Subdivision of Property

Platting and Subdivision of Property

Plats should be submitted to the Planning and Zoning Department for review to determine compliance with the Subdivision Regulations.

Exempt plats

Section 18-24 of the Subdivision Regulations classifies the following as plats exempt from review by the Planning Commission:

1. The division of any tract of land that is in one ownership, into ten (10) lots or less, provided that no street right-of-way or public easement dedications are involved;
2. The combination or recombination of portions of previously platted and recorded lots where the total number of lots is not increased and where all lots or residual portions thus conform to Section 18-23(b) of the Subdivision Regulations;
3. When contiguous properties are to be divided for the purpose of exchanging or trading parcels of land. In such cases, the planning department may also waive the requirements of Section 18-23(b) of the Subdivision Regulations, provided that a statement is made on the face of the plat which describes the proposed transaction;
4. The division of land into parcels of five acres or more where no new street is involved and all lots created have public access;
5. Plats related to, and faithfully executing, the requirements of a council-approved planned development district (PDD) plan;
6. Boundary survey plats that do not involve the subdivision of land; and
7. Easement plats.

These plats may be processed administratively and need not be considered by the Planning Commission.

The following should be submitted for exempt plats:

1. Initial submittal: Three copies should be submitted for initial review.  Comments will usually be returned to the surveyor within ten working days.
2. Final submittal:
   1. Affidavit of ownership of property.
   2. Ten full-sized, signed copies.
   3. CD or DVD  with plat in DWG, DXF, or DGN file format

Non-exempt plats

All plats not deemed “exempt” (generally, those creating more than ten lots, rights-of-way, and/or easements in favor of the City) will be forwarded to the Planning Commission for consideration.  Per Section 18-22 of the Subdivision Regulations, the deadline for submittal of plats is four weeks in advance of the Planning Commission meeting.  The Planning Commission normally meets the second Monday of each month at 6 pm in the Buist Room on the third floor of City Hall.

The following should be submitted for non-exempt plats:

1. Initial submittal: Four copies should be submitted for initial review.  Comments will usually be returned to the surveyor within ten working days.
2. Submittal for Planning Commission review:
   1. Four full-size copies
   2. 13 reduced 11 x 17 copies
3. Final submittal:
   1. Preliminary plats: Provided no additional changes or corrections were needed, no additional submittal is required until the submittal of the final plat, which goes through the same review process outlined.  It should be noted that approved preliminary subdivision plats are valid for one year only.
   2. Final plats:
      1. Ten full-sized, signed copies.
      2. Affidavit of ownership of property.
      3. CD or DVD  with plat in DWG, DXF, or DGN file format

Please note the following:

1. If the developer has built the required infrastructure (roads, drainage facilities, sidewalks, etc.) to be dedicated to the City, the final plat will be considered by the Planning Commission prior to submittal to City Council for acceptance of the dedication of infrastructure, subject to the recording of the final plat.  The final plat cannot be signed by the Planning Director until City Council has taken action to accept the infrastructure.
2. If the developer is seeking to bond the infrastructure, the final plat cannot be considered by the Planning Commission until City Council has taken action to accept the dedication of infrastructure, subject to the recording of the final plat.

Subdivision variances

Subdivision variances are also considered by the Planning Commission.

Site Plan Review

The Planning and Zoning Department performs an administrative review of all site plans to make sure that proposed development complies with applicable zoning regulations. Three sets of site plans should be submitted to the Department at the One Stop Shop on the 3rd floor of City Hall. Written comments, if applicable, are normally returned within a week and a half.

Site Plans should contain the required trees survey, demolition (if applicable), site layout, plan detail, and landscaping plan sheets.  Click here for more details.

No site disturbance work is permitted prior to the inspection of any required tree protection barriers and issuance of a valid permit.

Subdivision Ordinance

All plats should be submitted to the Planning and Zoning Department for review to determine compliance with the Subdivision Regulations. A copy of the Subdivision regulations may be obtained from the Planning and Zoning Department  and may also be viewed on-line at www.municode.com. Non-exempt subdivision plats are then forwarded to the Planning Commission for consideration. Exempt plats may be processed administratively and need not go to Planning Commission.

Applicants should supply four copies of a preliminary subdivision plat or ten copies of a final subdivision plat that are proposed for consideration by the Planning Commission. The plat should be submitted early enough to resolve all issues at least four weeks prior to the meeting.

The initial submittal of an exempt plat need only consist of three copies, though ten prints and the Mylar are needed once the plat is ready for approval. All plats require an affidavit of ownership and the information must also be provided on diskette.

NOTE: Approved Preliminary Subdivision Plats are valid for one year only.