“Lot area” means the total area, measured in a horizontal plane, included within the lot lines of a lot or parcel of land.

“Lot, corner” means a lot located at the intersection of two or more streets at an angle of not more than 135 degrees. If the angle is greater than 135 degrees, the lot shall be considered an interior lot.

“Lot, cul-de-sac” means a lot located on the curving portion of a cul-de-sac street.

“Lot depth” means the horizontal distance between the front and rear lot lines, measured in the mean direction of the side lot lines.

“Lot, interior” means a lot other than a corner or reversed corner lot.

“Lot, irregular” means a lot of irregular, rather than rectangular, shape.

“Lot, key” means any lot where the side property line abuts the rear property line of one or more lots, and where such lots are not separated by an alley or any public way.

“Lot line” means any line bounding a lot as defined in this chapter.

“Lot line, exterior” means a lot line abutting a street.

“Lot line, front” means, on an interior lot, the front lot line of the property line abutting the street, except in those cases where the latest tract deed restrictions specify another line as the front lot line. On a corner or reversed corner lot, the front lot line is the shorter property line abutting a street. On a through lot, or a lot with three or more sides abutting a street, or a corner or reversed corner lot with lot lines of equal length, the director of community development shall determine which property line shall be the front lot line for purposes of compliance with the setback provisions of this zoning code.

“Lot line, interior” means a lot line not abutting a street.

“Lot line, rear” means a lot line not abutting a street that is opposite and most distant from the front lot line. For triangular lots where there is no rear lot line, the rear lot line shall be defined as the point at which the side lot lines intersect.

“Lot line, side” means any lot line that is not classified as a front lot line or rear lot line.

“Lot line, zero” means a lot line that does not have any side yard setback.

“Lot, reversed corner” means a corner lot, the rear of which abuts the side of another lot.

“Lot, through” means a lot having frontage on two parallel or approximately parallel streets. A through lot may have no rear lot line.

“Lot width” means the horizontal distance between the side lot lines measured at right angles to the lot depth line at a distance located midway between the front and rear lot lines.

“Automotive service facility” means, for purposes of the regulation of stormwater pollution control, a facility that is categorized in any one of the following Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) and North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes. For inspection purposes, permittees need not inspect facilities with SIC Codes 5013, 5014, 5511, 5541, 7532 through 7534, and 7536 through 7539; provided, that these facilities have no outside activities or materials that may be exposed to stormwater (Order No. R4-2012-0175).

“Basin plan” means the Water Quality Control Plan, Los Angeles Region Basin Plan for the Coastal Watersheds of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, adopted by the Regional Water Board on June 13, 1994, and subsequent amendments (Order No. R4-2012-0175).

“Best management practices (BMPs)” means practices or physical devices or systems designed to prevent or reduce pollutant loading from stormwater or nonstormwater discharges to receiving waters, or designed to reduce the volume of stormwater or nonstormwater discharged to the receiving water (Order No. R4-2012-0175).

“Biofiltration” means a LID BMP that reduces stormwater pollutant discharges by intercepting rainfall on vegetative canopy, and through incidental infiltration and/or evapotranspiration, and filtration. Incidental infiltration is an important factor in achieving the required pollutant load reduction. Therefore, the term “biofiltration” as used in this chapter is defined to include only systems designed to facilitate incidental infiltration or achieve the equivalent pollutant reduction as biofiltration BMPs with an underdrain (subject to approval by the Regional Board’s executive officer). Biofiltration BMPs include bioretention systems with an underdrain and bioswales (Order No. R4-2012-0175).

“Bioretention” means a LID BMP that reduces stormwater runoff by intercepting rainfall on vegetative canopy, and through evapotranspiration and infiltration. The bioretention system typically includes a minimum two-foot top layer of a specified soil and compost mixture underlain by a gravel-filled temporary storage pit dug into the in situ soil. As defined in this chapter, a bioretention BMP may be designed with an overflow drain, but may not include an underdrain. When a bioretention BMP is designed or constructed with an underdrain it is regulated by Order No. R4-2012-0175 as biofiltration (Order No. R4-2012-0175).

“Bioswale” means a LID BMP consisting of a shallow channel lined with grass or other dense, low-growing vegetation. Bioswales are designed to collect stormwater runoff and to achieve a uniform sheet flow through the dense vegetation for a period of several minutes (Order No. R4-2012-0175).

“Clean Water Act (CWA)” means the Federal Water Pollution Control Act enacted in 1972, by Public Law 92-500, and amended by the Water Quality Act of 1987. The Clean Water Act prohibits the discharge of pollutants to waters of the United States unless the discharge is in accordance with a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit.

“Commercial development” means, for purposes of the regulation of stormwater pollution control, any development on private land that is not heavy industrial or residential. The category includes, but is not limited to: hospitals, laboratories and other medical facilities, educational institutions, recreational facilities, plant nurseries, car wash facilities, minimalls and other business complexes, shopping malls, hotels, office buildings, public warehouses, and other light industrial complexes (Order No. R4-2012-0175).

“Commercial malls” means, for purposes of the regulation of stormwater pollution control, any development on private land comprised of one or more buildings forming a complex of stores which sells various merchandise, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from store to store, along with parking area(s). A commercial mall includes, but is not limited to: mini-malls, strip malls, other retail complexes, and enclosed shopping malls or shopping centers (Order No. R4-2012-0175).

“Construction activity” means, for purposes of the regulation of stormwater pollution control, any construction or demolition activity, clearing, grading, grubbing, or excavation or any other activity that results in land disturbance. Construction does not include emergency construction activities required to immediately protect public health and safety or routine maintenance activities required to maintain the integrity of structures by performing minor repair and restoration work, maintain the original line and grade, hydraulic capacity, or original purposes of the facility. See “routine maintenance” definition for further explanation. Where clearing, grading, or excavating of underlying soil takes place during a repaving operation, state general construction permit coverage by the state of California general permit for stormwater discharges associated with industrial activities or for stormwater discharges associated with construction activities is required if more than one acre is disturbed or the activities are part of a larger plan (Order No. R4-2012-0175).

“Control” means to minimize, reduce or eliminate by technological, legal, contractual, or other means the discharge of pollutants from an activity or activities (Order No. R4-2012-0175).

“Development” means, for purposes of the regulation of stormwater pollution control, construction, rehabilitation, redevelopment, or reconstruction of any public or private residential project (whether single-family, multi-unit or planned unit development); industrial, commercial, retail, and other nonresidential projects, including public agency projects; or mass grading for future construction. It does not include routine maintenance to maintain original line and grade, hydraulic capacity, or original purpose of the facility, nor does it include emergency construction activities required to immediately protect public health and safety (Order No. R4-2012-0175).

“Directly adjacent” means situated within 200 feet of the contiguous zone required for the continued maintenance, function, and structural stability of the environmentally sensitive area (Order No. R4-2012-0175).

“Flow-through treatment BMPs” means modular, vault type “high flow biotreatment” devices contained within an impervious vault with an underdrain or designed with an impervious liner and an underdrain (Order No. R4-2012-0175).

“Full capture system” means any single device or series of devices, certified by the executive officer, that traps all particles retained by a five-mm mesh screen and has a design treatment capacity of not less than the peak flow rate Q resulting from a one-year, one-hour storm in the sub-drainage area (Order No. R4-2012-0175).

“Discharge” means any release, spill, leak, pump, flow, escape, dumping, or disposal of any liquid, semi-solid, or solid substance.

“Disturbed area” means an area that is altered as a result of clearing, grading, and/or excavation (Order No. R4-2012-0175).

“General construction activities stormwater permit (GCASP)” means the general NPDES permit adopted by the state board which authorizes the discharge of stormwater from construction activities under certain conditions (Order No. R4-2012-0175).

“General industrial activities stormwater permit (GIASP)” means the general NPDES permit adopted by the state board which authorizes the discharge of stormwater from certain industrial activities under certain conditions (Order No. R4-2012-0175).

“Green roof” means a LID BMP using planter boxes and vegetation to intercept rainfall on the roof surface. Rainfall is intercepted by vegetation leaves and through evapotranspiration. Green roofs may be designed as either a bioretention BMP or as a biofiltration BMP. To receive credit as a bioretention BMP, the green roof system planting medium shall be of sufficient depth to provide capacity within the pore space volume to contain the design storm depth and may not be designed or constructed with an underdrain (Order No. R4-2012-0175).

“Industrial/commercial facility” means, for purposes of the regulation of stormwater pollution control, any facility involved and/or used in the production, manufacture, storage, transportation, distribution, exchange or sale of goods and/or commodities, and any facility involved and/or used in providing professional and nonprofessional services. This category of facilities includes, but is not limited to, any facility defined by either the Standard Industrial Classifications (SIC) or the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Facility ownership (federal, state, municipal, private) and profit motive of the facility are not factors in this definition (Order No. R4-2012-0175).

“Industrial park” means, for purposes of the regulation of stormwater pollution control, land development that is set aside for industrial development. Industrial parks are usually located close to transport facilities, especially where more than one transport modalities coincide: highways, railroads, airports, and navigable rivers. It includes office parks, which have offices and light industry (Order No. R4-2012-0175).

“Infiltration BMP” means a LID BMP that reduces stormwater runoff by capturing and infiltrating the runoff into in situ soils or amended on-site soils. Examples of infiltration BMPs include infiltration basins, dry wells, and pervious pavement (Order No. R4-2012-0175).

“Low impact development” consists of building and landscape features designed to retain or filter stormwater runoff (Order No. R4-2012-0175).

“Municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4)” means a conveyance or system of conveyances (including roads with drainage systems, municipal streets, catch basins, curbs, gutters, ditches, manmade channels, or storm drains):

“National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)” means the national program for issuing, modifying, revoking and reissuing, terminating, monitoring and enforcing permits, and imposing and enforcing pretreatment requirements, under CWA Sections 307, 402, 318, and 405. The term includes an “approved program” (Order No. R4-2012-0175).

“Natural drainage system” means a drainage system that has not been improved (e.g., channelized or armored). The clearing or dredging of a natural drainage system does not cause the system to be classified as an improved drainage system (Order No. R4-2012-0175).

“New development” means, for purposes of the regulation of stormwater pollution control, land disturbing activities; structural development, including construction or installation of a building or structure, creation of impervious surfaces; and land subdivision (Order No. R4-2012-0175).

“Nonstormwater discharge” means any discharge to a municipal storm drain system that is not composed entirely of stormwater (Order No. R4-2012-0175).

“Outfall” means a point source as defined by 40 C.F.R. Section 122.2 at the point where a municipal separate storm sewer discharges to waters of the United States and does not include open conveyances connecting two municipal separate storm sewers, or pipes, tunnels or other conveyances which connect segments of the same stream or other waters of the United States and are used to convey waters of the United States. (40 C.F.R. Section 122.26(b)(9)) (Order No. R4-2012-0175).

“Parking lot” means, for purposes of the regulation of stormwater pollution control, land area or facility for the parking or storage of motor vehicles used for businesses, commerce, industry, or personal use, with a lot size of 5,000 square feet or more of surface area, or with 25 or more parking spaces (Order No. R4-2012-0175).

“Pollutant” means any “pollutant” defined in Section 502(6) of the Federal Clean Water Act or incorporated into the California Water Code Section 13373 (Order No. R4-2012-0175). Pollutants may include, but are not limited to, the following:

“Project” means, for purposes of the regulation of stormwater pollution control, all development, redevelopment, and land disturbing activities. The term is not limited to “project” as defined under CEQA (Public Resources Code Section 21065) (Order No. R4-2012-0175).

“Rainfall harvest and use” means a LID BMP system designed to capture runoff, typically from a roof but can also include runoff capture from elsewhere within the site, and to provide for temporary storage until the harvested water can be used for irrigation or nonpotable uses. The harvested water may also be used for potable water uses if the system includes disinfection treatment and is approved for such use by the local building department (Order No. R4-2012-0175).

“Receiving water” means “Water of the United States” into which waste and/or pollutants are or may be discharged (Order No. R4-2012-0175).

“Redevelopment” means, for purposes of the regulation of stormwater pollution control, land-disturbing activity that results in the creation, addition, or replacement of 5,000 square feet or more of impervious surface area on an already developed site. Redevelopment includes, but is not limited to: the expansion of a building footprint; addition or replacement of a structure; replacement of impervious surface area that is not part of routine maintenance activity; and land disturbing activity related to structural or impervious surfaces. It does not include routine maintenance to maintain original line and grade, hydraulic capacity, or original purpose of facility, nor does it include emergency construction activities required to immediately protect public health and safety (Order No. R4-2012-0175).

“Regional Board” means the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Los Angeles Region.

“Restaurant” means, for purposes of the regulation of stormwater pollution control, a facility that sells prepared foods and drinks for consumption, including stationary lunch counters and refreshment stands selling prepared foods and drinks for immediate consumption (SIC Code 5812) (Order No. R4-2012-0175).

“Retail gasoline outlet” means, for purposes of the regulation of stormwater pollution control, any facility engaged in selling gasoline and lubricating oils (Order No. R4-2012-0175).

“Routine maintenance” includes, but is not limited to, projects conducted to:

Routine maintenance does not include construction of new** lines or facilities resulting from compliance with applicable codes, standards and regulations.

*Update existing lines includes replacing existing lines with new materials or pipes.

**New lines are those that are not associated with existing facilities and are not part of a project to update or replace existing lines (Order No. R4-2012-0175).

“Storm drain system” means any facility or any parts of the facility, including streets, gutters, conduits, natural or artificial drains, channels and watercourses, that are used for the purpose of collecting, storing, transporting, or disposing of stormwater and are located within the city.

“Storm water” or “stormwater” means runoff and drainage related to precipitation events (pursuant to 40 C.F.R. Section 122.26(b)(13)); 55 Fed. Reg. 47990, 47995 (Nov. 16, 1990)).

“Urban runoff” means surface water flow produced by storm and nonstorm events. Nonstorm events include flow from residential, commercial, or industrial activities involving the use of potable and nonpotable water.