Covington

Alteration means any change in structure or total floor area.

Building, height of, means the vertical distance measured from the level of the curb or the established curb grade opposite the middle of the front of the building to the highest point of the roof if a flat roof; to the deck line of a mansard roof; or to the mean height level between the eaves and ridge of a gable, hip or gambrel roof; for buildings set back from the street line, the height shall be measured from the average elevation of the ground surface along the front of the building.

Building, main, means the principal building or one of the principal buildings upon a lot, or the building or one of the principal buildings housing the principal use upon the lot.

Building official or inspector means the official designated with the responsibility of acting in the capacity of the building official by the city council.

City means the City of Covington, State of Virginia, and the term "city boundary" means any exterior boundary of the city.

City council, the, means the governing body of the City of Covington.

Code of Virginia includes "as amended."

Commission, the, means the City of Covington Planning Commission.

Construction standards means those construction standards as approved by the city council and the city building inspector or included in the Uniform Statewide Building Code.

Density means the allowable number of dwelling units per acre. The types of density are: (a) Net density. The number of dwelling units per acre devoted to residential buildings and accessory uses within the site, but excluding land for public streets, parking, parks and playgrounds and other nonresidential uses. (b) Gross density. Computed on the basis of gross land area, including area devoted to streets and other nonresidential use, plus one-half of bounding streets and one-quarter of bounding street intersections.

Development means the process of erecting or causing to be erected buildings or structures on a lot, or land-disturbing activities incidental thereto.

District means "districts" as referred to in Code of Virginia, § 15.1-486.

Dwelling means any building, or portion thereof, which is designed for use for residential purposes, except hotels, boarding houses, lodging houses, tourist cabins and motels.

Dwelling unit means one room or rooms connected together, constituting a separate, independent housekeeping establishment, of owner occupancy, or rental or lease on a weekly, monthly or longer basis, and physically separated from any other rooms or dwelling units which may be in the same structure, and containing independent cooking and sleeping facilities.

Garage, public, means a building or portion thereof, other than a private garage, designed or used for servicing, repairing, equipping, renting, selling or storing motor-driven vehicles.

Hardship means a situation used in appealing for variances that borders on confiscation. Inconvenience does not constitute hardship.

Land use and use of land includes "building use" and "use of building."

Lines, established, means the line established by the fronts of the building in an existing block.

Person includes a firm, association, organization, partnership, trust, company or corporation, as well as an individual.

Shall. The word "shall" is mandatory.