(a)
Plat Required for all Subdivisions
(1)
The owner of a tract of land located:
(A)
within the City’s corporate limits; or
(B)
in its extraterritorial jurisdiction -
who divides the tract in two or more parts to lay out a subdivision of the tract, including an addition to a City, or to lay out suburban, building, or other lots, and to lay out streets, alleys, squares, parks, or other parts of the tract intended to be dedicated to public use or for the use of purchasers or owners of lots fronting on or adjacent to the streets, alleys, squares, parks, or other parts must have a plat of the subdivision prepared. A division of a tract under this subsection includes a division regardless of whether it is made by using a metes and bounds description in a deed of conveyance or in a contract for a deed, by using a contract of sale or other executory contract to convey, including a lease purchase agreement or by using any other method. |
(2)
To be recorded, the plat must:
(A)
describe the subdivision by metes and bounds;
(B)
locate the subdivision with respect to a corner of the survey or tract or an original corner of the original survey of which it is a part; and
(C)
state the dimensions of the subdivision and of each street, alley, square, park, or other part of the tract intended to be dedicated to public use or for use of purchasers or owners of lots fronting on or adjacent to the street, alley, square, park, or other part.
(3)
The owner or proprietor of the tract or the owner’s or proprietor’s agent must acknowledge the plat in the manner required for the acknowledgment of deeds.
(5)
The plat is subject to the filing and recording provisions of Section 12.002, Texas Property Code, unless an exemption or waiver has been properly granted as provided below.
(b)
Exemptions and Waivers
(1)
Delegation of Approval Responsibility for Minor Plats
The City hereby delegates to the City Manager the authority to approve a minor plat consisting of no more than 1-1/2 acre involving four or fewer lots fronting on an existing street and not requiring the creation of any new street or the extension of City water and sewer services, as long as the street and available services otherwise meet the minimum standards of this Chapter and the City Engineer has so certified in writing. The City Manager may, for any reason, elect to present the plat for approval to the Planning and Zoning Commission or the City Commission. Unless the City Manager approves the plat with or without conditions within 10 days of receipt, he shall refer any plat, which he refuses to approve to the Planning and Zoning Commission or City Commission, or both, for consideration no more than 30 days from the date of receipt.
(2)
Waiver of Provisions By City Commission
Upon appeal from a recommendation of rejection of a subdivision by the Planning and Zoning Commission, the City Commission may waive any requirement of this Chapter upon the satisfaction of the following conditions:
(c)
Informal Conference
Prior to the filing of an application for conditional approval of the Preliminary Plat, the subdivider may, at the subdivider’s discretion, confer with the Planning Director, or designated staff person on an informal basis to discuss:
(d)
Procedure for Conditional Approval of Preliminary Plat:
(1)
All persons desiring to subdivide a tract of land may, at their discretion, first prepare and submit to the Planning and Zoning Commission a Preliminary Plat. Should the subdivider choose to submit a Preliminary Plat then the following supplementary material must be provided:
(A)
Six copies of the Preliminary Plat, measuring 24" x 36" and one copy measuring 8-1/2" x 11", supplementary material shall be submitted to the Planning and Zoning Commission with a written and dated application for conditional approval at least fifteen (15) days prior to the meeting at which it is to be considered.
(B)
The preliminary plat shall contain the requirements listed in Section 2.00.
(2)
The City Secretary shall notify the subdivider and adjacent property owners by registered or certified mail of the time and place of the meeting at which preliminary approval will be considered and not less than five days before the date fixed for the hearing.
(3)
The Planning Director or duly authorized staff person shall prepare, or cause to be prepared, comments regarding conformity or nonconformity of the Preliminary Plat with the requirements of this Chapter. At a minimum, the following persons shall be required to provide their written comments:
(4)
The Planning Director shall recommend conditional approval of the Preliminary Plat if the plat satisfies the following requirements:
(A)
the size and dimensions of the proposed lots, blocks, streets, alleys, easements and rights-of-way satisfy the City’s minimum standards;
(C)
the subdivider proposes to comply with the requirements of this Chapter, specifically, each lot shall be provided with City water and sewer facilities; the streets will drain into the City’s storm sewer system; and dedications of land and improvements in conformity with the Major Thoroughfare Plan have been provided for. Otherwise, the Planning Director shall recommend disapproval and cite his reasons.
(5)
Upon review and consideration of a Preliminary Plat and all necessary information required of a developer as well as consideration of the Planning Director’s recommendation, the Planning and Zoning Commission shall render a decision thereon within fifteen (15) days. Such decision may consist of:
(A)
approval;
(B)
disapproval; or
(C)
conditional approval of the Preliminary Plat. Conditional approval shall be considered to be the approval of a proposed plat as submitted subject to conformity with prescribed conditions, but shall be deemed to be a disapproval of such plat or replat until such conditions are complied with. All objections made to the Preliminary Plat, or conditions imposed, shall be furnished to the subdivider in writing and be made a part of the official minutes of the Planning and Zoning Commission. Disapproval of the Preliminary Plat by the Planning and Zoning Commission shall be considered disapproval pursuant to Texas Local Government Code § 212.009.
(6)
When a Preliminary Plat has been approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission, the subdivider shall file with the Planning and Zoning Commission a Final Plat. The Final Plat shall be responsive to the comments and or conditions by the Planning and Zoning Commission. When a Preliminary Plat has been approved and the subdivider has failed to file a Final plat of the subdivision or a section thereof within a period of six months, the approval of the Preliminary Plat shall automatically become void. The Planning and Zoning Commission shall give its final comments, conditions and recommendations on the Final Plat no later than 15 days from the date of submission of the Final Plat.
(7)
The action of the Planning and Zoning Commission shall be noted on two (2) copies of the Final Plat, referenced and attached to any conditions imposed thereon. One copy shall be returned to the subdivider and the other retained by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
(e)
Procedure for Approval of Final Flat Before City Commission:
(1)
Application for approval of the Final Plat shall be submitted in writing to the City Commission no later than 5 days after approval or disapproval by the Planning and Zoning Commission and no earlier than ten (10) days prior to the meeting at which it is to be considered. The application for the Final Plat shall expire on the 45th day after the application has been filed if:
(A)
The applicant fails to provide documents or other information necessary to comply with the City’s technical requirements relating to the form and content of the plat application;
(B)
The City provides to the applicant not later than the 10th business day after the date the application is filed, written notice of the failure that specifies the necessary documents or other information and the date the application will expire if the documents or other information is not provided; and
(C)
The Applicant fails to provide the specified documents or other information within the time provided in the notice.
(2)
Ten copies of the Final Plat, measuring 24" x 36", one digital copy, and other required exhibits required for approval shall be prepared as specified in Section 2.01 [2.00].
(3)
The City Commission shall act upon the Final Plat as approved or conditionally approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission within thirty (30) days of such action by the Planning and Zoning Commission. The City Commission shall approve the plat with conditions or disapprove the plat, but shall never table discussion of the plat.
(Ordinance 06-06 adopted 9/26/06; Ordinance 2021-15 adopted 4/13/21)