A. All subdivision plats shall be processed in four (4) stages leading to approval for recording, except that in specified instances as specified by this title certain stages may be waived or combined. The four (4) stages are: 1) the sketch plan, 2) the preliminary plat, 3) engineering plans, and 4) the final plat.
1. Sketch Plan: The subdivider shall meet with the plan commission in a preliminary conference which shall be scheduled by appointment. Prior to the conference he shall submit to the plan commission a rough site sketch showing the following:
a. The boundaries and dimensions of the property to be subdivided;
b. Land characteristics such as natural drainage, swamp areas, wooded areas, and hedges, on and adjacent to the tract;
c. Existing easements: location, width and purpose;
d. Streets on and adjacent to the tract, location and size of water mains, fire hydrants, gas mains, storm and sanitary sewers, including invert elevations of sewers to which connections are to be made, and location of any streetlights adjacent to or on the tract;
e. Other conditions on the tract and adjacent land, including approximate directions and gradient of ground slope, any embankments or retaining walls; character and locations of buildings and other structures, railroads, power lines, towers, and other nearby nonresidential land uses of adverse influence; owners of adjacent unplanted land;
f. Zoning on and adjacent to the tract;
g. Proposed public improvements; highways or other major improvements planned by public authorities for future construction on or near the tract;
h. The proposed layout of streets, blocks, and lots;
i. The proposed location of business, park, and other nonresidential areas;
j. Existing covenants affecting the property.
2. Purpose: The purposes of this conference are to:
a. Develop cooperation and confidence;
b. Familiarize the developer with requirements;
c. Do away with major revisions of the preliminary plats;
d. Save the village and developer time and money;
e. Provide assistance to small scale subdividers;
f. Classify the subdivision as class 1 or class 2.
(1) Sketch plans of subdivision classified by the plan commission at this stage as "class 1 subdivision" may proceed directly to the fourth or final plat stage with approval of the plan commission.
(2) Sketch plans of subdivision classified as "class 2 subdivision" shall proceed with the preliminary plat;
g. Establish the amount of the professional fee deposit, according to the village's professional fee ordinance, that the developer shall provide to the village clerk prior to proceeding to the preliminary plat.
3. Preliminary Plat: The preliminary plat is a drawing which shall be prepared by an engineer subsequent to and in accordance with the agreements reached in the sketch plan conference. It shall be prepared in accordance with chapter 3 of this title and all other applicable provisions of this title and other ordinances, and four (4) copies shall be filed with the village clerk, along with an application for approval of the preliminary plat to the village clerk and to include: a business plan and construction schedule, soil report from a licensed soils engineer for the site.
a. Action By The Clerk: The village clerk shall refer copies of the plat and application to the planning commission at least ten (10) days in advance at the next meeting of the plan commission.
b. Action By Plan Commission: The plan commission shall notify the owner or subdivider as to the time and place of the plan commission meeting at which he will be afforded an opportunity of being heard, and shall approve or disapprove the application for preliminary plat approval within ninety (90) days from the date of the application or the filing by the applicant of the last item of required supporting data, whichever date is later, unless such time is extended by mutual consent.
(1) If such plat is approved, the village clerk shall attach a certified copy of the order or resolution of approval to a copy of the plat, and the corporate authority shall accept or reject said plat within thirty (30) days after its next regular stated meeting following the action of the plan commission.
(2) If the proposed plat is disapproved, the order or resolution shall state the reasons for the disapproval, specifying with particularity the aspects in which the proposed plat fails to conform to the official map. A copy of the order or resolution shall be filed in the office of the village clerk, and within thirty (30) days the clerk shall furnish a copy of said order or resolution to the applicant.
(3) Preliminary approval shall not qualify a plat for recording.
c. Class 2 Subdivision: Approval of the preliminary plat as returned to the subdivider shall be construed to be an expression of approval of the general layout, and authorizes the subdivider to proceed with the preparation of improvement plans and the final plat.
d. Notice Of Approval: Upon approval of the preliminary plat by the village council, the following notice of approval shall be stamped upon four (4) prints thereof, and required signatures affixed:
NOTICE OF APPROVAL OF PRELIMINARY PLAT
"Notice is hereby given that the preliminary plat of a subdivision shown hereon has received approval by the Village Council of the Village of Seneca, Illinois, and upon compliance by the subdivider with requirements of qualifications governing the approval of preliminary plats and with other revisions and stipulations that may be required, the Village Council will receive the final plat for consideration when submitted by the subdivider in such form and within the procedures and time as required by this ordinance."
The Village Council of the Village of Seneca, Illinois
Date , 20
By
Mayor
Attest
Village Clerk
The Planning Commission of the Village of Seneca, Illinois
Date , 20
By
Chairman
Attest
Secretary
e. Print Distribution: Four (4) prints of such approved preliminary plat shall be distributed by the village clerk as follows:
(1) One print shall be sent to the plan commission;
(2) One print shall be sent to the village engineer;
(3) One print shall be retained by the village clerk for filing; and
(4) One print shall be returned to the subdivider.
f. Plat Approval: Approval of the preliminary plat by the plan commission and village council shall be conditioned upon stipulations as set forth in section 11-3-4 of this title.
Within seven (7) days of receiving the approved preliminary plat from the mayor and the recording fee from the subdivider, the village clerk shall submit said plat to the LaSalle or Grundy County recorder for recording and said preliminary plat shall become the property of the county of LaSalle or the county of Grundy.
4. Engineering Plans:
a. Engineering plans are drawings, specifications, and construction cost estimates for all new construction of facilities in the development, and shall comply with the provisions of section 11-3-4 and chapter 6 of this title.
b. Such engineering plans may be submitted at the same time as the preliminary plat or at any time up to and including the date of filing the final plat for village approval. Plans must be completed prior to final plat approval application.
5. Development In Sections: The applicant may elect to have final approval of a geographic part or parts of the plat that received preliminary approval, and may delay application for approval of other parts until a later date or dates beyond one year with the approval of the village council; provided, all facilities required to serve the part or parts for which final approval is sought have been provided. In such case only such part or parts of the plat as have received final approval shall be recorded.
6. Final Plat: The final plat is a record of the subdivision as surveyed in the field. It shows property lines and other dimensions important to the subdivider in selling lots, and to the public in keeping records of street lines, easements and utility locations.
a. Within twelve (12) months after approval of the preliminary plat by the planning commission, the owner or subdivider shall file an application for approval of the final plat with the village clerk for action by the planning commission. In cases where the application for approval of a final plat is made for a part or parts of an approved preliminary plat, the planning commission may extend the time for application of approval of final plats for other parts of the approved preliminary plat until a date or dates beyond the twelve (12) month period.
If a final plat approval application is not received within twelve (12) months, the preliminary plat is no longer valid, and must be resubmitted for approval.
b. The application for final plat approval shall include the mylar final plat or its equivalent measuring twenty four inches by thirty six inches (24" x 36") with six (6) copies of the final plat, along with six (6) copies of all supporting maps, improvement plans, specifications, estimates of cost, other calculations and required documents. The final plat shall retain the substantial design characteristics of the approved preliminary plat, except that the plan commission may recommend and the village council may require such changes or revisions as are deemed necessary in the interest and needs of the community, in keeping with the provisions of this title. Accordingly, the village council shall refer the application for approval of the final plat to the plan commission for recommendation and report relative to design characteristics of the final plat.
c. When the subdivider or owner, submitting the application for final plat approval, has filed with the village clerk all drawings, maps, and other documents required by this title to be furnished in support thereof, and when all such material meets all requirements of this title and other applicable ordinances of the village, the village council shall approve or disapprove the proposed final plat within thirty (30) days after its regular stated meeting following the action by the planning commission. This is only if all submittals have been made. The developer and village council may mutually agree on a time period greater than thirty (30) days.
d. Upon approval by the village council, the village clerk shall secure four (4) contact prints of the approved final plat, and four (4) copies of the approved supporting documents.
(1) One contact print of the final plat, and when applicable, one copy of the accompanying protective covenants, and one copy of the supporting documents shall be delivered to the plan commission for the files.
(2) One contact print and all specifications, drawings, and estimates shall be delivered to the village engineer.
(3) One contact print and all other supporting documents shall be retained by the village clerk.
(4) One copy to subdivider.
(5) Only the village clerk shall record the original of the final plat of subdivision after all required signatures have been secured by the developer. The village clerk shall sign the final plat only after all other required signatures have been secured, and only if the required subdivision improvement completion bond, and all recording and printing fees have been provided to the clerk.
(6) The engineer/surveyor for the developer shall supply the village clerk with a letter directing the clerk to record the final plat, and enough copies of the final plat as may be required by the recorder.
e. The final plat in exact form as approved shall be filed for record in the recorder of deeds office of LaSalle County or Grundy County depending on the county in which the subdivision exists, by the village clerk after receipt of the required subdivision improvement completion bond, and all recording and printing fees from the developer. (Ord. 11-13, 10-4-2011)