No person, firm or corporation, proposing to make or which has made a subdivision within the territorial limits of these Subdivision Regulations shall make any contract for the sale of or shall offer to sell such subdivision or any part thereof, or shall proceed with any construction work on the proposed subdivision, including grading before obtaining from the Planning Commission the approval of the preliminary plat of the proposed subdivision.
No person, firm or corporation shall contract to sell or offer to sell such subdivision or any part or parcel thereof by metes and bounds description with the idea of circumventing these Regulations nor shall the Development Department issue any permit or permits for any improvement for such subdivision or part or parcel thereof.
In planning and developing a subdivision, the general principles and requirements set forth in Article 1309 shall be observed, and the following procedure shall be followed:
(a) It is recommended that the subdivider first meet with the Commission staff prior to the submission of the preliminary plat. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss informally the purpose and effect of these regulations and the criteria and standards contained therein; to familiarize the subdivider with the Comprehensive Plan, the official Thoroughfare Plan, the Community Facilities Plan, the Zoning Ordinance and the drainage, sewerage and water systems for the City.
(b) In order for the Commission staff to understand the intent of the subdivider, the subdivider should prepare and submit a preapplication sketch plan to the Commission staff. The sketch plan should show the general location of the following:
(1) Boundaries of the tract to be subdivided;
(2) Physical characteristics of the site, such as swamps, woods, drainage patterns, etc.;
(3) Existing buildings;
(4) Existing utilities adjacent to and which may potentially serve the site;
(5) Proposed layout of streets, lots, open spaces, nonresidential areas and other important facilities as the Commission staff may require; and
(6) Statements to be submitted:
A. Property owner(s) of the proposed subdivision and address(es);
B. Developer's name(s) and address(es); and
C. Statement indicating the availability of public utilities.
(c) The subdivider shall then submit a preliminary plat to the Commission staff. Such plat shall be prepared in conformity with Section 1307.04 by a licensed land surveyor or by a professional engineer. One sepia and two copies of the preliminary plat shall be submitted to the Commission staff with the requisite fee and other items as provided for in Section 1307.04 at least fifteen days prior to the regularly scheduled monthly meeting of the Commission.
(d) The Commission staff shall check the preliminary plat as to its conformity with the official Thoroughfare Plan and other adopted parts of the Comprehensive Plan, along with the principles and standards hereinafter set forth; and copies of the preliminary plat shall be immediately referred by the Commission staff for recommendations and comments as follows to:
(1) The City Engineer, for the checking of technical matters within his jurisdiction and approval of the preliminary construction plans and specifications of improvements to be installed; and
(2) The Sanitary Board, pertaining to matters within its jurisdiction and for approval of the preliminary plans and specifications of sanitary sewerage improvements proposed to be installed.
(e) The preliminary plat shall then be placed on the Commission's agenda for the purpose of discussion and setting a date for a public hearing on the preliminary plat. The Commission shall notify the subdivider in writing and notify by newspaper publication and/or otherwise any person or governmental units having a probable interest in the preliminary plat.
(f) Within sixty days after the submission of the preliminary plat to the Commission, the Commission shall either disapprove or approve the preliminary plat. Such action by the Commission shall be based upon the recommendations of the Sanitary Board, the City Engineer, the Commission staff, the subdivision committee of the Commission and the public.
(g) If the preliminary plat is disapproved by the Commission, the subdivider may amend his preliminary plat with the additional requirements contained in the amended preliminary plat and then resubmit the plat for Commission action.
(h) Upon approval of the preliminary plat, the subdivider shall be authorized to proceed with the proposed improvements after securing the approval of the City Engineer and the Sanitary Board for the detailed construction plans and specifications for the improvements proposed to be installed. The construction plans for the proposed improvements may be submitted to the City Engineer and the Sanitary Board for their approval upon the submission of the preliminary plat to the Commission staff. The construction plans shall be prepared by a professional engineer; conform to Article 1309; and be approved by the City Engineer and Sanitary Board.
(i) Approval of the preliminary plat shall grant the subdivider a maximum time limit of eighteen months within which the subdivider shall submit the final plat for approval unless a time extension is granted by the Commission.
(j) After the preliminary plat has been approved by the Commission and the required improvements have been installed and/or appropriately bonded, the final plat shall be prepared in accordance with Section 1307.06 by a licensed land surveyor or professional engineer. Unless a time extension has been requested by the subdivider and granted by the Commission, all final plats shall be submitted within eighteen months of the approval date of the preliminary plat; otherwise a plat shall not receive "final plat" consideration, but shall be considered as and resubmitted as a new preliminary plat. The submission of a final plat shall be at least fifteen days prior to the Commission's regular monthly meeting.
(k) The Commission staff shall transmit copies of the final plat to:
(1) The City Engineer for the purpose of checking; and if found to be satisfactory to be returned to the Commission staff with a certificate of approval indicating that:
A. The technical details of the final plat have been checked and found to be satisfactory; and
B. The improvements under his jurisdiction have been completed in accordance with the approved construction plans and specifications.
(2) The Sanitary Board for the purposes of checking and certifying that all sanitary sewerage improvements have been completed and in accordance with approved construction plans and Sanitary Board specifications. The Sanitary Board shall issue a written certificate of approval to the Commission.
(l) The Commission staff, after receiving such copies of the final plat with such certificates issued by the City Engineer's Office and the Sanitary Board and after checking that the final plat is found to conform with preliminary plat, shall submit the final plat to the Commission for their review and action.
(m) The Commission shall review the recommendations of the City Engineer, Sanitary Board, the Commission staff, the subdivision committee of the Commission and other interested persons and approve or disapprove the final plat. In the event of disapproval of the final plat, the subdivider may correct the plat's and/or subdivision's deficiencies and resubmit the final plat in conformance with the required procedures.
(n) If the final plat is approved by the Commission the final plat shall be signed by the Commission's President and the Commission's seal shall be placed on the final plat. The Commission then shall transmit five prints including the reproducible print, with all necessary certifications, together with the recommendation of the Commission, to the Mayor and Council for action on any proposed dedications. Thereupon, after acceptance by the Mayor and Council, such acceptance and date thereof, shall be indicated on the copies of the final plat by the City Clerk, and four copies thereof, including the reproducible copy shall be returned to the Commission: one copy for the Commissions files, the reproducible copy for the City Engineer; and three copies for the subdivider.
(o) The subdivider then shall file the final plat of the subdivision so approved and accepted in the office of the Wood County Clerk and the Wood County Assessor within sixty days after the approval of the final plat.
(Ord. 0-129. Passed 9-8-81.)