(A) Purpose and process.
(1) The final plat is the last major step in the subdivision review process. The purpose of the final plat is to provide enough detailed information to show that the development can be designed and constructed to town standards on the project site. To accomplish this, complete engineering drawings and studies must be prepared and submitted for review and approval. Approval of a final plat constitutes authorization to proceed with preparation of the financial assurances and recording documents necessary for construction of all public improvements. Approval of a final plat, engineering plans, financial assurances and recordation does not assure acceptance of public improvements by the town. Acceptance of public streets is only provided upon completion of construction to town standards and approval by the Town Engineer.
(2) An application and appropriate number of presentation copies as determined by the department and one copy in digital form of a final plat, with required materials (see § 152.08 (B) and (C)) and filing fee shall be filed at the department. Only complete submittals shall be accepted.
(3) Staff shall review the application, distribute copies to reviewing agencies, obtain comments and schedule a staff conference with the applicant to review all comments with the applicant and to make any requests for additional information or materials.
(4) Engineering drawings and studies shall be submitted with the final plat and reviewed by the Town Engineer and other regulatory agencies for compliance with standards.
(5) The final plat shall be reviewed for conformance with the approved preliminary plat, except that a final plat may constitute only a portion of the land area approved within the preliminary plat.
(6) A final plat application may be submitted which has been modified to reflect improvements in design or changes which have occurred since the time of the preliminary plat approval. These changes may require submittal of material(s) necessary to adequately review that change.
(7) If all requirements of approval of the preliminary plat have been met in the final plat submittal and the engineering drawings and studies have been approved and if no adverse comments are received from review departments/agencies, the staff shall schedule the final plat for consideration at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Council.
(8) An approval of a final plat by the Council is valid for 24 months from the date of the approval during which time financial assurances must be submitted and approved by the town for public improvements. The final plat shall be recorded upon acceptance of financial assurances (§ 152.10). A 24-month extension may be granted by the department upon receipt of a letter from the subdivider prior to the expiration date indicating proper cause.
(B) Final plat contents. The final plat shall conform to all the following provisions of this section and be prepared to reasonable accuracy standards, consistent with acceptable professional standards, signed and sealed by a land surveyor registered in the state.
(1) The final plat shall be submitted on a transparent reproducible polyester film, such as Mylar, and shall be the original map legibly drawn on a sheet or sheets measuring 24 inches x 36 inches, with a left margin of two inches and be drawn to an accurate scale not to exceed one inch equals 200 feet. A scale of one inch equals 100 feet is preferred. The final plat shall include dedications, affidavits, certificates and acknowledgments. All stamped or written matter, including signatures, shall be made with opaque ink so that legible blue line prints may be obtained there from. The plat will need to be of a scale to ensure the size of letters will be legible when microfilmed, converted digitally or scanned. It is the responsibility of the developer to comply with current requirements of the County Recorder's office for appropriate filing and recording requirements.
(2) The applicant shall submit the number of copies of the final plat and related documents requested by the department. The submittal shall include the following drawings, materials and information.
(a) Tract boundary lines, lot and parcel lines, easement lines, street centerlines, and section lines, all showing accurate bearings and dimensions with dimensions expressed (rounded) in feet and decimals thereof to the hundredth.
(b) The total area of the subdivision, and, showing the area of each lot to the nearest hundredth of an acre if greater than one acre; or showing the area in square feet if less than one acre.
(c) Width of streets, width of easements and indication of their purpose, angle, radius, tangent, and length of all curves.
(d) The locations and widths of non-motorized trail way, equestrian trails or bicycle paths.
(e) Location and description of existing or found monuments, such as section corners and subdivision boundary corners, elevation of benchmarks for a condominium development, existing rights-of-way and easements, if any. Easements shall be clearly dimensioned, labeled, and identified, and, if already of record, properly referenced to the record.
(f) Where there are contiguous developments, show name of the subdivision with reference of record, street right-of-way lines, street names, street width, easements clearly dimensioned, labeled, and identified, if any; and if unsubdivided, so note.
(g) The legend shall specify the type of documents used.
(h) The boundary of the subdivision shall be indicated by a heavy line, recognizable as a border, clearly showing the boundary of the subdivision and all of the property being offered for dedication for public use and/or as easements. Such boundary shall not interfere with the legibility of figures or other data.
(i) Any excepted parcel(s) within the plat boundary shall be accurately depicted by bearings and distances on the plat;
(j) Each lot shall be numbered as per the approved preliminary plat when applicable and each block may be numbered or lettered.
(k) Each street shall be named.
(l) All lots not intended for sale or resale for private purposes, and all parcels offered for dedication for any purpose, public or private, and any private streets permitted shall be so designated.
(m) Label and identify all lots, parcels, tracts, excepted parcels, and the like for ease of description and to ensure no misunderstanding about intended use, ownership, or maintenance.
(C) Supplementary submittal requirements for final plat. At the time of submittal of the final plat with department staff, the subdivider shall also file the following accompanying material:
(1) Two copies of an updated title report or a policy of title insurance issued by a title insurance company within the preceding 30 working days to the owner of the land, covering the land within the subdivision and showing all record owners, liens, and encumbrances. The title report shall evidence that there is legal/permanent access to the proposed subdivision.
(2) A copy of any covenants, conditions and restrictions (CC & R's) to be recorded.
(3) An appropriate number of copies as determined by the department of a memorandum showing the total area of the subdivision, and, showing the area of each lot to the nearest hundredth of an acre, if greater than one acre; or showing the area in square feet if less than one acre.
(4) An appropriate number as determined by the department of sets of prints of the construction plans of all improvements required and prepared in accordance with § 152.09 Subdivision and Street Design Standards, Yavapai County Flood Control District regulations, ADEQ standards, and any/all other construction standards or specifications as adopted by the town. In addition, plans shall include all off-site improvements to be constructed, with details as required by the town's subdivision and street design standards, and, shall show land ownership, existing or proposed rights-of-way limits, and other features affecting the establishment and construction of such required off-site improvements.
(5) A cost estimate for constructing the required site improvements signed and sealed by a Registered Professional Engineer. The cost estimate and method/type of assurance shall be approved by the Town Engineer and/or Town Manager prior to approval of the final plat. The actual assurance must be executed and presented to the town before the subdivision plat is recorded.
(6) If private roadways are proposed in the development, then provisions for perpetual roadway maintenance acceptable to the town shall be provided for in the Property Owners Association (or other legal entities) organizational Articles of Incorporation, and shall be submitted with the final plat.
(7) The licensed surveyor who certifies the boundary survey on the plat shall also submit the mathematical calculations of each boundary, lot and tract closure. The calculations shall contain enough data in order to follow and recalculate the method used to determine closure. Calculations shall be bound and the cover stamped by the appropriate professional. These calculations will then become a permanent part of the subdivision records.
(8) An appropriate number of copies as determined by the department of a final or Phase III Drainage Report shall be submitted in conjunction with final construction plans. The purpose of the Phase III Drainage Report is to update the concepts, provide all information not previously provided and to present the design details for the drainage facilities discussed in the Phase II Drainage Report. The limits of any 100-year floodplain identified using the standards set forth by the ADWR Requirement for Floodplain Delineation in Riverine Environments, together with the base flood elevation, shall be illustrated in the final plat. The regulatory elevation for the most critical location within each lot shall be shown on each lot that is impacted by the floodplain. All lots impacted by flood hazard areas must have an established restrictive building envelope that is outside the delineated flood hazard area. Lots completely within the 100-year flood hazard area will not be permitted, as this area should be reserved as open space for the conveyance of floodwaters. A note shall also be placed on the plat indicating that "Floodplain limits, base flood elevations and regulatory elevations may be revised by subsequent studies approved by the Flood Control District." Final plats shall also show all drainage easements in conformance with the approved preliminary plat (if it had been required) with the associated dedication language. The actual dedication language should be related to the type of drainage facility and method of maintenance.
(9) Submittal to include a report from ADWR in the form of either a “Certificate of Assured Water Supply” within “an AMA” pursuant to A.R.S. § 45-576, or for areas outside of AMA's a statement of water "adequacy" either for that subdivision or for the water company (private or public) which will serve the subdivision pursuant to A.R.S. § 45-108.
(10) A letter detailing how the application is in compliance with each stipulation of any conditional zoning or preliminary plat if applicable.
(11) The plat shall also show other data that may be required.
(D) Certifications, acknowledgments, dedications, acceptances. The following certifications, acknowledgments, dedications, acceptances, and all others required shall appear on the final plat. Such certificates may be combined when appropriate:
(1) A certification or ratification signed and acknowledged by all parties having any record title interest in the land subdivided consenting to the preparation and recordation of said plat. Certain rights-of-way, easements, or other interests may be acknowledged by appropriate endorsements on the plat.
(2) A certificate signed and acknowledged as above offering for dedication to the public all parcels intended for public use.
(3) An acknowledgement on the face of the plat if applicable “All private roads will only be taken over by the town for maintenance if the roads are brought up to the then current town design standards (including but not limited to surfacing and right-of-way width) for public roadways at owners expense.”
(4) A signed, sealed and dated certificate for execution by the Registered Land Surveyor as follows: “This is to certify that the survey of the premises (property) described and platted hereon was made under my direction and supervision and are accurately represented on this plat. I also certify that this plat is correct and accurate as shown.”
(5) The final plat shall contain the name and registration number cf the registered professional civil engineer(s) who prepared the preliminary plat and is responsible for the engineering that is necessary in preparation of the proposed subdivision.
(6) A certificate for signatures and dates by the Town Engineer, Community Development Director and/or other designated town officials, as follows: “This plat has been checked for conformance with any special conditions attached to the approved preliminary plat, the requirements of subdivision regulations of the town and to any other applicable regulations, and appears to comply with all requirements within my jurisdiction to check and evaluate.”
(7) A certificate to be signed and dated by the Mayor, and attested to by the Town Clerk, that the Town Council approved the final plat on a specific day, month and year, and accepted on behalf of the public all parcels or tracts of land offered for dedication for public use in conformity with the terms of the offer of dedication.
(E) Recording final plats.
(1) When a final plat, construction plans and all required supporting documents are acceptable to the Town Engineer, Yavapai County Flood Control District and the Community Development Director, the subdivider shall submit to the department two reproducible sets of the final plat for scheduling on the next regular meeting of the Town Council. The two reproducible sets shall include the following:
(a) The signatures of all parties required to sign or endorse the final plat for the purpose of passing a good and sufficient title to the public rights-of-way, easements, and parcels offered for dedication and to join in the subdivision of said property;
(b) The signature and seal of the Registered Professional Engineer and/or Land Surveyor (R.L.S.) preparing the plat and any and all other parties required to execute certificates thereon, other than the required town signatures.
(2) In addition, all finalized and signed plats and accompanying data, agreements and other papers or documents necessary to the acceptance of the plat shall be submitted to the department at least 30 working days prior to the regular Council meeting at which the applicant desires to be heard.
(3) No subdivision plat shall be recorded unless approved by the Council, and until approved financial assurances have been received by the town for all required site improvements in accordance with the requirements and provisions of § 152.10.
(4) In addition the following documents and materials shall also be submitted by the subdivider prior to recordation:
(a) The fee for recording the final plat and accompanying deed restrictions and any pertinent documents as may be required once the final plat is approved by the Council.
(b) The “certificate of assured water supply” or the report finding the subdivision's water supply to be “adequate” shall be provided prior to the Council's consideration of the final plat. Note: if the subdivision is not located within an AMA and approval was based on the understanding that the subdivision's water supply was going to be found by ADWR to be inadequate the final plat may be recorded upon issuance of the report if all other subdivision requirements are met.
(Ord. 09-51, passed 4-21-2009)