--- title: "Duluth UDC (unnumbered, p.406: Definitions — P) — Duluth" jurisdiction: duluth governing_jurisdiction: Duluth source_url: "https://www.duluthga.net/UDC_ADOPTED_9.8.2025_Amended_7-13-26.pdf" effective_date: "2026-07-13" as_of: "2026-08-13" canonical: "https://www.gwindex.net/code/duluth/unnumbered-p-406-definitions-p" licence: "CC0-1.0" --- # Duluth UDC (unnumbered, p.406: Definitions — P) Definitions — P **Governing jurisdiction: Duluth.** A "Duluth, GA" mailing address is usually NOT in the City of Duluth. Unincorporated Gwinnett is 67.3% of the county's land area and is governed by a different code, a different board and a different permit portal. Resolve the governing jurisdiction before answering any zoning question. - **Article:** 14 — Interpretation and Definitions - **Pages in source:** 406–409 - **Adopted:** 2025-09-08 - **Amended through:** 2026-07-13 - **Source:** https://www.duluthga.net/UDC_ADOPTED_9.8.2025_Amended_7-13-26.pdf ## Text Parapet Wall. A building façade that extends above the eave line or edge of a roof. Parcel. See “Lot.” Parent branch or stem. The tree trunk; or a large limb from which lateral branches grow. Pennant. A lightweight plastic, fabric, or similar material designed to move in the wind; pennants are often suspended from a rope, wire, or string in series. The term “pennant” shall not include a “banner” or a “flag” as regulated by this Development Code. Perennial Stream: 1. A watercourse having a source, terminus, banks, and channel through which water flows on a continuous basis as depicted on the most recent United States Geological Survey 7.5-minute quadrangle map (scale 1:24,000). 2. A stream that flows throughout the whole year as indicated on a USGS Quad map. Permit, Land Disturbance. The authorization necessary to conduct a land-disturbing activity under the provisions of this Development Code. Permit (Small Cell Wireless Facility). A written authorization, in electronic or hard copy format, required to be issued by the City to initiate, continue, or complete the collocation of a small wireless facility or the installation, modification, or replacement of a pole or decorative pole upon which a small wireless facility is collocated. Person. Any individual, partnership, firm, association, joint venture, public or private corporation, trust, estate, commission, board, public or private institution, utility, cooperative, state agency, municipality or other political subdivision of the State of Georgia, interstate body, or any other legal entity. Person (Small Cell Wireless Facility). An individual, corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association, trust, or other entity or organization, including an authority. Personal Care Home. A for-profit or non-profit facility, home, or structure licensed by the State of Georgia for the protective care of persons, both adult and adolescent, who need a watchful environment, but do not have an illness, injury, or disability that requires chronic or convalescent care, including medical and nursing services. Personal care facilities are categorized as follows: 1. Congregate Personal Care Home. A personal care home for adults that offers care to more than 15 persons. 2. Family Personal Care Home. A personal care home for adults that offers care to no more than six persons. 3. Group Personal Care Home. A personal care home for adults that offers care to no more than 15 per- sons. 405 | P a g e Article Fourteen. Interpretation and Definitions Pervious Surface: 1. Materials that allow for water penetration such as mulch, crushed stone, elevated boardwalks with spacing between boards, and specially formulated pervious concrete designed to allow for water penetration; 2. All that area of land that can be landscaped or planted, allows natural passage through by water, and is not covered by man-made materials or structures such as buildings or paving. Phase or Phased. Sub-parts or segments of construction projects where the sub-part or segment is constructed and stabilized prior to completing construction activities on the entire construction site. Planned Center. A single office, medical, commercial, or industrial property that is designed or intended for occupancy by two or more principal businesses that are separately owned and have no corporate relationship. A planned center may consist of a single building, such as a shopping center, or multiple buildings, such as an office condominium center. Plantable Area. The pervious surface area (expressed in square footage) available for the preservation or planting of trees on a single-family subdivision lot. Plantable Area shall not include that portion of the lot that is covered by buildings and structures permitted pursuant to the maximum lot coverage standards of the Development Code. Planted tree. A new tree, native or non-native, planted on a site outside of a tree conservation area, forested area or forest regeneration area. Pocket Park. A “pocket park” or “green” is a landscaped area larger than 0.33 acres constructed for community gathering, play, or visual enhancement. Pole (Small Cell Wireless Facility). A vertical pole such as a utility, lighting, traffic, or similar pole made of wood, concrete, metal, or other material that is lawfully located or to be located within a right of way, including without limitation a replacement pole and an authority pole. Such term shall not include a support structure, decorative pole, or electric transmission structure. Pole Sign. See under “Freestanding Sign.” Pollutant. Shall mean anything that causes or contributes to pollution. Pollutants may include, but are not limited to: paints, varnishes, and solvents; petroleum hydrocarbons; automotive fluids; cooking grease; detergents (biodegradable or otherwise); degreasers; cleaning chemicals; non-hazardous liquid and solid wastes and yard wastes; refuse, rubbish, garbage, litter, or other discarded or abandoned objects and accumulations, so that same may cause or contribute to pollution; floatables; pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers; liquid and solid wastes; process waste water and wash water; sewage, fecal coliform and pathogens; dissolved and particulate metals; animal wastes; wastes and residues that result from constructing a building or structure; concrete and cement; and noxious or offensive matter of any kind. Pollution. The manmade or man-induced alteration of the chemical, physical, biological, thermal and radiological integrity of water. Pollution Susceptibility. The relative vulnerability of an aquifer to being polluted from spills, discharges, leaks, impoundments, applications of chemicals, injections and other human activities in the recharge area. 406 | P a g e Article Fourteen. Interpretation and Definitions Pollution Susceptibility Map. The relative vulnerability to pollution prepared by the Department of Natural Resources, using the DRASTIC methodology. (Georgia Department of Natural Resources Hydrologic Atlas 20: Groundwater Pollution Susceptibility Map of Georgia.) Portable Sign. See “Sign, Portable.” Post-Development. The time period, or the conditions that may reasonably be expected or anticipated to exist, after completion of the land development activity on a site as the context may require. Premises. Any building, lot, parcel of land, or portion of land whether improved or unimproved including adjacent sidewalks and parking strips. Pre-Development. The time period, or the conditions that exist, on a site prior to the commencement of a land development project and at the time that plans for the land development of a site are approved by the plan approving authority. Where phased development or plan approval occurs (preliminary grading, roads and utilities, etc.), the existing conditions at the time prior to the first item being approved or permitted shall establish pre- development conditions. Principal Building. The building in which is conducted the principal use of the parcel on which it is located. Parcels with multiple principal uses may have multiple principal buildings, but storage buildings, garages, and other clearly accessory uses shall not be considered principal buildings. Principal Building Setback Line. A line delineating the minimum allowable distance between a property line (or the right-of-way line) of an abutting street and a principal building on a lot. 1. Front Building Setback. The minimum allowable distance between the right-of-way line of any abutting street and any part of a principal building on a lot. The front setback distance is applied along the full length of the right-of-way line and is parallel to it. 2. Rear Building Setback. The minimum allowable distance between a rear lot line and any part of a principal building on a lot. The rear building setback extends along and is parallel to the full length of the rear lot line. 3. Side Building Setback. The minimum allowable distance between a side lot line and any part of a principal building on a lot. The side building setback extends along and is parallel to the side lot line between the front building setback and a rear building setback (if any). Principal Sign. See “Sign, Principal.” Principal Use. The specific, primary purpose for which land or a building is used, such as residential living, professional services, retail sales, or manufacturing. Project, Development. The entire proposed development project, regardless of the size of the area of land to be disturbed. Project Entrance Sign. See “Sign, Project Entrance”. Properly Designed. Designed in accordance with the design requirements and specifications contained in the “Manual for Erosion and Sediment Control in Georgia” published by the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission as of January 1 of the year in which the land-disturbing activity was permitted and amendments to the Manual as approved by the Commission up until the date of NOI submittal. Protection Area or Stream Protection Area. With respect to a stream, the combined areas of all required buffers and setbacks applicable to such stream. Protected trees. Trees planted or conserved to meet the requirements of this chapter, City of Duluth trees, and trees within a designated Tree Preservation Area. 407 | P a g e Article Fourteen. Interpretation and Definitions Pruning. Removal of woody plant parts.