The following submittal requirements are required for each of the three (3) steps in the review procedure (sketch plan, preliminary plat and final plat) and for plats of vacation and plats of technical adjustment. All required certificates and forms shall meet the county wording and format requirements.
A. Sketch Plan Submittal Requirements.
1. The sketch plan shall show the basic resource features of the site and the proposed lot division, roadway layout, and general drainage features. A scale of one inch to one hundred feet (1"=100') is recommended. The sketch plan shall include the following information for the entire geographic extent of the proposed subdivision and for three hundred (300) feet surrounding the subdivision.
a. The title “Sketch Plan” with the name of the proposed subdivision underneath.
b. The name and address of the property owner.
c. A separate location map on the same sheet at an appropriate scale.
d. The current zoning.
e. Existing property lines and roads, and proposed lot lines, block lines, and roads.
f. Existing man-made features such as structures, septic systems, and wells.
g. General features of adjacent areas necessary to show how the proposed development fits into the surrounding area.
2. The following information is required on separate sheet:
a. Name of subdivision.
b. Location (section, township, range).
c. Tax Parcel Permanent Index Number(s) (PIN).
d. Area of the subdivision and the proposed number of lots.
e. Name, address, and telephone number of the owner, engineer, and any other contact persons.
f. Natural Resources Inventory Report number.
g. Type of zoning and zoning case number, if additional zoning approvals are needed.
h. For Conservation Design, open space conservation goals and objectives.
3. A Natural Resource Inventory (NRI) Report from the McHenry-Lake County Soil and Water Conservation District shall be submitted with the sketch plan.
4. An analysis of whether the proposed subdivision requires Conservation Design, as determined by triggers of applicability of § 16.76.030 (Conservation Design Triggers).
5. If onsite wastewater treatment systems will be utilized in the subdivision, the sketch plan shall include information as required by the Public Health Ordinance (Title 8 Chapter 8.04).
6. When located within the SARA Overlay District, a property owner may submit a soil or geologic analysis documenting that their property does not have the characteristics of a sensitive aquifer recharge area, in accordance with the processes specified in § 16.52.030C. (On-Site Verification and Review).
B. Preliminary Plat Submittal Requirements.
1. All information required for the sketch plan. All materials must be updated if the sketch plan was approved by the Staff Plat Review Committee more than one (1) year prior to the submittal date or if site conditions have changed.
2. A preliminary plat depicts the proposed lot and block lines, streets, existing and proposed street names, and other engineering improvements superimposed on a map of the existing topography. Where on-site wastewater treatment systems will be used for subsurface waste disposal, submit all information required by the McHenry County Public Health Ordinance (Title 8 Chapter 8.04).
3. A preliminary plat shall be prepared in accordance with the following requirements. The preliminary plat and all accompanying technical data shall be signed, sealed, and dated by the licensed professional engineer or Illinois licensed land surveyor who supplied it.
4. The sketch plan and all comments of the Staff Plat Review Committee shall be included as part of the preliminary plan submittal requirements.
5. The preliminary plat shall be prepared at a reasonable size and scale, and all lettering legible and clear. A scale of one inch to one hundred feet (1"=100') is recommended and the scale and north arrow indicated. The requirements are as follows:
a. The title, as described below, shall be at the top of the sheet:
Preliminary Plat
Subdivision Name
(Legal Description)
Township
Zoning District
b. All existing property lines, section and quarter section lines, and existing buildings.
c. The lines and dimensions of all contiguous properties, and the names, lines, and dimensions of all existing rights-of-way within a two-hundred-foot (200') radius.
d. The names of all subdivisions within three hundred (300) feet. All property not subdivided shall be so marked.
e. A correct survey of the property being subdivided, including a legal description, prepared by an Illinois licensed land surveyor.
f. The zoning of surrounding property within three hundred (300) feet.
g. Topography with contour intervals based on the typical slopes found on the property, in accordance with the following:
(1) (a) Slope 0-25%: One-foot (1') contours.
(b) Slope 25% or greater: Two-foot (2') contours.
(2) If a different scale is used, a contour interval shall be selected that will result in a similar spacing of contour lines and provide a clear understanding of the topography.
(3) Topography shall be extended along all existing streets and roads within two hundred (200) feet.
(4) The topographic layout shall be referenced to a United States Geological Survey North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88) and the reference benchmark cited.
h. A list of all political and service districts including, but not limited to, the following: fire protection, educational facility, post office, park, and library.
i. All dedicated areas for parks, ponds, preserves, and school lots.
j. A statement listing all municipalities within one and one-half (1½) miles of the proposed subdivision or, if there are no municipalities within one and one-half (1½) miles, the statement shall so indicate. The statement shall also indicate which municipality is exercising the statutory privilege of planning advice, if a planning boundary line has been negotiated.
k. The following certificates:
(1) A certificate verifying approval by the Planning Commission of the closest municipality within one and one-half (1½) miles or the municipality within one and one-half (1½) miles that has planning authority based on an intergovernmental boundary agreement.
(2) A certificate verifying approval by the applicable township highway commissioner(s).
(3) County highway certificate for plats adjacent to County highways (sample certificates can be found in the McHenry County Division of Transportation Permit Procedures and Requirements Manual).
(4) A certificate verifying approval by the Planning, Environment, and Development Committee.
(5) A certificate verifying approval by the Zoning Enforcement Officer.
(6) Owner's certificate and notary certificate.
(7) Surveyor's certificate.
(8) Public Health Administrator certificate.
(9) McHenry County Recorder's certificate.
l. Maximum impervious coverage per lot.
m. The following requirement of the Stormwater Management Ordinance:
(1) Stormwater easements, including all conveyances, detention, and compensatory storage.
(2) Wetland and buffer easements.
(3) Base flood elevation and limits.
(4) Building protection elevations.
(5) Detention normal, two-year (2-year), and one-hundred-year (100-year) water surface elevations.
(6) Subsurface drainage (drain tile) survey.
6. The following written reports and statements shall be submitted along with the preliminary plat:
a. A proposal for a homeowners association, if applicable, and any proposed covenants and restrictions. Covenants should include a clause stipulating that they cannot be revoked or amended without prior approval by the County Board.
b. A description of how non-right-of-way dedicated areas will be maintained and stormwater control systems will be maintained, consistent with the Stormwater Management Ordinance.
c. A description of the type of water supply to be used.
d. A report, plans, and calculations that are sealed by a registered professional engineer that meet the application requirements of the Stormwater Management Ordinance.
e. A report and plans with all applicable roadway design information as specified in the McHenry County Division of Transportation Permit Procedures and Requirements Manual, Chapter 3.
f. An Illinois Department of Natural Resources Endangered Species Consultation (EcoCAT) Report completed within the previous two (2) years.
C. Final Plat Requirements.
1. In order to prepare a final plat suitable for recording, the final plat shall show all lots, easements, blocks, streets and other dedicated areas, and other items such as building setback lines, restrictions for on-site wastewater treatment systems, and any ingress and egress restrictions. The final plat shall be signed, sealed, and dated by a licensed Illinois land surveyor.
2. A final plat shall be prepared as follows:
a. The final plat shall be drawn in accordance with the approved preliminary plat and may only vary from the preliminary plat in minor respects that are approved by the Planning, Environment, and Development Committee. The plat shall be labeled as a final plat, and show the name of the subdivision with the township name underneath and the zoning classification of the property being subdivided.
b. Drawn to a scale of one inch to one hundred feet (1"=100'). A larger scale may be used if desired for a proper exhibit of the subdivision. The maximum sheet size is twenty-four inches by thirty-six inches (24" x 36") but more than one (1) sheet may be used if necessary. All hand lettering shall be legible and at least one-tenth (0.1) of an inch high. All typed or printed lettering shall be at least the same size as “Pica 12.”
c. A correct survey of the property being subdivided, including a legal description, prepared by a licensed Illinois land surveyor.
d. All dimensions, linear, curvilinear, and angular, necessary to properly re-survey, shall be shown with linear dimensions in feet and decimals of a foot.
3. Each new subdivision shall be provided with monuments located and described on the final plat in the manner required by the Plat Act (765 ILCS 205/1 et seq.), and as follows:
a. Reference shall be made upon the plat to known and permanent monuments from which future surveys may be made.
b. The licensed Illinois land surveyor shall, at the time of making the survey, set good and sufficient monuments, and set in such a manner that the monuments will not be moved by frost, marking the external boundaries of the tract to be divided or subdivided and designate upon the plat the point where they may be found.
c. These monuments shall be placed at all corners, at each end of all curves, at the point where a curve changes its radius, at all angle points in any line, and at all angle points along a meander line. The points shall not be less than twenty (20) feet back from the normal water elevation of a lake or from the bank of a stream, unless such corners or points fall within an existing or proposed street, then the monuments shall be placed in the right-of-way line of the street.
d. Two (2) of the monuments shall be of stone or reinforced concrete and shall be set at opposite extremities of the property being platted. One (1) monument shall be located adjacent to a public roadway and one (1) monument shall be marked with a NAVD 1988 elevation established by the licensed Illinois land surveyor and its location and elevation shown on the plat.
e. All internal boundaries, corners, and points shall be monumented in the field by like monuments as defined above. These monuments shall be placed at all block corners, at each end of all curves, at the points where a curve changes its radius, and at all angle points in any line. All lots shall be monumented in the field with two (2) or more monuments.
f. All monuments shall meet the following standards:
(1) Concrete or stone monuments: three (3) feet long, six (6) inches square at the bottom and four (4) inches square at the top.
(2) Pipe: two (2) feet long and two (2) inches in diameter.
(3) Iron stakes – for internal boundary monuments only: at least one-half (½) inch in diameter and two (2) feet long.
g. A certificate, to be signed by a licensed Illinois land surveyor, shall be placed on the final plat to indicate that all monuments required by the Plat Act and this Ordinance have been set and properly described on the final plat.
4. The final plat shall include the following certificates. Certificates need not be signed prior to review of the final plat by the Staff Plat Review Committee. Certificates (with the exception of signatures of county staff and officials) shall be signed prior to submitting the final plat to the Planning, Environment, and Development Committee.
a. Certificate indicating proximity to municipalities.
b. Certificate indicating approval by the authorized representative of the closest municipality within one and one-half (1½) miles of the proposed subdivision or for the municipality within one and one-half (1½) miles of the proposed subdivision that has planning authority through an intergovernmental boundary agreement.
c. Owner’s certificate and notary certificate.
d. Township highway commissioner’s certificate and notary certificate.
e. County highway certificate for plats adjacent to County highways (sample certificates can be found in the McHenry County Division of Transportation Permit Procedures and Requirements Manual).
f. Surveyor’s certificate.
g. Certificate regarding flood hazard.
h. Certificate regarding monuments.
i. Public Health Administrator certificate.
j. County Clerk’s certificate.
k. Planning, Environment, and Development Committee certificate.
l. County Board certificate.
m. McHenry County Recorder’s certificate.
n. Easement-crossing certificate.
o. Covenants and restrictions certificate.
p. Drainage certificate.
5. All easements, dedications, and districts shall be shown on the plat including:
a. The easement requirements of each utility and cable TV company shall be determined, and all required utility and cable TV company easements shown on the plat.
b. Other required easements such as drainage, stormwater detention and retention, road construction and maintenance, and pedestrian way easements shall be shown on the plat. Each easement shall be adequately dimensioned and its purpose indicated.
c. All non-right-of-way dedicated areas shall be indicated on the plat. The purpose of each such area, any restrictions on its use, and conveyance of ownership to either a unit of government or a property owners’ association shall also be indicated on the plat. It is convention to indicate each such area as “hereby dedicated.”
d. A list of all governmental districts in which the property is located including, but not limited to, post office, schools, and fire protection shall be placed on the plat.
6. Maximum impervious coverage per lot.
7. Compliance with all requirements of the Stormwater Management Ordinance, including but not limited to:
a. Stormwater easements, including all conveyances, detention, and compensatory storage.
b. Wetland and buffer easements.
c. Base flood elevation and limits.
d. Building protection elevations.
e. Detention normal, two-year (2-year), and one-hundred-year (100-year) water surface elevations.
8. If a declaration of covenants and restrictions is prepared for the subdivision, it shall be filed in the McHenry County Recorder’s Office. A reference to the declaration, including document number, shall be placed on the plat. In addition to other provisions, the declaration shall specify:
a. The obligation of the association to maintain the common properties.
b. The mandatory membership of all property owners.
c. The obligation of all owners to pay assessments.
d. The right of the association to enforce any restrictions.
e. Automatic renewal of the covenants after a fixed period.
9. The engineer shall determine if any part of the proposed subdivision is located within a flood hazard area, as identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the McHenry County Stormwater Management Ordinance, and place an appropriate certificate on the plat.
10. In accordance with an Act in Relation to the Regulation of Rivers, Lakes and Streams of the Illinois Compiled Statutes, if a subdivision borders upon or includes any public waters in which the State of Illinois has any property rights or property interests, it shall have a boundary line indicated between the private interests and public interests. The proposed boundary line shall be reviewed and approved by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources Office of Water Resources. A certificate shall be placed on the final plat to indicate that the boundary line has been approved by said department. Subdivisions bordering the following lakes and streams within McHenry County are subject to this requirement:
1. Fox River (Illinois River Basin).
2. Griswold Lake including the connecting channel to the Fox River.
3. Fox Chain-O-Lakes: Bluff Lake, Lake Catherine, Channel Lake, Fox Lake, Grass Lake, Lake Marie, Nippersink Lake, Dunns Lake, Pistakee Lake, Lake Jerilyn. Lac Louette, Redhead Lake.
11. In accordance with the Plat Act, a topographic study depicting the existing topography shall be submitted along with the final plat. The topographic study shall be at the same scale as the final plat, indicate road and lot outlines, and suitable for use as an overlay. If it is contemplated that the flow of surface water will be changed as a result of the subdivision, the topographic study shall indicate any such changes. A statement regarding drainage of surface water shall be included with the topographic study and be signed by a licensed professional engineer and the owner or his/her duly authorized attorney, to the effect that to the best of their knowledge and belief the drainage of surface waters will not be changed by the construction of such subdivision or any part thereof, or, that if such surface water drainage will be changed, reasonable provision has been made for collection and diversion of such surface waters into public areas, or drains which the subdivider has a right to use, and that such surface waters will be planned for in accordance with generally accepted engineering practices and the McHenry County Stormwater Management Ordinance so as to reduce the likelihood of damage to the adjoining property because of the construction of the subdivision.
12. Stormwater plans in accordance with the Plat Act requirements for drainage and the Stormwater Management Ordinance.
13. A road plan prepared by a licensed professional engineer is required. The road plans shall be prepared to the same topographic datum as the preliminary plat, and include a permanent benchmark clearly noted on the plans. Road plans shall include the following minimum data:
a. Plan and profile, at a suitable scale, of all roads to be either built or improved.
b. Station cross-sections at a suitable scale, but a minimum of one inch to one hundred feet (1"=100').
c. Size, length, and invert elevation of all drainage structures. Calculations shall be furnished to justify all structures twenty-four (24) inches or more in diameter.
d. Plan and profile, at a suitable scale, cross-sections if appropriate, a typical section of all off-site drainage within three hundred (300) feet of the subdivision, and all on-site drainage in drainage easements.
e. Typical road section or sections as appropriate.
f. Details of all structures and special construction of any nature.
g. Typical or specific details at road intersections, cul-de-sacs, T-turnarounds, traffic circles, etc.
h. Road construction and maintenance easements, drainage easements, and lot lines.
i. If a subdivision is adjacent to a County highway and access to that County highway is proposed, additional and separate plans for the access and improvements to the County highway are required. These plans shall be prepared in accordance with the McHenry County Access Control and Right-of-Way Management Ordinance and the Permit Procedures and Requirements Manual. Additional and separate permitting is required with the McHenry County Division of Transportation for access to a County highway.
14. The final plat shall be consistent with the approved preliminary plat with regard to number of lots, configuration, setback lines, etc. In addition, the following is required:
a. A street address in conformance with the numbering system of § 16.76.070 (Street Naming And Addressing) for each lot and indicated on the plat.
b. Where a lot has frontage on both an interior road and an existing main road, access shall be restricted to the interior road. A note indicating such restriction shall be indicated on the plat.
15. If a back-up Special Service Area (SSA) is required to ensure the permanent maintenance of stormwater management facilities and/or common open space, an ordinance shall be submitted with the final plat.
16. Prior to submission of a final plat for approval by the Planning, Environment, and Development Committee:
a. All certificates shall be signed, except those for the Planning, Environment, and Development Committee, County Board (attested to by the County Clerk), and the McHenry County Recorder’s Office.
b. An affidavit shall be filed with the Department of Planning and Development stating the right of the property owner to cause the land in question to be subdivided. An affidavit shall be submitted in the form required by this Ordinance.
c. Signed and dated by the licensed Illinois land surveyor who prepared it, and include his/her official seal.
d. Road design engineer signature seal and the date on roadway plans.
e. The tax search fee shall be paid directly to the McHenry County Clerk.
17. A complete and detailed estimate of cost, prepared and signed by a licensed professional engineer.
D. Plat of Vacation Submittal Requirements. A plat of vacation shall be prepared as follows:
1. The plat of vacation must be drawn to a scale of one inch to one hundred feet (1"=100'). A larger scale may be used if desired for a proper exhibit of the subdivision. The maximum sheet size is twenty-four inches by thirty-six inches (24" x 36") but more than one (1) sheet may be used if necessary. All hand lettering shall be legible and at least one-tenth (1/10) of an inch high. All typed or printed lettering shall be at least the same size as “Pica 12.”
2. The plat of vacation shall be labeled as such and include a correct survey of the property and a legal description of the area involved.
3. A north arrow, the scale, and all section and quarter-section lines shall be indicated on the plat.
4. All required certificates and any statements or approvals regarding continuation or abandonment of existing easements regarding public service facilities or utilities, as referred to in the Plat Act (765 ILCS 205/6 et seq.), shall be placed on the plat.
5. If the vacation includes any portion of a right-of-way, plats shall be approved by the applicable roadway authority and a certificate indicating such approval placed on the plat.
6. The utility and the cable TV companies shall provide written approval if the vacation pertains to utility easements. The document shall be recorded and the document number placed on the plat.
7. If the plat of vacation lies within one and one-half (1½) miles of a municipality or a municipality within one and one-half (1½) miles of the subdivision that is granted planning authority through an intergovernmental boundary agreement, the plat shall be approved by the city council or board of trustees of that municipality and a certificate of such approval, signed by the municipal clerk and mayor or president, placed on the plat.
8. The final plat of vacation shall be signed and dated by the licensed Illinois land surveyor who prepared it and bear his/her official seal. No additions or corrections are permitted by anyone other than the licensed Illinois surveyor or someone under his immediate supervision.
E. Plat of Technical Adjustment Requirements.
1. The plat of technical adjustment must be drawn to a scale of one inch to one hundred feet (1"=100'). A larger scale may be used if desired for a proper exhibit of the subdivision. The maximum sheet size is twenty-four inches by thirty-six inches (24" x 36") but more than one (1) sheet may be used if necessary. All hand lettering shall be legible and at least one-tenth (1/10) of an inch high. All typed or printed lettering shall be at least the same size as “Pica 12.”
2. The plat of technical adjustment shall be labeled as such and include a correct survey of the property and a legal description of the area involved.
3. A north arrow, the scale, and all section and quarter-section lines shall be indicated on the plat.
4. All required certificates and any statements or approvals regarding continuation or abandonment of existing easements regarding public service facilities or utilities, as referred to in the Plat Act (765 ILCS 205/6 et seq,), shall be placed on the plat.
5. If the plat of technical adjustment includes any portion of a right-of-way, plats shall be approved by the applicable roadway authority and a certificate indicating such approval placed on the plat.
6. The utility and the cable TV companies shall provide written approval if the plat of technical adjustment pertains to utility easements. The document shall be recorded and the document number placed on the plat.
7. The plat of technical adjustment shall be signed and dated by the licensed Illinois land surveyor who prepared it and bear his/her official seal. No additions or corrections are permitted by anyone other than the licensed Illinois land surveyor or someone under his immediate supervision.
8. If the plat of technical adjustment includes changing locations of required monuments, all applicable requirements set forth in § 16.24.060.C above shall be met.
9. If the plat of technical adjustment includes changes to storm water management facilities and/or easements, all applicable requirements set forth in § 16.24.060.C above shall be met.
10. If the plat of technical adjustment includes changes to on-site waste water disposal systems and/or easements, all applicable requirements set forth in § 16.24.060.C shall be met.
11. If the plat of technical adjustment includes changes to the area of flood hazard, flood boundary change documentation issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall be recorded with the plat of technical adjustment.
(Ord. O-201410-10-035, passed 10-14-2014; Ord. O-201601-ZBA-006, passed 1-19-2016; Ord. O-201603-ZBA-010, passed 3-17-2016, § 6.6; Ord. O-201803-ZBA-10-08, passed 3-19-2018; Ord. O-201808-10-033, passed 8-21-2018; Ord. O-202301-12-003, passed 1-17-2023)