§ 39-359.1. Definitions.

As used in this Article, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following definitions shall apply:

(1)

Aeronautics: Transportation by aircraft; the operation, construction, repair, or maintenance of aircraft, aircraft power plants and accessories, including the repair, packing, and maintenance of parachutes; the design, establishment, construction, extension, operation, improvement, repair, or maintenance of airports, restricted landing areas, or other air navigation facilities, and air instruction.

(2)

Airports, heliports and other transportation facilities shall include, but not be limited to: passenger terminals, parking structures and associated revenue facilities, aircraft gates, runways, taxiways, and ancillary airport support development. The term airport shall include the definition set forth in Chapter 333, which states: "any area of land or water designed and set aside for the landing and taking off of aircraft and utilized in the interest of the public for such purpose."

(3)

Airport elevation: The highest point of an airport's usable landing area measured in feet above mean sea level.

(4)

Airport Hazard: Any structure or tree or use of land which would exceed the federal obstruction standards as contained in 14 C.F.R. ss. 77.21, 77.23, 77.25, 77.28 and 77.29 and which obstructs the airspace required for the flight of aircraft in taking off, maneuvering, or landing or is otherwise hazardous to such taking off, maneuvering, or landing of aircraft and for which no person has previously obtained a permit or variance to s. 333.025 or s. 333.07.

(5)

Airport hazard area: Any area of land or water upon which an airport hazard might be established if not prevented as provided in this Chapter.

(6)

Airport land use compatibility zoning: Airport zoning regulations restricting the use of land adjacent to or in the immediate vicinity of airports in the manner enumerated in s. 333.03(2) to activities and purposes compatible with the continuation of normal airport operations including landing and takeoff of aircraft in order to promote public health, safety, and general welfare.

(7)

Airport layout plan: A detailed, scale engineering drawing, including pertinent dimensions, of an airport's current and planned facilities, their location, and runway usage.

(8)

Airspace height: To determine the height limits in all zones set forth in this Article, the datum shall be mean sea level elevation (MSL) unless otherwise specified.

(9)

Decision height: The height at which a decision must be made during an Instrument Landing System (ILS) instrument approach to either continue the approach or to execute a missed approach.

(10)

Department: The Broward County Department or its successor agency, which is the administrative agency designated by this Article with the authority to grant permits and perform other functions designated to it hereunder and pursuant to Chapter 333, Florida Statutes.

(11)

FAA: Federal Aviation Administration, or its successor agency.

(12)

Minimum descent altitude: The lowest altitude, expressed in feet above mean sea level, to which descent is authorized on final approach or during circling-to-land maneuvering in execution of a standard instrument approach procedure where no electronic glide slope is provided.

(13)

Minimum en route altitude: The altitude in effect between radio fixes which assures acceptable navigational signal coverage and meets obstruction clearance requirements between those fixes.

(14)

Minimum obstruction clearance altitude: The specific altitude in effect between radio fixes on VOR (visual omnirange navigational facility) airways, off-airways routes, or route segments which meets obstruction clearance requirements for the entire route segment and which assures acceptable navigational signal coverage only within twenty-two (22) miles of a VOR.

(15)

Minimum vectoring altitude: The lowest mean sea level altitude at which an IFR aircraft will be vectored by a radar controller, except when otherwise authorized by radar approaches, departures, and missed approaches.

(16)

Nonconforming uses: Any preexisting structure, object of natural growth or use of land which is inconsistent with the provisions of this Article or amendments thereto.

(17)

Non-precision-instrument runway: A runway having a non-precision-instrument approach procedure utilizing air navigation equipment, for which a straight-in non-precision-instrument approach procedure has been approved or planned and for which no precision approach facilities are planned or indicated on an FAA planning document or military service's military airport planning document.

(18)

Obstruction: Any existing or proposed objects, including objects of natural growth of terrain that violates the standards contained in 14 C.F.R. ss. 77.21, 77.23, 77.25, 77.28 and 77.29.

(19)

Person: This term shall mean any individual, group, firm, corporation, including corporations not-for-profit, partnership, business or other entity.

(20)

Political Subdivision: Any county, town, village, or other subdivision or agency thereof, or any district, port commission, port authority, or other such agency authorized to establish or operate airports in the state.

(21)

Precision-instrument runway: A runway having an instrument approach procedure utilizing an Instrument Landing System (ILS) or a Precision Approach Radar (PAR). It also means a runway for which a precision approach system is planned and is so indicated on an FAA-approved airport layout plan, a military service's approved military airport layout plan, any other FAA planning document, or military service's military airport planning document.

(22)

Runway: A defined area on an airport prepared for landing and takeoff of aircraft along its length.

(23)

Runway Protection Zone ("RPZ") (formerly known as "runway clear zones"): The RPZs are the areas at ground level which begin at the end of each primary surface and extend with the width of each approach surface to terminate directly below each approach surface slope at the point, or points, where the slope reaches a height of fifty (50) feet above the elevation of the runway or fifty (50) feet above the terrain at the outer extremity of the runway protection zone, whichever distance is shorter. Land use within the RPZs is restricted as set forth in this Article.

(24)

Structure: Any object constructed or installed by any person, including but not limited to buildings, towers, smokestacks, utility poles and overhead transmission lines.

(25)

Tree: Includes any plant of the vegetable kingdom.

(26)

Visual runway: A runway intended solely for the operation of aircraft using visual approach procedures with no straight-in instrument approach procedure and no instrument designation indicated on an FAA-approved airport layout plan, a military services approval military airport layout plan, or by any planning document submitted to the FAA by competent authority.

(Ord. No. 2001-19, § 2, 5-22-01; Ord. No. 2005-11, § 9, 5-24-05; 2005-17, § 16, 6-28-05)