(a) General Suitability of Land for Development. If the MPC and City Council find that land proposed to be subdivided is unsuitable for subdivision development due to flooding, poor drainage, topography or inadequate water supply, wastewater treatment facilities, transportation facilities, or such other conditions as may endanger health, life or property, and if, from investigations conducted by the public agencies concerned, it is determined that, in the best interest of the public, the land should not be developed for the subdivision proposed, the MPC and City Council shall not approve the land for the purpose unless adequate methods are advanced by the subdivider for solving the problems that will be created by the development of the land.
(b) Community Assets. In all subdivisions, due regard shall be shown for natural features such as large trees, unusual rock formations, and watercourses, for sites which have historical significance and for similar assets which, if preserved, will add attractiveness and value to the subdivision and to the community.. The MPC may prepare a list of all such features within its area of subdivision jurisdiction which it deems worthy of preservation.
(c) Public Open Spaces. Where a school, neighborhood park, recreation area or public access to water frontage, which is shown on an official map or in a plan for future land use made and adopted by the MPC, is located in whole or in part in the applicant's proposed subdivision, the Commission may require the dedication or reservation of such open space within the proposed subdivision for school, park, recreation or other public purposes.
(d) Large Tracts or Parcels. When land is subdivided into larger parcels than ordinary building lots as required by the applicable zoning district, such parcels shall be arranged so as to allow for the opening of future streets and logical resubdivision.
(e) Topography, Floodplain Areas, Wetlands, and Natural Areas.
(1) Natural amenities (including views, creeks, riparian corridors, and similar features) shall be preserved and incorporated into proposed development to the greatest extent feasible.
(2) All subdivisions of land and installation of public improvements involving areas subject to flooding, as defined by National Flood Insurance Program Maps and Data, shall conform to all applicable floodplain regulations and the requirements of adopted regulations involving the City's participation in the National Flood Insurance Program.
(3) Whenever any stream or important surface drainage course is located in the area being subdivided and open drainage is permitted, the owner shall provide an adequate easement for benefit of the proper political subdivision along each side of the stream or open drainage course for the purpose of widening, deepening, relocating, improving or protecting the stream or open drainage course for drainage or water control.
(4) Land which is determined by the MPC to be unsuitable for subdivision or development due to flooding, the presence of State and Federal Jurisdictional Waters or Wetlands, or other features which will reasonably be harmful to the safety, health and general welfare of the present or future inhabitants of the subdivision and/or its surrounding areas shall not be subdivided or developed unless methods adequate to resolve the problems are formulated by the developer and approved by Council, upon recommendation by the MPC and upon advice of the City Engineer.
(5) The natural topography shall be retained wherever possible in order to reduce excessive runoff onto adjoining property and to avoid extensive regrading of the site.
(6) Floor elevations of all buildings shall be carefully studied in relation to existing topography, proposed street grades, existing trees and other pertinent site features.
(7) The City reserves the right to disapprove any subdivision which is subject to periodic flooding or which contains extremely poor drainage facilities. However, if the owner agrees to make such improvements as will make the area completely safe for residential occupancy, the subdivision may be approved, subject, however, to the approval by Knox Public Health.
(f) Subdivision Names. The proposed name of the subdivision shall not duplicate or too closely approximate phonetically, the name of any other subdivision in the City or Knox County. The City shall have final authority to designate the name of the subdivision.
(g) Traffic Control Devices. The subdivider shall provide all traffic control devices for the proposed development during construction and after construction is complete, including, but not limited to, temporary and permanent traffic signals, signs, pavement markings and the like, unless otherwise agreed upon as part of the developer's agreement (See Section 1114.07.). Refer to the City of Mount Vernon Standards and the Ohio Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (OMUTC) for details of the devices to be used, and, in some cases, warrants for their use.
(h) Debris and Waste. No cut trees, diseased trees, timber, debris, earth, rocks, stones, soil, junk, rubbish or other waste materials of any kind shall be buried in any land, or left or deposited on any lot or street at the time of the zoning compliance inspection. No items and materials as described in the preceding sentence shall be left or deposited in any area of the subdivision at the time of dedication of public improvements.
(i) Monuments.
(1) Concrete monuments at least thirty-six (36) inches in length and four (4) inches in diameter or four inches square shall be set at all corners on the plat. The top of the monument shall be flat and shall have an indented cross to properly identify the location. Except in cases where it is deemed clearly unreasonable or infeasible by the City Engineer, these monuments shall be described on the final plat.
(2) An iron pin of one-half (½) inch minimum diameter or iron pipe monuments not less than three-fourths of an inch in diameter and not less than thirty-six (36) inches in length shall be set at all lot corners not marked by concrete monuments at all street corners, at all points where street lines intersect and the exterior boundaries of the subdivision and at all intersections of curves and tangents along street lines.
(3) At the discretion of the City Engineer and within the definition of the Ohio Revised Code, additional markers may be required.
(j) Condominiums. The owners or agents of any tract of land, which is to be developed and maintained under single ownership or which is to be subdivided as a condominium, shall submit to the MPC a development plan, improvement plans and plats. Approval of plats, etc., shall follow the standard procedures provided in Chapter 1103: Review Procedures, provided, however, that the following conditions are met:
(1) The plan is consistent with the intent and purposes of this code to promote public health, safety, morals and general welfare;
(2) The grade width and degree of improvement of all access drives, sewers, water lines, and other utilities are approved by the MPC, the City Engineer, and the Fire Chief;
(3) The building or buildings shall be used only for the uses permitted in the zoning district in which they are located;
(4) For residential condominiums, the average lot area per family, exclusive of the area occupied by private streets or drives, shall not be less than that required by the respective zoning districts; and
(5) For residential condominiums, the setbacks from public streets and the required side and rear yard sizes for multiple dwellings shall be provided. Multiple buildings or a single building may be constructed within the buildable area of the total tract. The minimum distance between multiple buildings shall be determined by the MPC.
(Ord. 2024-032. Passed 7-22-24.)