For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
ADVISORY AGENCY. The City Planning Commission which is also referred to herein as the “Planning Commission,” and it is hereby charged with the duty of making investigations and reports on the design and improvement of all proposed subdivisions and other divisions of land, and shall have other powers and duties with respect to the subdivisions and other divisions of land, and the procedures relating thereto, as are specified by law and by this chapter.
APPEAL BOARD. The City Council. It shall hear and make determinations upon appeals from actions of the Planning Commission with respect to the provisions of this chapter.
AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE. A qualified person who is authorized by a city official, defined herein, to act in the place of such official with respect to the operation or administration of this chapter.
BUILDING OFFICIAL. The person so designated by the City Council.
CITY ENGINEER. The person so designated by the City Council.
CITY HEALTH OFFICER or HEALTH OFFICER. The person so designated by the City Council.
CITY PLANNER. The agent of the Planning Commission designated by the City Council to fulfill the duties of the City Planner, as prescribed herein.
ENGINEER, CIVIL. A civil engineer competent to practice civil engineering, as defined in and under the provisions of California Business and Professions Code § 6731, who is retained to provide civil engineering services related to land division.
ENGINEER, SOILS. A civil engineer registered in the state with a specialty and experience in the investigation and analysis of soils.
LAND DIVISION.
(1) MINOR DIVISION. Any division into fewer than five parcels.
(2) PARCEL DIVISION. The division of any real property, improved or unimproved, or a portion thereof, which is divided for the purpose of sale, lease, financing or utilization, whether immediate or future, into five or more parcels, and in which the planning commission finds in its consideration of the tentative map that the proposed division conforms to adopted plans, standards and provisions of law, and that one of the following sets of conditions prevails:
(a) A whole parcel before division contains less than five acres, each parcel created by the division abuts upon a public street or highway and no dedications or improvements are required by the Planning Commission;
(b) The division consists of parcels each of a gross area of five acres or more, and each of which has an access to a maintained public street or highway, which access is approved by the Planning Commission.
(c) The parcel or parcels of land included in the tentative map have access to a public street or highway, they comprise part of a tract of land zoned for industrial or commercial development and the map receives approval of the Planning Commission as to access, street alignment and widths and other improvements.
(d) The division consists of parcels each of a gross area of between 40 acres and 60 acres.
(e) The land being subdivided is solely for the creation of an environmental subdivision pursuant to California Government Code §66418.2.
(f) Only a parcel map pursuant to § 20.5 shall be required for those subdivisions described above.
(3) SUBDIVISION. Any unit or contiguous units of real property, or portion thereof, which is divided, assigned or allocated by any method by any subdivider for any purpose, whether immediate or future, into five or more parcels or entities of usage, except as otherwise provided herein.
(a) SUBDIVISION shall include a condominium project, as defined in California Civil Code § 1350, containing five or more condominiums, as defined in California Civil Code § 783, a community apartment project, as defined in California Business and Professions Code § 11004, containing five or more apartments and a planned development, as defined in California Business and Professions Code § 11003, containing five or more lots.
(b) SUBDIVISION shall not include any “parcel division” or “minor division,” as defined herein, or any land dedicated for cemetery purposes under the Health and Safety Code of the state.
LAND DIVISION STANDARDS.
(1) A set of detailed standards, specifications, drawings and schedules, which shall be adopted by resolution of the City Council, to set forth the regulations, standards and specifications for land development improvements; the type and nature of investigations, tests and reports; schedules for fees to be charged; and other matters as the City Council finds to be necessary to properly supplement the provisions of this chapter in the processing of land divisions and the improvements thereof.
(2) Whenever reference is made to “this chapter” herein, the reference shall include the land division standards.
LEASE. As used herein, shall not include:
(1) The leasing of apartments, offices, stores or similar space within an apartment building, commercial building, industrial building or a mobile home park which is subject to the provisions of state law;
(2) Mineral, oil or gas leases; or
(3) The leasing and actual exclusive use of land parcels of not less than ten acres, for the full lease term period, for commercial agricultural purposes.
MAP.
(1) FINAL MAP. A map supported by complete engineering data prepared in accordance with the conditions of approval of a tentative subdivision map and in acceptable form for processing and recording, as provided herein.
(2) PARCEL MAP. A map prepared from existing and/or field engineering data, in accordance with the conditions of approval of a tentative parcel map, and, in acceptable form for processing and filing for record, as provided herein.
(3) PRELIMINARY MAP. A map prepared from existing records in sufficient detail to show clearly the development plan proposed for the total land area which is to be developed in one or more units.
(4) RECORD OF SURVEY MAP. A map prepared in accordance with provisions of the Land Surveyors Act to delineate land boundaries, property lines or other lines or points of survey.
(5) REVERSION OF ACREAGE MAP. A map prepared in accordance with provisions of state law for purposes of reverting previously divided parcels to acreage, and as otherwise provided herein.
(6) TENTATIVE MAP. A map prepared from existing records and field data in sufficient detail to meet the requirements for filing as prescribed herein, and to constitute an adequate basis for the preparation of a final map.
MAP ACT. The Subdivision Map Act of the state, as amended.
OWNER. Any individual or any other legal entity having a proprietary interest in the land sought to be subdivided, divided or otherwise utilized, who commences and maintains proceedings to utilize the same under the provisions of this chapter.
PLAN.
(1) GENERAL PLAN. Any element thereof as set forth in the Planning and Zoning Law, California Government Code Title 7.
(2) SPECIFIC PLAN. Any unit thereof as set forth in the Planning and Zoning Law, California Government Code Title 7.
STREET. A way for vehicular traffic, whether designated as a street, highway, thoroughfare, road, avenue, boulevard, lane, place, court, circle, drive or way of any other designation which has been dedicated for public use and accepted by the city, or has been laid out and constructed as a city street, or has been made a public street or road pursuant to law. It includes public roads constructed by federal and state agencies, but not private roads or private alleys.
(1) PRIVATE STREET. A way for vehicular traffic, however designated, which is not intended or proposed to be accepted by the city, and for which any offer of dedication or other offer for acceptance by the city shall be rejected until the time as specified conditions for acceptance have been fully complied with.
(2) ALLEY STREET. A way for secondary vehicular access to private property for freight handling and related purposes.
SUBDIVIDER. Any individual, or any other legal entity commencing proceedings to effect a subdivision or other division or utilization of land which is subject to the provisions of this chapter.
SURVEYOR. A land surveyor licensed under the Land Surveyors’ Act of the state or a civil engineer registered in the state and retained by the subdivider, owner, developer or contractor to provide land surveying services.
(`61 Code, §20.2) (Ord. 505, passed 7-21-1970; Am. Ord. 572, passed 4-5-1976; Ord. 1032, passed 8-5-2014; Am. Ord. 1051, passed 1-15-2019)