(A) The owner of a lot, tract, site or parcel must obtain final plat approval for any subdivision or development activity to which this chapter applies. The plat approval process generally consists of the following procedures:
(1) Application forms and procedures.
(a) Pre-application meeting.
1. One or more pre-application meetings with city staff for review and discussion of the applicant's proposed development. The preapplication meeting is the initial step in the development process intended to introduce basic project components and area information. The pre-application meeting provides the opportunity for review, analysis, and discussion of basic project intent, design, components and compatibility.
2. Prior to submitting a concept plan, preliminary plat, final plat, replat, minor plat, or amending plat the applicant shall schedule an appointment through the Planning and Development Department to meet with city staff. The purposes of the pre-application meeting is to review the proposed development with regard to stormwater design requirements and goals of Harker Height's TPDES permit; to discuss the procedures for approval of the plat and the requirements as to general layout of streets and/or reservations of land, street improvements, drainage, sewerage, water service, fire protection, and similar matters, as well as the availability of existing services; and to discuss application procedures and submittal requirements. A preapplication meeting checklist is located on the city's website.
(b) The following design standards, specifications, and requirements, as amended, are incorporated by reference into this chapter and are located on the city's website:
1. Concept Plan/Revised Concept Plan Checklist.
2. Preliminary Plat/Revised Preliminary Plat Checklist.
3. Final Plat/Replat/ Minor/ Amending Plat Checklist.
(c) The Planning and Development Director may establish procedures and forms with regard to the content, format and number of copies of information constituting an application for a concept plan, preliminary plat, final plat, minor replat, amending plat or replat.
(d) Approval criteria. Applications for the approval of plats as defined by this chapter shall be evaluated for compliance with these regulations and the requirements contained in the City's Drainage Criteria Manual, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. The determination of infrastructure needs and capacity and the delineation of floodplain or other limitations on development will be done only during the review and approval of either a preliminary or a final plat complete with required engineering plans and required applicable checklist items. The approval of any plat other than a final plat does not certify the availability or capacity of infrastructure or that the property is suitable for development.
(2) Submission of an application and a concept plan by the applicant for initial review by city staff, with final review and approval required by the Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Council.
(a) Concept plan. The purpose of the concept plan is to demonstrate compatibility of the proposed development with this chapter and other applicable city ordinances, and the coordination of improvements within and among individually platted parcels, sections, or phases of a development, and the surrounding properties prior to the consideration of a preliminary plat. The concept plan is an opportunity to detect and correct design challenges before the developer prepares detailed engineering documents, but does not constitute the submittal of a plat.
(b) Any residential development involving four or fewer lots fronting on an existing street and not requiring the creation of any new street or the extension of any municipal facilities does not require the submittal of a concept plan.
(c) In lieu of a concept plan, the City Manager may permit submittal of a site plan at the time of building permit application.
(d) The concept plan shall contain or have attached thereto the following:
1. Name of the developer, record owner, and authorized agents, proposed name of the development.
2. A layout of the entire tract, including internal lots, and its relationship to adjacent property, existing development and recorded plats, showing the existing property lines of the land being subdivided, north indicator, and scale.
3. Topographic contours available from the U.S. Geological Survey.
4. Significant drainage features and structures including any regulatory one-hundred-year floodplains, the location of existing watercourses, dry creek beds, wells, sinkholes and other similar features.
5. Specific information related to land use for the proposed development and adjoining property for a distance of 300 feet.
6. Building placement and building envelopes.
7. Parking layout.
8. General landscaping and buffer areas.
9. Location of all existing and proposed water and sewer lines.
10. All existing and/or proposed public utility easements and private easements.
11. Location of all existing and proposed stormwater drainage easements or onsite detention plan.
12. Location of all existing and proposed streets, sidewalks, alleys, and access points.
13. Vehicular circulation/ connectivity plan.
14. Location of all existing and proposed fire/emergency vehicle access lanes.
15. Location of all existing and proposed fire hydrants.
(e) A concept plan shall be submitted to the Planning and Development Department prior to the submittal of a preliminary plat unless the Director of Planning and Development authorizes concurrent filing.
(f) The concept plan shall be drawn on 24" x 36" sheets and/or on a plat document size format so as to be consistent with the preliminary/final plat document. When more than one sheet is necessary to illustrate the entire area, an index sheet showing the entire subdivision, at a scale sufficient to identify the drawings that follow, shall be attached to the concept plan document.
(g) The City Manager or his designated appointee will have the authority to review and approve any substantial amendments to a prior concept plan.
(h) An approved concept plan shall expire if there is more than a 24-month period of time between its approval and the submittal of a preliminary plat.
(3) Submission of a preliminary plat and preliminary engineering drawings by the applicant for review and approval by the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council.
(4) Submission of final engineering drawings and construction of infrastructure by the applicant for approval by the Director of Planning and Development and the Director of Public Works.
(5) Submission of a final plat by the applicant for review and approval by the Director of Planning and Development along with a letter of credit or performance bond for any infrastructure item that is not complete. The Planning and Development Director may not disapprove the plat but shall refer any plat to the Planning and Zoning Commission if the applicant refuses to implement the Director's recommendations.
(6) Submission of Mylars, field notes, dedication, and as built drawings signed by a Texas Professional Engineer (when required). In addition, if the applicant is other than a natural person acting on his own behalf, submit a resolution, unanimous consent, or other such instrument in recordable form authorizing specific persons to act on behalf of the applicant in requesting final plat approval.
(7) Filing of final plat.
(B) Applications for minor plats, replats, amending plats, preliminary plats and final plats shall be submitted to the Planning and Development Department. Applications shall contain the following.
(1) Application. Completed application form.
(2) Fee. Application fee as established by the City Council and stated in the city’s fee schedule.
(3) Copies.
(a) Preliminary plats shall require ten paper copies of the plat, and seven sets of preliminary engineering drawings with necessary calculations. After plat comments are approved by the City Council, the developer shall submit three corrected copies of the plat and/or engineering drawings if changes to the plat and/or engineering drawings are required. Corrected copies should be submitted before construction begins on the subdivision.
(b) Final plats shall require ten paper copies of the plat and seven sets of final engineering drawings with necessary calculations. After plat comments are approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission, and the City Council if necessary, the developer shall submit three corrected copies of the plat and/or engineering drawings if changes to the plat and/or engineering drawings are required.
(c) A digital copy of the final plat must be submitted. Digital final plat files should be submitted in DXF, DWG or GIS shapefile/feature class/coverage format. This digital format shall be an exact replica of any required and/or included data represented on the submitted hard copy of the final plat. Engineering drawings are excepted from this requirement. This data must be provided on standard transfer media or by electronic transfer (three and one-half inch floppy disk or CD-ROM, DVD, e-mail attachment or any other media as approved by the city Planning Department). The submitted transfer media shall be labeled with the project name (subdivision name) and filing date. State Plane 83 Texas South Central Zone 4204 coordinate system should be the base of all submissions whenever possible.
(4) Time line. Submittal of plats and engineering drawings, not meeting the standards for being a minor plat, shall be made 28 days prior to the scheduled Planning and Zoning Commission meeting as preliminary plats and preliminary engineering drawings. Preliminary plats and preliminary engineering drawings shall be presented to the Council within 30 days of action being taken by the Planning and Zoning Commission. Final plats and final engineering drawings shall be reviewed by the Director of Planning and Development. Final plats and final engineering drawings shall be reviewed by the Planning and Zoning Commission and the Council only if the Director of Planning and Development finds that there is substantial deviation, as defined in § 154.21(B), from the preliminary plat or preliminary engineering drawings. If the Director of Planning and Development rules that a final plat and/or final engineering drawings substantially deviate from the approved preliminary plat and/or preliminary engineering drawings, then the Planning and Zoning Commission shall have 30 days from the date of application of the plat to make a ruling and the City Council shall have 30 days from the date of the Planning and Zoning Commission’s ruling to take action on the final plat.
(5) Post approval of final plat. The developer shall provide the city with two original reproducible Mylars and two paper copies of the plat with the required original signatures, dedications and specific notations.
(6) As built drawing submital requirements. The developer shall provide the city with a digital copy and a single set of paper drawings of the constructed infrastructure. These drawings shall meet the requirements as set in § 154.25, “As Built Drawings”. Digital as built files should be submitted in PDF, DXF, DWG or GIS shapefile/feature class/coverage format. This digital format shall be an exact replica of any required and/or included data represented on the submitted hard copy drawing/document. This data must be provided on standard transfer media or by electronic transfer (three and one-half inch floppy disk or CD-ROM, DVD, e-mail attachment or any other media as approved by the city Planning Department). The submitted transfer media shall be labeled with the project name (subdivision name) and filing date. State Plane 83 Texas South Central Zone 4204 coordinate system should be the base of all submissions whenever possible. Failure to do so could result in revocation or denial of construction permits and/or certificate of occupancy.
(Ord. 2010-08, passed 3-9-10; Am. Ord. 2012-21, passed 10-9-12; Am. Ord. 2014-25, passed 10-28-14; Am. Ord. 2023-48, passed 12-12-23)