Applications for approval of a subdivision shall be submitted to the Department of Community Development, and shall include all plats, drawings, illustrations, plans, documents and information that the Department determines to be necessary to ensure that the proposed subdivision will comply with this Code and all other applicable codes and regulations, including, but not limited to, the following, in addition to payment of the application fee specified by this Code for the type of subdivision and any other administrative costs and impact fees that may be legally established by the City Council:
(A) Proprietor’s plat.
(1) Preliminary plat.
(a) Applications shall include all materials and information that are listed on the most-recent application checklist that has been issued by the Department of Community Development for this purpose, submitted in the number of copies and format set forth in said checklist and shall, at a minimum, consist of the following to be considered to be a complete submittal:
(b) One purpose of a preliminary plat is to determine whether the proposed subdivision appears to comply in preliminary, conceptual form with the requirements of this Code and its design standards. Accordingly, plat maps and drawings for the proposed subdivision are not required to be of construction-quality, but shall be of sufficient accuracy and detail to enable the city and its staff to determine whether the proposed subdivision appears to comply. The city hereby reserves final and binding determinations of compliance to rest with the City Engineer’s review and approval of the detailed plans and specifications for the subdivision improvements, and with the City Council’s approval of a final plat.
(c) A complete preliminary plat submittal shall consist of and comply with not less than the following, provided that the Department of Community Development may allow minor exceptions that preserve the intent and purpose of the submittal:
1. Multiple map sheets to clearly convey the required information, including, but not limited to:
a. A cover sheet containing a legal description for the real property that is proposed to be subdivided, and other project information that may be pertinent to its review; professional certifications, et al., and a qualifying vicinity map if there is sufficient space;
b. A vicinity map on a separate sheet, if there is not sufficient space on the cover sheet;
c. A dimension plan, including lot and outlot dimensions and areas, and intended purpose in the case of outlots; required easements, setbacks, street rights-of-way and roadway widths, access controls, pedestrian and bicycle trails, and buffer yard locations and specifications; any proposals therefore that exceed the minimum requirements; designations of parcels and rights-of-way that are proposed to be dedicated to the city or other governmental entity, or for common ownership and use by persons as designated by the plat or subdivision documents that are included in the preliminary plat submittal;
d. A grading and erosion control plan, which may also include existing and proposed routes and sizes of storm and sanitary sewers and water mains, if the proposed subdivision is not of such size, complexity or nature as to necessitate separate sheets to appropriately depict such improvements.
2. The plat shall be drawn and printed at a scale that is not smaller than one inch equals 50 feet. It shall include a date of preparation, dates of all revisions, north arrow, scale and the legal description.
3. The boundaries of the subdivision plat, and if the subdivision is to be done in phases the boundaries of each proposed final plat phase, shall be clearly marked on all of the plan sheets, with bearing and dimension data provided on the dimension plan for each boundary segment, and with curve data provided in a table. If a school district boundary runs through the plat, said boundary shall be clearly shown and labeled.
4. Floodway and floodway fringe boundaries, base flood elevations (“BFE”), and minimum floor elevations (MFE) shall be accurately and clearly plotted on each plan sheet from the best available information, as defined and required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), together with any areas of localized flooding and wetlands. If no FEMA-determined flood hazard areas, areas of localized flooding or wetlands exist within the subdivision plat, the developer shall certify on the plat that none exist.
5. The vicinity map shall be at a legible scale that shows the boundaries of all parcels located within 300 feet or one city block of the boundaries of the plat, whichever is greater; accurate locations of all buildings and site improvements on said parcels; land use and zoning of all of said parcels; legal descriptions, names of owners and others having a propriety interest in said parcels, and addresses of the parcels and of all those persons having any proprietary interest, if different from the parcel addresses.
6. Accompanying documents and information shall include:
a. An application fee, in the amount set by this Code or as subsequently set by resolution of the City Council, together with payment of any other administrative costs and impact fees that may be legally established by the City Council;
b. A copy of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit if required, or completed draft Permit as the case may be, authorizing the direct discharge of runoff from the development, all to be in accordance with the requirements of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA);
c. A traffic study may be required at the sole discretion of the City Engineer, for such matters and of such scope that may be directed by the City Engineer; and
d. Soil tests may be required at the sole discretion of the Community Development or Engineering Departments to ascertain whether expansive soils or other conditions exist that may affect the suitability and design of the subdivision and subdivision improvements, which have been certified by a professional engineer who is licensed in the State of Iowa.
(2) Subdivision improvement plans and specifications. The submittal shall include all drawings, specifications, supplemental information and payment of fee for review of the improvement plans and specifications if any, that are listed on the most-recent application checklist that may be issued by the Engineering Department for this purpose, submitted in the number of copies and format set forth in any such checklist, and including bid documents and proposed contracts if required by the City Engineer.
(3) Final plat application.
(a) Applications shall include all materials and information that are listed on the most-recent application checklist that has been issued by the Department of Community Development for this purpose, submitted in the number of copies and format set forth in said checklist, and shall at a minimum consist of the following to be considered to be a complete submittal:
(b) A complete final plat submittal shall consist of and comply with not less than the following, provided that the Department of Community Development may allow minor exceptions that preserve the intent and purpose of the submittal:
1. All parcels of land that are to be dedicated to the city or an owners’ association for street or alley rights-of-way, walkways, parks or open space, school property, or other public uses shall be clearly shown and described by bearings and dimensions, and the plat shall include a certified statement by the proprietor that said parcels are intended for and being dedicated by the proprietor for such uses;
2. Setback lines shall be shown along the street frontages of all lots and outlots, and any other locations where deemed appropriate by the Department of Community Development, at locations that are equal to or greater than the minimum setback requirements of the Zoning Code;
3. Easements shall be clearly drawn and labeled, and the centerlines or boundaries thereof shall be described by dimensions and bearings for each segment; and
4. Floodway and floodway fringe boundaries, base flood elevations (BFE), minimum floor elevations (MFE), minimum opening elevations (MOE) and other minimum or maximum elevations as may be required by the Engineering or Community Development Departments shall be noted for each lot.
(c) Accompanying documents and information shall include the following, all properly executed and notarized as may be appropriate to the document:
1. An application fee, in the amount set by this Code or as subsequently set by resolution of the City Council, together with payment of any other administrative costs and impact fees that may be enabled by the Code of Iowa and legally established by the City Council;
2. Warranty deeds for all street rights-of-ways and other parcels that are to be dedicated to the city, and quit claim deeds for all existing street rights-of-way that adjoin the subdivision and that are not clearly held by the city in fee simple title, all said deeds to be submitted on Iowa Bar forms for such purpose, or in such other form that may be acceptable to City Legal Counsel;
3. Easements and other legal documents using the city’s standard forms for such purposes if available, to establish easements for shared accesses, public or common private infrastructure including walkways and similar purposes; to create an owners’ association or similar entity, if determined to be necessary to own, possess, operate or maintain common private infrastructure; documents that are necessary to comply with the requirements of the city’s Post-Construction Stormwater Management Ordinance; hold-harmless agreements; development agreements; and other purposes as deemed necessary to fully comply with this Code;
4. Maintenance bonds for all subdivision improvements that have been completed to the full satisfaction of the City Engineer, and surety for any subdivision improvements that are incomplete;
5. Payment for all fees and charges due to the city for inspection of the subdivision improvements and review of the subdivision improvement plans and specifications; connection fees and other impact fees; assessments for streets and other improvements; reimbursements for water mains; and any other costs and financial obligations have been paid in full;
6. Documentation showing that the developer has arranged and paid for the installation of street lights, street name and traffic-control signs; and
7. All attachments to subdivision plats as required by Iowa Code § 354.11 or contents of declaration as required by Iowa Code § 499B.4 as the case may be, development agreements, covenants and declarations establishing an owners’ association, and any other attachments, declarations, certifications or other documents that may be required as a matter of the filing of a plat whether by the Code or the city, have been submitted to, and reviewed and approved by, the Department of Community Development.
8. Certified as-built grading drawings shall be submitted verifying the as-built elevations of critical locations on the site, to include verification of all spot elevations shown on the public improvement construction drawings (including but not limited to the rear corners, the mid-point of the side yard lines, the front lot corners where the storm water flows from the rear yard to the front yard, overflow locations, and along the proposed drainageways and easements), sanitary sewer manholes, and all storm water management facilities (including but not limited to detention areas, intakes, structures, sub-drain cleanouts, and flared end sections) are in compliance with the approved grading plan. Elevations shall be within 0.2 feet of the approved grading plan. A certification statement signed by the applicant’s engineer and land surveyor indicating that the grading and storm water management facilities were constructed as designed shall also be submitted.
(B) Plat of survey or acquisition plat application.
(1) Applications shall include all materials and information that are listed on the most-recent application checklist that has been issued by the Department of Community Development for this purpose, and shall include payment of an application fee in the amount and manner set by this Code.
(2) Floodway and floodway fringe boundaries, base flood elevations (BFE), and minimum floor elevations (MFE) shall be accurately and clearly plotted on the plat of survey from the best available information, as defined and required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). If no FEMA-determined flood hazard areas, areas of localized flooding or wetlands exist within the plat, the developer shall so certify on the plat.
(C) Auditor’s plat application. Applications shall include all materials and information that are listed on the most-recent application checklist that has been issued by the Department of Community Development for this purpose, and shall include payment of an application fee in the amount and manner set by this Code.
(Ord. 2015-14, passed 7-7-2015)