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Comprehensive Plan Glossary

This Glossary, updated June 19, 2012, contains an alphabetical listing defining terms as they are used in the context of the Comprehensive Plan. These terms are not intended to be the same definitions as used in the County's Zoning Ordinance. Rather, they are intended only to explain terms used in the Plan.   Download Glossary(PDF)

A-B   C   D-E   F-G   H-I   J-L   M   N-O   P-Q   R   S   T   U-Z

MANUFACTURED HOUSING: Homes built in a factory to federal standards and inspected by federally certified agencies. These homes are often assembled on site. MARINE CLAY SOILS: Soils that occur in widespread areas of the County east of Interstate 95. Because of the abundance of shrink swell clays in these soils, they tend to be highly unstable. Many areas of slope failure are evident on natural slopes. Construction on these soils may initiate or accelerate slope movement. MASS TRANSIT: A term used to describe public transportation facilities and vehicles such as rapid rail and buses. METRORAIL STATION: Facility where passengers may board Metrorail trains. Facility typically includes passenger waiting areas, ticketing and information areas, commuter parking, as connecting bus areas. MINOR ARTERIAL: A roadway that carries a mix of local and through traffic. It links Collectors, and sometimes Local Streets, with Principal Arterials. Minor arterials may carry local bus routes, and are designed with greater emphasis on traffic movement than on providing access to abutting land. MIXED-USE: A designation that permits a combination of uses within a single development or district. The development may contain a mix of office buildings, retail establishments, hotels, housing, and related uses. MIXED-USE AREA: A specified area which includes three or more different types of uses within its boundaries. Generally these uses are on separate but interrelated sites. MIXED-USE CENTERS: Tysons Corner Urban Center, Suburban Centers, Transit Station Areas, and Community Business Centers. MIXED-USE PROJECT: A development that includes two or more physically integrated uses on one site or within one structure. MODE: A means of travel. Transportation modes include automobile, rail, bus or walking. In some cases, subsections of the above might also be considered modes, as for example, single occupant automobiles, autos with two passengers, and autos with three or more passengers. MODERATE INCOME HOUSEHOLDS: Households with incomes that are between 50 and 80 percent of the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) median household income, adjusted for family size. MULTIFAMILY HOUSING: Structures designed to accommodate several unrelated households. Multifamily residences include garden apartments, mid rise and high rise apartment buildings, and residential condominiums. MWCOG: Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) is a regional organization composed of 20 local governments of the Washington Capital area. MWCOG develops coordinated regional responses and actions to issues on the environment, affordable housing, economic development, health and family concerns, human services, population growth, public safety, and transportation.