§ 16.04.070. General information and guidance.

A.

General. Every person who desires to subdivide land into two or more parts shall furnish a plat of the proposed subdivision prepared by a surveyor, and shall comply with the requirements of these regulations. Upon request the city manager shall furnish the subdivider with basic information on the requirements.

B.

Subdivision within Corporate Limits of the City. Any proposed subdivision, replat, or vacation of plat occurring within the corporate limits of the city shall conform to the requirements of these regulations, and shall be submitted for review and approval by the commission and council prior to filing with the Valencia County clerk and before beginning improvement activities or negotiating sale or lease of any lot within the proposed subdivision.

C.

Subdivision Outside Corporate Limits of the City. Any proposed subdivision, replat, or vacation of plat occurring outside the corporate limits of the city, but within the planning and platting jurisdiction (three miles from city boundary) of the city shall conform to the requirements of these regulations as well as the provisions of the Valencia County land subdivision regulations, and shall be submitted for concurrent review and approval by the council and the board of county commissioners prior to filing with the Valencia County clerk, before beginning improvement activities or negotiating sale or lease of any lot within the proposed subdivision.

D.

Considerations for Good Subdivision Platting. In order to provide guidance to subdividers concerning acceptable proposed plats, the following matters are fundamental:

1.

Geographic Suitability.

a.

An area shall be suited to the purposes for which it is to be subdivided, with reference to any officially adopted plans of the city.

b.

The availability of adequate paved streets, fire protection, police protection, refuse service, public schools, parks and recreation facilities, and utility services shall all be weighed in considering the subdividing of land. They are not all necessarily required.

c.

Land with the following types of problems shall have subdivision approval withheld until it is demonstrated that such hazards have been or will be eliminated:

i.

Special drainage conditions;

ii.

Difficult topography;

iii.

Soil conditions which are unusually limiting;

iv.

Other geographic hazards to life, health, or property.

2.

Grading.

a.

No subdivider shall proceed with any grading specifically in relation to a proposed subdivision before conditional approval has been given for the preliminary plat by the council. Such grading shall be consistent with the recommendations of an approved drainage plan.

b.

The subdivider shall preserve major trees, scenic points, historic places, and other community landmarks wherever feasible or required.

3.

Area Plan.

a.

If the subdivider owns or controls land contiguous to the land he or she is to subdivide the city shall require the subdivider to submit a proposed area plan for the total area. The area plan must be reviewed by the commission and city engineer and approved by the council prior to approval of the preliminary plat. Any plat submitted shall be a reasonable planning unit in relation to the approved area plan. The proposed area plan shall show proposed use and densities as well as proposed arterial, collector and local street alignments.

b.

All proposed street alignments shown in the area plan or any preliminary plat related thereto shall extend, complement, or otherwise conform to existing municipal streets and to officially designated proposed street alignments. Likewise, shall all proposed sewer, water and drainage systems be made to extend, complement and conform to existing and proposed municipal facilities.

(Ord. 2007-15 § 1; Ord. 1993-3 § 8)