This chapter shall be known and cited as the "Putnam Township
Land Division Ordinance."
The purpose of this chapter is to carry out the provisions of
the Land Division Act (1967 PA 288, as amended, formerly known as the "Subdivision Control Act"), to prevent
the creation of parcels of property which do not comply with applicable
ordinances and said Act, to minimize potential boundary disputes,
to maintain orderly development of the community, and otherwise provide
for the health, safety and welfare of the residents and property owners
of the Township by establishing reasonable standards for prior review
and approval of land divisions within the Township.
For purposes of this chapter, certain terms and words used herein
shall have the following meaning:
APPLICANT
A natural person, firm, association, partnership, corporation,
or combination of any of them that holds an ownership interest in
land, whether recorded or not.
DIVIDE or DIVISION
The partitioning or splitting of a parcel or tract of land
by the proprietor thereof or by his or her heirs, executors, administrators,
legal representatives, successors or assigns, for the purpose of sale
or lease of more than one year, or of building development that results
in one or more parcels of less than 40 acres or the equivalent, and
that satisfies the requirements of Sections 108 and 109 of the State
Land Division Act. "Divide" and "division" do not include a property
transfer between two or more adjacent parcels, if the property taken
from one parcel is added to an adjacent parcel; and any resulting
parcel shall not be considered a building site unless the parcel conforms
to the requirements of the Land Division Act, or the requirements
of other applicable local ordinances.
EXEMPT SPLIT or EXEMPT DIVISION
The partitioning or splitting of a parcel or tract of land
by the proprietor thereof, or by his or her heirs, executors, administrators,
legal representatives, successors or assigns, that does not result
in one or more parcels of less than 40 acres or the equivalent. For
a property transfer between two or more adjacent parcels, if the property
taken from one parcel is added to an adjacent parcel, any resulting
parcel shall not be considered a building site unless that parcel
conforms to the requirements of the Act and this chapter.
FORTY ACRES OR THE EQUIVALENT
Either 40 acres, a quarter-quarter section containing not
less than 30 acres, or a government lot containing not less than 30
acres.
LAND DIVISION COMMITTEE
A standing committee of the Township consisting of the Township
Supervisor, the Township Assessor, and one member of the Planning
Commission, appointed by majority vote of the members of the Planning
Commission.
Land in the Township shall not be divided without the prior
review and approval of the Township Assessor and the Land Division
Committee, in accordance with this chapter and the Land Division Act;
provided that the following shall be exempted from this requirement:
A. A parcel proposed for subdivision through a recorded plat pursuant
to the Land Division Act, subdivisions shall follow the requirements
for preliminary and final plats as outlined in Section 111 et seq.
of the Land Division Act.
B. A lot in a recorded plat proposed to be divided in accordance with
the State Land Division Act.
C. An exempt split as defined in this chapter and the Land Division
Act.
A proposed land division shall be approved if the proposed land
division complies with all the requirements of the Land Division Act
and the criteria of this chapter as set forth below:
A. All parcels to be created by the proposed land division shall fully comply with the minimum width and area requirements of Chapter
340, Zoning, for the district in which the land is located and/or variances granted by the Putnam Township Zoning Board of Appeals to the applicant for the land which is proposed to be divided. Lot width and area requirements shall be met exclusive of any road or right-of-way easements. Any structure or use remaining on any parcel after division shall conform to the setback regulations with respect to any new lot lines created as a result of the division.
B. Each resulting parcel shall have a depth of not more than four times the width, unless the Planning Commission approves a variation to this requirement in accordance with §
340-16, Width-to-depth ratio. The depth-to-width ratio does not apply to the remainder of the parent parcel or tract retained by the proprietor.
C. All parcels to be created by the proposed division and which meet
the definition of a developmental site shall have adequate easements
for public utilities from the parcel to existing public utilities
facilities.
D. The number of parcels to be created by the division does not exceed
the number of parcels allowed by Section 108 of the Land Division
Act.
All previous land division ordinances affecting unplatted land
divisions in conflict with this chapter are hereby repealed; however,
this chapter shall not be construed to repeal any provision in any
applicable zoning ordinances, building codes, or other ordinances
or chapter of the Township that shall remain in full force and effect,
notwithstanding any land division approval hereunder.