§ 10-300. Definitions.  


Latest version.
  • The following words and phrases, as used in this article XIII, have the following meanings:

    (a)

    Addition for purposes of this article XIII means an extension or increase in gross floor area or height of a building or structure. A connecting element of limited width as required by the International Building Code for a pedestrian walkway does not create an addition to a building.

    (b)

    Available roof space means the total roof area of a building excluding the following:

    (1)

    Private terraces no greater in area than the gross floor area of the abutting unit at the roof level;

    (2)

    Outdoor amenity spaces of buildings, including, but not limited to, areas for recreational or social use;

    (3)

    Areas of rooftop mechanical, electrical or other equipment, including cell towers or other equipment leasing space on the roof, and all required clearances around these areas;

    (4)

    Areas covered by skylights;

    (5)

    Areas consisting of glass-covered atriums;

    (6)

    Areas covered with glazing (windows); and

    (7)

    Areas for renewable energy devices.

    (c)

    Building for the purposes of this article XIII means any structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or occupancy. The boundary of any single building is defined by its surrounding exterior walls. Party walls as constructed in accordance with the International Building Code shall create separate buildings.

    (d)

    Building official means the person authorized and directed to act on behalf of the building permitting and inspections services in the interpretation and enforcement of the Building Code of the City and County of Denver, and appointed by the executive director of community planning and development.

    (e)

    Campus means a tract of contiguous property with one (1) or more owners; that contains or will contain more than one (1) building; and that is planned, developed and operated as an integrated facility for a number of individual uses with special attention to coordinated circulation, parking, utility needs, aesthetics and compatibility. For purposes of this definition, the presence of public rights-of-way shall not destroy contiguity of land area. A campus may contain only existing buildings, existing buildings and proposed new buildings, or only proposed new buildings.

    (f)

    Character defining roof means a visible roof where the roofs relationship to the overall shape of the building, as well as the roofs distinctive materials, craftsmanship, or decorative details are important to the overall visual character of the building; a change of materials, color, or shape to a character defining roof would significantly impact the visual character of the building.

    (g)

    Cool roof means a roof, or portion of a roof, containing roof covering materials meeting certain solar reflectance values that mitigate or assist in reducing urban heat island effect.

    (h)

    Denver Building and Fire Code has the same meaning as in Section 10-16, D.R.M.C.

    (i)

    Executive director of CPD means the executive director of the department of community planning and development ("CPD"), or his/her designee.

    (j)

    Executive director of DDPHE means the executive director of the department of public health and environment ("DDPHE"), or his/her designee.

    (k)

    Green space means any area that is proposed to contain trees, groundcover, shrubs, urban agriculture, natural grass/turf, or vegetated roofs.

    (l)

    Greenhouse means a structure or a thermally isolated area of a building that maintains a specialized sunlit environment exclusively used for, and essential to, the cultivation, protection or maintenance of plants, that sells its commodities for a profit, or on behalf of a non-profit, and is constructed or planned to be constructed as either an F-1 or U occupancy.

    (m)

    Gross floor area means the gross floor area within the inside perimeter of the exterior walls of the building under consideration, exclusive of vent shafts and courts, without deduction for corridors, stairways, ramps, closets, the thickness of interior walls, columns or other features. The gross floor area of a building, or portion thereof, not provided with surrounding exterior walls shall be the usable area under the horizontal projection of the roof or floor above. The gross floor area of a building shall not include shafts with no openings, interior courts, or areas used exclusively for the storage or parking of vehicles.

    (n)

    Individual roof section means a portion of roof bounded on all sides by one (1) or more of the following features: a wall or parapet; the roof edge; an expansion joint; or a roof divider.

    (o)

    Net zero energy building means an energy-efficient building where, on a source energy basis, the actual annual delivered energy is less than or equal to the on-site renewable exported energy.

    (p)

    Owner means any person, agent, operator, entity, firm, or corporation having any legal or equitable interest in the building or property; or any person authorized to act on the owner's behalf.

    (q)

    Renewable energy device means a device that obtains energy derived from solar radiation, wind, landfill gas, biomass, the internal heat of the earth, or another source with the approval of CPD.

    (r)

    Residential building means a building where more than sixty (60) percent of the gross floor area of the building is used, designed or intended to be used for a household living use type as defined in the Denver Zoning Code, including accessory residential uses; however, a residential building shall not include a nursing home or hospice use, a residence for older adults use, or a lodging accommodation use, all as defined in the Denver Zoning Code.

    (s)

    Roof means the overhead structural component of a building or a part of a building supported by walls or columns and which functions primarily to shelter the interior of the building from the effects of weather and the infiltration of water.

    (t)

    Roof recover means the process of installing an additional layer of roof covering over a prepared existing roof covering without removing the existing roof covering.

    (u)

    Roof replacement means the process of removing the existing roof covering, repairing any damaged substrate, and installing a new roof; or the reconstruction or renewal of any part of an existing roof for the purposes of its maintenance.

    (v)

    Total roof area means the square footage of all roofs and roof sections located on a building. A roof covering a story or stories below grade, as determined in accordance with the International Building Code as adopted in the Denver Building and Fire Code, shall not be included in the calculation of total roof area of a building.

    (w)

    Vegetated roof means an assembly of interacting components designed to waterproof and normally insulate a building's top surface that includes, by design, vegetation and related landscape elements.

    (x)

    Visible roof means an individual roof section that is at least partially visible from a person of average height in a public vantage point such as a park, public street, campus grounds, or private street with public easement.

(Ord. No. 1134-18, § 1, 10-29-18)