DEFINITIONS OF SPECIALIZED TERMS AND PHRASES
Mesa City Code § 11-64-3
in effect11-64-3: - DEFINITIONS OF SPECIALIZED TERMS AND PHRASES
A. Definitions.
Accessory Structure. A structure that is physically detached from, secondary and incidental to, and commonly associated with a primary structure and/or use on the same site. The use of the Accessory Structure must not change the character of the use for the site.
This definition includes, but is not limited to, the following detached accessory structures that are associated with a residential use property:
Garages (covered or enclosed) for the storage of automobiles (including incidental personal restoration and repair), personal recreational vehicles and other personal property; guest houses, studios, workshops, greenhouses (noncommercial), enclosed cabanas and pool houses, storage sheds, outdoor saunas, and other similar enclosed structures.
This definition also includes, but is not limited to, the following detached accessory structures normally associated with a nonresidential use property:
Garages (covered or enclosed) for the storage of automobiles and work related vehicles and equipment (including incidental restoration and repair), storage structures, workshops, studios, other similar enclosed or unenclosed structures.
A permitted Accessory Structure is not permitted by right to have an Accessory/Secondary Unit. This use is regulated separately as "Dwelling, Accessory/Secondary Unit."
Accessory Use. A use customarily incidental to, related and clearly subordinate to a principal use established on the same lot or parcel of land, which accessory use does not alter said principal use nor serve property other than the lot or parcel of land on which the principal use is located. "Appurtenant use" means the same as accessory use.
Adjoining. 2 or more lots or parcels of land sharing a common boundary line, or 2 or more objects in contact with each other. Lots or parcels of land which touch at corners only shall not be deemed adjoining. "Abut" or "abutting" and "contiguous" means the same as adjoining.
Administrative Use Permit (AUP). An AUP is a discretionary use permit issued by the Zoning Administrator for uses that are generally permitted within a district and usually are of low impact to the community and environment. Conditions of approval, mandatory review periods, and expiration periods may be required at the discretion of the Zoning Administrator. In granting conditional approval, the Zoning Administrator may impose requirements and conditions with respect to location, sitting, construction, maintenance, operation, duration, and overall development as deemed reasonable and necessary for the protection of adjacent properties and the public interest. If an Administrative Permit is denied by the Zoning Administrator, it may be appealed in accordance with Chapter 77 of the Zoning Ordinance.
Alcoholic Beverage Sales. The retail sale of beer, wine, and/or spirits for on-site or off-site consumption, either as part of another retail use, or as a primary business activity.
Ancillary Structure/Ancillary Building. See "Accessory Structure."
Apartment House. A Building Type. See Chapter 59 (Building Type Standards) for a description of and regulations for this building type.
Arcade. A Private Frontage Type. See Chapter 60 (Private Frontage Standards) for a description of and regulations for this private frontage.
Architectural Features. Exterior building elements intended to provide ornamentation to the building massing, including, but not limited to: eaves, cornices, bay windows, window and door surrounds, light fixtures, canopies, and balconies.
B. Definitions.
Building Type. The structure defined by the combination of configuration, disposition, and function. See Chapter 59 (Building Type Standards) for a description of and regulations for allowed building types.
Build-to Line (BTL). A line parallel to a property line or right-of-way where a building façade must be placed. The BTL may appear graphically on the regulating plan or be stated as a maximum setback dimension from the property line or right-of-way. Examples 1 and 2 below depict how to calculate the percent of BTL Defined by a Building and percent of Building at the BTL as may be required in the Building Form Standards. Minor deviations from the BTL are allowed for Architectural Features, recessed entries, and recessed balconies. These minor deviations do not count against the calculations of percent of BTL Defined by a building or percent of Building at the BTL.
[image omitted; see the official code]
Bungalow Court. A Building Type. See Chapter 59 (Building Type Standards) for a description of and regulations for this building type.
C. Definitions.
Carriage House. A Building Type. See Chapter 59 (Building Type Standards) for a description of and regulations for this building type.
Ceiling Height. See Measurements.
Civic. A term defining not-for-profit organizations, dedicated to arts, culture, education, religious activities, recreation, government, transit, and public parking facilities.
Civic Building. A structure operated by governmental or not-for-profit organizations and limited to civic and related uses.
Commercial. A term defining workplace, office and retail uses collectively.
Common Yard. See Chapter 60 (Private Frontage Standards) for a description of and regulations for this private frontage.
Common Courtyard. A Private Frontage Type. An entry court, forecourt or courtyard shared by multiple residential units or commercial spaces.
Community Garden. A Civic Space Type. See Chapter 62 (Civic Space Standards) for a description of and regulations for this Civic Space Type.
Community Park. A Civic Space Type. See Chapter 62 (Civic Space Standards) for a description of and regulations for this Civic Space Type.
Corner Element. A prominent architectural element, such as a tower, corner bay window (chamfered or round) or significant façade articulation, designed to accent the corner of a building and typically used to terminate a view or mark an important entrance.
Council Use Permit (CUP). A CUP is a discretionary permit issued by the City Council after review and recommendation by the Planning and Zoning Board. Council Use Permits will be reviewed in accordance with Section 11-70-6 of the Zoning Ordinance.
Courtyard Building. A Building Type. See Chapter 59 (Building Type Standards) for a description of and regulations for this building type.
D. Definitions.
Depth, Ground-floor Commercial Space. See Measurements.
Development. Any man-made change to improved or unimproved real estate, including but not limited to the division of a parcel of land into 2 or more parcels; the construction, reconstruction, conversion, structural alteration, relocation, or enlargement of any structure; any mining, excavation, landfill or land disturbance; and any use or extension of the use of land.
Director. The Planning Director of the City of Mesa, or his or her duly appointed representative.
Dooryard. A Private Frontage Type. See Chapter 60 (Private Frontage Standards) for a description of and regulations for this private frontage.
Duplex. A Building Type. See Chapter 59 (Building Type Standards) for a description of and regulations for this building type.
Dwelling, Dwelling Unit, or Housing Unit. A room or suite of rooms, including permanent provisions for living, sleeping, eating, sanitation, and cooking, and designed or occupied as separate living quarters.
Accessory Dwelling Unit. An attached or detached self-contained living unit that is on the same lot or parcel as a single-family dwelling of greater square footage than the accessory dwelling unit, that includes its own sleeping and sanitation facilities and that may include its own kitchen.
Single-Unit Residence. A primary dwelling unit designed for occupancy by one household, and located on a separate lot from any other unit (except accessory living quarters, where permitted).
Multiple-Unit Residence. Two or more primary dwelling units on a single lot. Types of multiple residence dwellings include, but are not limited to duplexes, garden apartments, and multi-story apartment buildings.
E. Definitions.
Encroachment. Any architectural feature, structure or structural element, such as a gallery, fence, dooryard, garden wall, porch, stoop, balcony, bay window, terrace or deck, that breaks the plane of a vertical or horizontal regulatory limit extending into a setback, beyond the build-to-line, into the public frontage, or above a height limit.
F. Definitions.
Façade. The vertical surface of a building.
Façade Zone. The area between the minimum and maximum setback lines.
Street Façade. The vertical surface of a building located at the Build-to Line.
Flex Space. Space designed to accommodate an evolution of use over time in response to an evolving market demand. Typically designed to accommodate future commercial uses, while accommodating less intense short term uses such as residential or live/work, until the full commercial demand has been established.
Floor Finish Level. See Measurements.
Forecourt. A Private Frontage Type. See Chapter 60 (Private Frontage Standards) for a description of and regulations for this private frontage.
Formally Disposed. Composed in a regular, classical, and symmetrical manner.
Front. The primary frontage(s) of a lot, determined as follows:
For lots with frontages along multiple thoroughfares, the frontage along the thoroughfare with the most pedestrian activity, as determined by the Director, will always be treated as a Front. At key gateways, as identified by the Director, corner lots may be required to have multiple frontages along thoroughfares treated as Fronts. All other frontages along thoroughfares may be considered to be Side Street Frontages.
For lots with frontages along a thoroughfare and a civic space, the Front may be the frontage along either the thoroughfare or the civic space, or both frontages may be treated as Fronts, with the following exception: the frontage along certain Civic Spaces may be required to be a Front, as per the Civic Space Standards (see Chapter 62).
For lots with a single frontage along a thoroughfare or a Civic Space, but not both, that frontage is the Front.
Frontages along Alleys, Service Drives, and Parking Drives may never be a Front.
Frontage. The portion of a lot or parcel of land which borders on a thoroughfare or other public right-of-way or civic space.
Frontage, Private. The area between the property line or right-of-way and the building façade, which may be coterminous. See Chapter 60 (Private Frontage Types) for a description of and regulations for allowed Private Frontage Types.
Frontage, Public. The area between the curb of the vehicular lanes and the frontage line. See Table 11-61-9.E (Public Frontage Types) for a description of and regulations for allowed Public Frontage Types.
Frontage Line. The property lines of a lot along a thoroughfare or other public way, or a civic space.
G. Definitions.
Gallery. A Private Frontage Type. See Chapter 60 (Private Frontage Standards) for a description of and regulations for this private frontage.
Greenway. A Civic Space Type. See Chapter 62 (Civic Space Standards) for a description of and regulations for this Civic Space Type.
H. Definitions.
Hardscape. Part of a building's grounds consisting of elements such as plazas, retaining walls and sidewalks, made with materials such as but not limited to, concrete and sidewalk pavers.
Height. See Measurements.
High-Rise. A Building Type. See Chapter 59 (Building Type Standards) for a description of and regulations for this building type.
I. Definitions.
Infill/Redevelopment. The development of vacant land that was bypassed by earlier waves of development and is now largely surrounded by developed land or land that previously developed, then cleared.
J. Definitions.
No specialized terms beginning with the letter J are defined at this time.
K. Definitions.
No specialized terms beginning with the letter K are defined at this time.
L. Definitions.
Landscaping. The planting, configuration and maintenance of trees, ground cover, shrubbery and other plant material, decorative natural and structural features (walls, fences, hedges, trellises, fountains, sculptures), earth patterning and bedding materials, and other similar site improvements that serve an aesthetic or functional purpose.
Landscaped Area. The area within a parcel containing landscaping, excluding building footprints, paved driveways, parking areas, decks, patios, walkways and undisturbed natural areas. Water features are included in the landscaped area.
Liner Building. An occupiable structure specifically designed to mask a parking lot or a parking structure from a frontage.
Live/Work Unit. An integrated housing unit and working space occupied and utilized by a single household in a structure that has been designed or structurally modified to accommodate joint residential occupancy and work activity, and which includes complete kitchen space and sanitary facilities in compliance with the Building Code; and Working space reserved for and regularly used by one or more occupants of the unit.
M. Definitions.
Main Street Mixed-Use. A Building Type. See Chapter 59 (Building Type Standards) for a description of and regulations for this building type.
Mansion Apartment. A Building Type. See Chapter 59 (Building Type Standards) for a description of and regulations for this building type.
Measurements.
Depth, Ground-floor Commercial Space. The depth of the ground floor space available to a commercial tenant. Service cores (stairs and elevators), double height lobbies, trash rooms, and other building elements may encroach upon the required depth up to 50% of the required depth for a maximum of 25% of the width of the tenant space.
Ceiling Height. Height from finished floor to finished ceiling of primary rooms, not including secondary rooms such as bathrooms, closets, utility rooms, and storage spaces.
Floor Finish Level. Height difference between public walk adjacent to the front and the floor. Regulations for ground floor finish level for ground floor residential uses do not apply to ground floor lobbies and common areas in multi-unit buildings.
Ground Floor Transparency. The percentage of the area, measured from floor to ceiling, of the ground floor wall along the frontage that is constructed with transparent materials. Includes the transparent glazing of storefronts, windows, transoms, and doors.
Height. A limit to the vertical extent of a building that is measured in number of stories. Where maximum height is measured in feet, the measurement is taken to the eave of a sloped roof or the base of a parapet wall. Height limits do not apply to masts, belfries, clock towers, chimney flues, water tanks, elevator bulkheads, and similar structures that do not occupy greater than ten percent (10%) of the roof, which may be of any height approved by the Planning Director.
Upper Floor Ceiling Height. Height from finished floor to finished ceiling of primary rooms on the upper floors not including secondary rooms such as bathrooms, closets, utility rooms, and storage spaces.
Mid-Rise. A Building Type. See Chapter 59 (Building Type Standards) for a description of and regulations for this building type.
Mixed-use. Multiple functions vertically superimposed within the same building or horizontally superimposed across the same development site or same general area through adjacency.
Mixed-Use Project. A development that combines both commercial and residential uses on the same site.
N. Definitions.
Naturally Disposed. A preservation of the existing natural condition or a composition of elements arranged as they would appear in nature, with irregular shapes, patterns, rhythms, and asymmetry.
Neighborhood Green. A Civic Space Type. See Chapter 62 (Civic Space Standards) for a description of and regulations for this Civic Space Type.
Neighborhood Square. A Civic Space Type. See Chapter 62 (Civic Space Standards) for a description of and regulations for this Civic Space Type.
O. Definitions.
Open Space. The area or areas of a lot or parcel intended to provide light and air, and designed for either scenic and/or recreational purposes, excluding buildings, parking, driveways and other vehicular surfaces.
Common Open Space. An open space intended for the shared, common use of the occupants of a development.
Private Open Space. An open space intended for the exclusive use of the occupants of a dwelling unit.
P. Definitions.
Parking Access Drive. An accessway within a public right-of-way that provides vehicular access between a street or alley and the on-site parking.
Paseo. A pedestrian alley located and designed to reduce the required walking distance within a neighborhood.
Pedestrian Shed. An area centered on a major destination. Its size is limited by an average distance that may be traversed at an easy walking pace in a given amount of time from its center to its edge. Specific Pedestrian sheds are established through a regulating plan. See Section 11-63-4 (Pedestrian Sheds).
Permitted Use. Any use allowed in a Transect Zone without a requirement for approval of a discretionary use permit, but subject to any restrictions applicable to that transect.
Playground. A Civic Space Type. See Chapter 62 (Civic Space Standards) for a description of and regulations for this Civic Space Type.
Plaza. A Civic Space Type. See Chapter 62 (Civic Space Standards) for a description of and regulations for this Civic Space Type.
Pocket Plaza. A Civic Space Type. See Chapter 62 (Civic Space Standards) for a description of and regulations for this Civic Space Type.
Pocket Park. A Civic Space Type. See Chapter 62 (Civic Space Standards) for a description of and regulations for this Civic Space Type.
Porch, Projecting or Engaged. A Private Frontage Type. See Chapter 60 (Private Frontage Standards) for a description of and regulations for this private frontage.
Prohibited Uses. Uses not listed in Table 11-58-3.A "Composite Use Table" are specifically prohibited unless an interpretation of the Zoning Administrator determines that a use is consistent pursuant to the Code.
Q. Definitions.
No specialized terms beginning with the letter Q are defined at this time.
R. Definitions.
Regional Park. A Civic Space Type. See Chapter 62 (Civic Space Standards) for a description of and regulations for this Civic Space Type.
Residential. Enclosed space with a minimum 400 gross square feet used primarily for human habitation.
S. Definitions.
Setback. The area between a property line and a building or structure which must be kept clear or open.
Shared Parking. Any parking spaces assigned to more than one use, where persons utilizing the spaces are unlikely to need the spaces at the same time of day.
Shopfront. A Private Frontage Type. See Chapter 60 (Private Frontage Standards) for a description of and regulations for this private frontage.
Single-Unit House, Cottage or Village. A Building Type. See Chapter 59 (Building Type Standards) for a description of and regulations for this building type.
Special Use Permit (SUP). A SUP is a discretionary permit issued by the Zoning Administrator or Board of Adjustment. Special Use Permits will be reviewed in accordance with Section 11-70-5 of the Zoning Ordinance.
Sport Complex. A Civic Space Type. See Chapter 62 (Civic Space Standards) for a description of and regulations for this Civic Space Type.
Stoop. A Private Frontage Type. See Chapter 60 (Private Frontage Standards) for a description of and regulations for this private frontage.
Storefront. The portion of a frontage that is composed of the display window and/or entrance and its components including windows, doors, transoms and sill pane that is inserted into various frontage types, such as a shopfront or gallery, to accommodate retail.
Story. A habitable floor level within a building, typically 8' to 14' high from floor to ceiling. The number of stories is measured from the sidewalk of the primary street.
Story, Half. A conditioned space that rests primarily underneath the slope of the roof, usually having dormer windows and occupying about half the area of the floor or floors below.
Structure. Anything constructed or erected, which requires a fixed location on the ground, or is attached to something having a fixed location on the ground. For the purposes of this Code, the term "structure" includes "buildings," and tents, but does not include swimming pools.
Structured Garage. (syn. Structured Parking). A Parking facility in or under a multi-story building.
Substantial Conformance. Substantial conformance shall mean physical improvements to the existing development site which constitute the greatest degree of compliance with this Ordinance that can be attained without causing or creating any of the following conditions:
1. The demolition or reconstruction of existing buildings or other significant structures (except signs); or
2. The cessation of the existing conforming use, or the preclusion of any other lawful, permitted use.
3. The creation of new non-conforming conditions.
T. Definitions.
Terrace. A Private Frontage Type. See Chapter 60 (Private Frontage Standards) for a description of and regulations for this private frontage.
Temporary Parking Lots. Parking lots that are not permanent and are only intended to fulfill a short-term need and will ultimately be replaced by a permanent building or structure.
Townhouse. A Building Type. See Chapter 59 (Building Type Standards) for a description of and regulations for this building type.
Transect. A geographical cross-section of a region used to reveal a sequence of environments. For human environments, this cross section can be used to identify a set of habitats that vary by their level and intensity of urban character, a continuum that ranges from rural to urban. Transects form the basis for organizing the components of the built world, including building, lot, land use, street, and all of the other physical elements of the human habitat.
Transect Zone. Transect Zones are administratively similar to the land use zones in conventional codes, except that in addition to the usual building use, density, height, and setback requirements, other elements of the intended habitat are integrated, including those of the private lot and building and the enfronting public streetscape. The elements are determined by their location on the Transect scale.
Transit Station. A lot, or structure used for the purpose of parking, loading, unloading of passengers from light-rail, train, or bus transportation. May include parking facilities and other commercial amenities to service transit.
Transit Stop. Locations designated by the transit authority in which patrons may access or exit from regularly scheduled BRT or bus service.
Transparency, Ground-floor. See Measurements.
U. Definitions.
No specialized terms beginning with the letter U are defined at this time.
V. Definitions.
No specialized terms beginning with the letter V are defined at this time.
W. Definitions.
No specialized terms beginning with the letter W are defined at this time.
X. Definitions.
No specialized terms beginning with the letter X are defined at this time.
Y. Definitions.
No specialized terms beginning with the letter Y are defined at this time.
Z. Definitions.
No specialized terms beginning with the letter Z are defined at this time.
(Ord. No. 5948, §§ 3, 4, 7-1-25)
Source: City of Mesa, Arizona, Mesa City Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/az/mesa/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_TIT11ZOOR_ART6FOSECO_CH64DE_11-64-3DESPTEPHFetched: 11/1/2026