Elk Grove Municipal Code Ch. 22.30 General Definitions

The purpose of this chapter is to provide all general definitions of the terms and phrases used in this title that are technical or specialized in an effort to ensure provision in interpretation of this title. Where any definition in this chapter may conflict with definitions in other titles of this code, the definitions herein shall prevail for the purposes of this title. If a word is not defined in this chapter, or in other provisions of this code, the most common dictionary definition is presumed to be correct. Definitions are organized alphabetically.

(Ord. 13-2025 § 3 (Exh. D), eff. 7-25-2025)

A. “A” Definitions.

“Approved access”

means right of vehicular travel to a public street, as shown on the final map or parcel map and as approved by the City Engineer.

“Access rights”

means the rights to vehicular and pedestrian entry onto a public street from private property.

“Advisory agency”

means a designated official or an official body charged with the duty of making investigations and reports on the design and improvement of proposed divisions of real property, the imposing of requirements or conditions thereon, or having the authority under this title to approve, conditionally approve or disapprove maps.

“Approval authority”

has the same meaning as “advisory agency.”

“Appeal board”

means a designated board or other official body charged with the duty of hearing and making determinations upon appeals with respect to divisions of real property, the imposition of requirements or conditions thereon, or the kinds, nature and extent of the design or improvements, or both, recommended or decided by the advisory agency to be required.

B. “B” Definitions.

“Boundary line adjustment”

means the relocation of an interior lot line between two (2) or more adjacent parcels, where the land taken from one (1) parcel is added to an adjacent parcel, and where a greater number of parcels than originally existed is not thereby created. A boundary line adjustment may also be referred to as “lot line adjustment.”

C. “C” Definitions.

“Certificate of compliance”

means a certificate recorded by the City which determines that the subdivision or real property complies with the provisions of the Subdivision Map Act and City of Elk Grove ordinances enacted pursuant thereto. A recorded final map or parcel map shall constitute a certificate of compliance with respect to the parcels of real property described therein.

“City Engineer”

means a licensed civil engineer, employed or retained by the City, who is designated by the City Manager with the responsibilities identified in this title, or who is a licensed civil engineer and has been delegated with specific responsibilities by the City Engineer.

“City Surveyor”

means a licensed land surveyor, employed or retained by the City, who is designated by the City Manager or City Engineer, with the responsibilities identified in this title.

“Contiguous”

means adjoining along a common border and touching at more than one (1) point.

D. “D” Definitions.

“Dedication”

means the act of granting to a public agency the right to use a portion of real property for public purposes by the fee owner of the real property.

“Design”

means:

a.

Street alignments, grades and width;

b.

Drainage and sanitary facilities and utilities, including alignments and grades thereof;

c.

Location and size of all required easements and rights-of-way;

d.

Fire roads and firebreaks;

e.

Lot size and configuration;

f.

Traffic access;

g.

Grading;

h.

Land to be dedicated for park or recreational purposes; and

i.

Such other specific requirements in the plan and configuration of the entire subdivision as may be necessary or convenient to ensure conformity to or implementation of the General Plan or an adopted specific plan of the City.

“Designated remainder”

means any unit or units of improved or unimproved land not divided for the purpose of sale, lease, or finance and designated as remainder by a subdivider for purposes of Section 66424.6 of the Subdivision Map Act.

“Designated tributary”

means a stream which has a defined bed and channel which serves to give direction to continuously or periodically flowing water into a larger stream or lake.

“Director”

means the Community Development Director of the Community Development Department of the City of Elk Grove.

E. “E” Definitions.

“Easement”

means a portion of real property offered or dedicated to the City or other public entity or public utility for purposes of providing access to a division of land, for placing utilities, or for any other specific public purpose.

F. “F” Definitions.

“Final map”

means a map prepared by a registered civil engineer or a licensed land surveyor and presented for recording, which conforms to an approved application for a tentative subdivision map and the Subdivision Map Act.

“Parcel map”

means a parcel map prepared by a registered civil engineer or licensed land surveyor and presented for recording, which conforms to an approved application of a tentative parcel map and the Subdivision Map Act.

G. “G” Definitions.

“General Plan”

means the General Plan of the City of Elk Grove or any element, community plan, section, or portion thereof.

H. Reserved for future use.

I. “I” Definitions.

Improvement.

a.

“Improvement”

refers to such street work and utilities to be installed, or agreed to be installed, by the subdivider on the land to be used for public or private streets, highways, ways, and easements as are necessary for the general use of the lot owners in the subdivision and local neigh-borhood traffic and drainage needs as a condition precedent to the approval of acceptance of the final map or parcel map thereof.

b.

“Improvement”

also refers to such other specific improvements or types of improvements, the installation of which, either by the subdivider, by public agencies, by private utilities, by any other entity approved by the local agency or by a combination thereof, is necessary or convenient to ensure conformity to or implementation of the General Plan, or an adopted specific plan, of the City.

“Improvement plans”

means the plans, profiles, cross sections, and specifications for all proposed improvements. Improvement plans are often referred to as civil plans.

“Improvement Standards”

means the requirements for design and construction of improvements established by City.

J. Reserved for future use.

K. Reserved for future use.

L. “L” Definitions.

“Lot”

means a parcel of land.

M. “M” Definitions.

“Merger”

means the joining of two (2) or more contiguous parcels of land under one (1) ownership into one (1) parcel.

N. “N” Definitions.

“Notice of violation”

means a certificate recorded by the City which determines that real property has been divided or has resulted from a division in violation of this title or the Subdivision Map Act.

O. Reserved for future use.

P. “P” Definitions.

“Planning Commission”

means the Planning Commission of the City of Elk Grove.

“Public water supply”

means a water supply provided by a local agency, publicly owned corporation, or approved utility company.

Q. Reserved for future use.

R. “R” Definitions.

“Record owner”

means the current owner(s) of the parcels according to the records of the County Recorder of the County of Sacramento at the time an application is submitted to the Community Development Department or a notice of determination is mailed.

“Resultant parcel”

means the new parcel description once the parcels have been merged or adjusted.

“Right-of-way”

means that portion of real property granted to the City to utilize said property for public street purposes.

S. “S” Definitions.

“Specific plan”

means a specific plan, or any element or part thereof, adopted by the City Council pursuant to the provisions of the State Planning and Zoning Law, Title 7 of the California Government Code.

“Street, public”

means a street, highway, thoroughfare, road, avenue, boulevard, alley, lane, court, circle, drive, or way shall not be a public street until and unless the said street shall have been accepted into a street or road system maintained by a city, county, or the State. Streets and roads in public parks, public airports, public schools and similar public grounds shall not be construed to be public streets for the purpose of this title.

“Street dedication map”

means a map submitted for authorization to locate and construct streets in conformance with the General Plan and the Improvement Standards of the City of Elk Grove, including an approved improvement plan.

“Subdivider”

means a person, firm, corporation, partnership, or association, as defined in Section 66423 of the Subdivision Map Act, who proposes to divide, divides, or causes to be divided real property into a subdivision for himself and/or for others.

“Subdivision”

means the division, by any subdivider, of any unit or units of improved or unimproved land, or any portion thereof, shown on the latest equalized City assessment roll as a unit or as contiguous units, for the purpose of sale, lease or financing, whether immediate or future, except for leases of agricultural land for agricultural purposes. Property shall be considered as contiguous units, even if it is separated by roads, streets, utility easement or railroad rights-of-way. “Subdivision” includes a condominium project, as defined in Section 1350 of the Civil Code, a community apartment project, as defined in Section 11004 of the Business and Professions Code, or the conversion of five (5) or more existing dwelling units to a stock cooperative, as defined in Section 11003.2 of the Business and Professions Code. Any conveyance of land to a governmental agency, public entity, public utility, or subsidiary of a public utility for conveyance to such public utility for rights-of-way shall not be considered a division of land for purposes of computing the number of parcels. As used in this section, “agricultural purposes” means the cultivation of food or fiber or the grazing or pasturing of livestock.

“Subdivision Map Act”

means the Subdivision Map Act of the State and all amendments or additions thereto (Title 7, Division 2, Subdivisions, commencing with Section 66410, of the California Government Code).

T. “T” Definitions.

“Tentative map”

means a map made for the purpose of showing the design improvements, if any, of the proposed subdivision and the existing conditions in or around it. “Tentative map” may either mean “tentative subdivision map” or “tentative parcel map.”

“Tentative parcel map”

means a map presented to the advisory agency for approval of land divisions which require a parcel map.

“Tentative subdivision map”

means a map presented to the advisory agency for approval of land divisions which require a final map.

“Title”

means EGMC Title 22.

U. Reserved for future use.

V. “V” Definitions.

“Vesting tentative map” or “vesting map,” or “vesting tentative subdivision map”

are synonymous and mean a form of tentative map which, when approved, confers a vested right to proceed, for a limited period of time, with development in substantial compliance with the ordinances, policies, and standards that were in effect at the time the application for a vesting map was determined to be complete, or at the time the application was approved (if EGMC Section 22.16.050 is operative).

W. Reserved for future use.

X. Reserved for future use.

Y. Reserved for future use.

Z. “Z” Definitions.

“Zoning Code”

means EGMC Title 23.

(Ord. 13-2025 § 3 (Exh. D), eff. 7-25-2025)