the unincorporated area of the county. Notwithstanding the preceding, local fire protection district shall not include any County Service Area organized and operating under the provisions of the County Service Area Law, Chapter 2.2 (commencing with Section 25210.1) of Part 2 of Division 2 of Title 3 of the Government Code.

"Local responsibility area" means that portion of the unincorporated area of the county not classified by the state board of forestry as a state responsibility area.

"Manufactured home" means any manufactured home as defined in Health and Safety Code, Sections 18007, 18008 and 19971.

"National fire codes" means the most current edition of the National Fire Codes published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

"New building" see "building, new."

"Non-urban parcel" means any parcel served by a water system other than a public water system.

"Occupancy" means the purpose for which a building or part thereof is used or intended to be used.

"One-way road" means a road designed for traffic flow in one (1) direction only.

"Open burning" means any combination of combustible material of any type outdoors in the open, not in any enclosure, where the productions of combustion are not directed through a flue. Open burning shall not include a fire in a barbecue pit, either permanent or portable, when the barbecue pit is operated on a patio or other appropriate dooryard area adjacent to and in conjunction with the dwelling of the person operating the barbecue pit.

"Planning official" means the director of the permit and resource management department.

"Private riding arena" means an enclosed or unenclosed building or portion of a building used exclusively for private equestrian activities by the building owner, guests, or employees, not to exceed a maximum capacity of thirty (30) persons. The area within a private riding arena shall not be used for storage areas, animal stalls, offices, viewing areas, shows, events, public riding lessons, or similar uses or occupancies. A private riding arena shall be classified as a Group U occupancy.

"Private road" means any way or place in private ownership that provides vehicular access to more than one (1) parcel, to a commercial building or agricultural operation on a single parcel, or to more than two (2) residential buildings or two (2) residential buildings, containing more than three (3) dwelling units, on a single parcel.

"Public display of fireworks" means any public display of fireworks as defined in Health and Safety Code, Section 12524.

"Public road" means any county highway or state highway.

"Public water system" means a system, regardless of type of ownership, for the provision of piped water to the public for human consumption that has fifteen (15) or more service connections.

"Residential building" means any one- or two-family dwelling containing a Group R-3 occupancy, or Group U occupancy accessory to a Group R-3 occupancy as defined in the county building code.

"Road" means any public or private road.

"Roadway" means that portion of any road improved, designed or ordinarily used for vehicular travel.

"Roadway structure" means any bridge, culvert or other appurtenant structure that supplements the roadway bed or shoulder.

"Same practical effect" means an exception or alternative with the capability of applying accepted fire suppression strategies and tactics, and provisions for firefighter safety, including: (1) access for emergency fire equipment; (2) safe civilian evacuation; (3) signing that avoids delays in emergency equipment response; (4) available and accessible water to effectively attack a fire or defend a structure from a wildfire; and (5) fuel modification sufficient for civilian and firefighter safety.

"Shall" is mandatory and "may" is permissive, however, use of the word "shall" in this code is not intended to, nor shall it be deemed to create a mandatory duty imposed by enactment within the meaning of Government Code, Section 815.6.

"Shoulder" means the roadbed or surface of a roadway adjacent to the traffic lane.

"Single-family dwelling" means a dwelling that contains one (1) dwelling unit for one (1) family of one (1) or more persons. Single-family dwelling does not include a dwelling used for a large family day-care home, lodging house, congregate residence, or other similar use.

"Standard specifications for highway bridges" means the Standard Specifications for Highway Bridges, published by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation officials.

"State responsibility area" means that portion of the unincorporated area of the county classified by the state board of forestry as a state responsibility area.

"Structure" means that which is built or constructed, an edifice or building of any kind, or any piece of work artificially built up or composed of parts joined together in some definite manner.

"Subdivision" means any subdivision as defined in Government Code, Section 66424 and Section 25-2 of this Code.

"Subdivision ordinance" means the subdivision ordinance of the county.

"Traffic lane" means that portion of a roadway that provides a single line of vehicle travel.

"Turnaround" means a roadway, unobstructed by parking, which allows for a safe opposite change of direction for emergency equipment.

"Turnout" means a widening on a roadway or driveway to allow vehicles to pass.

"Two-family dwelling" means a dwelling that contains two (2) dwelling units for two (2) families of one (1) or more persons. Two-family dwelling does not include a dwelling used for a large family day-care home, lodging house, congregate residence, or other similar use.

"Two-way road" means a road designed for traffic flow in opposing directions.

"Urban parcel" means any parcel served by a public water system or mutual water system.

"Vehicle cool down" area provided for fire apparatus to rest when subject to grades in excess of fifteen percent (15%). This area shall not obstruct the flow of traffic.

"Vertical clearance" means the minimum specified height of a bridge or overhead projection above a roadway.

"Wildfire" means a wildfire as defined in Public Resources Code, Sections 4103 and 4104.

(Ord. No. 6184 , § I, 11-15-2016; Ord. No. 6049, § I, 11-5-2013; Ord. No. 5958, § I, 12-6-2011; Ord. No. 5905, § I, 11-2-2010; Ord. 5753 § 1(a), 2007: Ord. No. 5373, § 2, 2002; Ord. No. 5166 §§ 1(a)-1(u), 1999; Ord. No. 4905, § 1, 1995.)