As used in this chapter, the following words and terms have the following meanings, unless the context indicates another or different meaning or intent:

(1)  “Certificate of approval” means the document issued by a special economic development district commission approving an application for construction, erection, alteration, demolition, or use of a structure or land within the special economic development district, and pursuant to which a building permit may be issued.

(2)  “Certificate of rejection” means the document issued by a special economic development district commission rejecting an application for construction, erection, alteration, demolition, or use of a structure or land within a special economic development district.

(3)  “Commission” means a special economic development district commission or independent public instrumentality authorized by the general assembly and empowered by this chapter.

(4)  “Contiguous acres” means tracts or parcels of land that abut or connect without excepting therefrom streams, ponds, rivers, roads, bridges, or other types of paths or rights of way.

(5)  “Development map” means a map of a special economic development district that shows the parcels into which the district may have been divided according to the plan of development.

(6)  “District” means any developable or blighted state-owned tracts or parcels of land, which at its creation, aggregation and/or acquisition by a state agency or instrumentality consists of or consisted of twenty (20) or more contiguous acres in size.

(7)  “Permit” means a building permit issued by a duly licensed building inspector.

(8)  “Person” means a natural person or any other legal entity, including, but not limited to, a corporation, firm, partnership, or trust.

(9)  “Plan of development” or “plan” means a plan, including design and development criteria and regulations, for the development of a special economic development district adopted by a special economic development district commission pursuant to this chapter.

(10)  “Regulations” means the rules regulating the construction, erection, alteration, demolition, or use of a structure or land within a special development district adopted by a special economic development commission pursuant to a plan of development.

(11)  “Special economic development district” means an area of a municipality or municipalities that has been or will be established, designated, laid out, or defined by the general assembly, including, but not limited to, independent public instrumentalities created by the general assembly.

(12)  “Structure” means a building or anything that is constructed or erected and that requires location on the ground or attachment to something located on the ground.