The purposes of this section are:
(1) 
To set forth the procedure and standards for submitting plats, for subdividing property, for the layout and development of lots, land and subdivisions within the corporate limits of the city, and the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the city, as prescribed in this chapter and to guide and assist the developer in correct procedures to be followed and to furnish information of standards required.
(2) 
To promote the safe, orderly and healthful development of the city by controlling the location, width, design and type of streets, sidewalks, storm sewers, culverts, bridges, utilities and essential services required.
(Ordinance 1494 adopted 2/22/11)
(a) 
All property not subdivided into lots, blocks and streets within the city or within the extraterritorial jurisdiction thereof shall hereafter be laid out under the direction of the city council or subject to its approval and no other subdivision will be recognized by the city. Prior to the platting of any subdivision being considered by the city council, the Director of Planning and Building Official will review the plat and the Director of Planning will make recommendations.
(b) 
It shall be unlawful for any owner or agent of any owner to lay out, subdivide or plat any land into lots, blocks and streets within the city or within the extraterritorial jurisdiction thereof which does not conform to all rules and regulations of the city.
(Ordinance 1494 adopted 2/22/11)
(a) 
The city hereby defines its policy to be that the city will withhold all city improvements of whatever nature, including the maintenance of streets and furnishing of sewerage facilities and water service, from all additions, the platting of which has not been approved by the city council.
(b) 
No officer or employee of the city shall do or cause to be done any work upon any street in any addition or subdivision of the city unless all requirements of this chapter or other regulations have been complied with by the owner of such addition or subdivision.
(Ordinance 1494 adopted 2/22/11)
The following types of subdivision do not require approval by the City. However, the city may not extend utilities, provide access to public roads, or issue building permits for the development of any property which has not received final plat approval, except as otherwise provided by this code.
(a) 
The creation of a remainder of a tract caused by the platting of a portion of the tract provided the remainder is larger than 20 acres.
(Ordinance 1494 adopted 2/22/11)
The City Manager of the City shall have the authority to approve:
(1) 
amending plats described by Section 212 of the Texas Local Government Code;
(2) 
minor plats involving four or fewer lots fronting on an existing street and not requiring the creation of any new street or the extension of municipal facilities; or
(3) 
a replat pursuant to Section 212.0145 of the Texas Local Government Code that does not require the creation of any new street or the extension of municipal facilities.
Plats processed under the provisions of this Section shall be subject to all applicable regulations contained in this Chapter and all other applicable and pertinent ordinances of the City.
(Ordinance 1494 adopted 2/22/11)
No final plat will be approved by the City Manager or the Planning board or City Council unless the following standards have been met:
1) 
Plat substantially conforms to the preliminary plat;
2) 
Plat conforms to requirements of the Development Code;
3) 
Provision has been made for adequate public facilities under the terms of this Ordinance;
4) 
Plat meets all other requirements of this ordinance; and
5) 
Plat conforms generally to the Master Plan.
(Ordinance 1494 adopted 2/22/11)
The City Manager may, for any reason, elect to withhold approval and present the plat for approval to the municipal authority responsible for approving plats.
(Ordinance 1494 adopted 2/22/11)
The City Manager shall not disapprove any plat, and shall be required to refer any plat which the City Manager refuses to approve to the municipal authority responsible for approving plats within the time period specified in Section 212.009 of the Texas Local Government Code.
(Ordinance 1494 adopted 2/22/11)
(a) 
The city planning board may authorize a variance from these regulations.
(b) 
A variance will not be granted unless undue hardship will result from requiring strict compliance. In granting a variance, the commission shall prescribe only conditions that it deems necessary or desirable to the public interest, health, safety, convenience, and welfare of the city. A variance shall not be granted unless there exists a special circumstance or unique condition affecting the land involved so that the strict application of the provisions of this chapter would deprive the landowner of substantial property right or a reasonably reasonable use of the land, and the variance would not be detrimental to the public health, safety, welfare and convenience, nor would be injurious to other property in the area.
(c) 
Financial hardship alone is not sufficient to show “undue hardship.” Therefore, a variance from the provisions of this chapter shall not be granted solely because nonconformance is more profitable to the developer.
(d) 
All matters pertaining to the interpretation or enforcement of rules and regulations expressed in this chapter shall be referred to the city engineer for decision. The decision of the city engineer may be appealed to the city plan commission upon written notice by any of the parties involved.
(e) 
City planning board decisions, including granting of variances, may be appealed to the city council upon written notice by any party.
(f) 
Written notice of appeal shall be filed with the office of the Director of Planning not later than twenty-one (21) calendar days from the date of subject decision so that the item may be placed on the agenda for the next available plan commission or city council meeting as the case may be and the affected parties notified of the appeal.
(Ordinance 1494 adopted 2/22/11)
(a) 
An application will be considered complete and ready for processing only if it is submitted in the required number and form, includes all required information, and is accompanied by the required filing fee.
(b) 
The Director of Planning is responsible for accepting an application and must make a determination of application completeness within seven days of the application filing. If an application is determined to be incomplete, the official responsible must provide paper or electronic notice to the applicant, along with an explanation of the application’s deficiencies.
No further processing of the application will occur until the deficiencies are corrected. If they are not corrected within 10 days from time of notice of deficiency, the application will be considered incomplete and returned.
(c) 
Application procedures and logistics are as follows:
1. 
On forms approved by the City, the applicant must file the application and plat with the Planning Department by the application deadline as determined by the Director of Planning in conjunction with the Schedules of the Planning Board and City Commission.
1st submittal Preliminary and Final Plat requirements:
7
11 x 17 copies (for review purposes only)
1
copy of plat in digital pdf format as approved by the Planning Director
County Filing Fee
2. 
[Reserved]
3. 
Comments from the Subdivision Review Committee will be mailed or e-mailed to the appropriate surveyor.
4. 
After comments are addressed, the plat should be resubmitted no later than the Friday before the Planning Board Meeting or as soon as possible if it is only administrative approval.
Final Plat submittal requirements after approval:
Final submittal (for property in Gregg County)
2
signed mylars 24 x 36
2
11 x 17 copies
1
8-1/2 x 14
1 copy of plat in digital AutoCAD format (Drawing file .dwg) or a Geographic Information System (GIS) shapefile
Original tax certificate as required by state law
Final submittal (for property in Rusk County)
1
24 x 18 paper copy
1
24 x 36 signed mylar 1 8-1/2 x 14 paper copy
1 copy of plat in digital AutoCAD format (Drawing file .dwg) or a Geographic Information System (GIS) shapefile
Original tax certificate as required by state law
(Ordinance 1494 adopted 2/22/11)
(a) 
Procedure and limitation:
(1) 
Any owner of any tract of land situated within the corporate limits of the city, or within its extraterritorial jurisdiction, who may desire to subdivide the same, or any part thereof, shall have a preliminary plat prepared by a registered professional engineer, professional land planner or a registered public land surveyor and also a final plat prepared by a registered public land surveyor from an actual survey of the proposed subdivision, conforming to all of the rules and regulations set forth in this chapter, and shall submit the same to the city plan commission for its approval.
(2) 
The practice of division of land by describing metes and bounds is by definition an act of subdivision and is therefore subject to the regulations expressed herein.
(b) 
Preliminary plat:
A preliminary plat shall be submitted to the city plan commission for tentative approval before the subdivider proceeds with the final plat. Such preliminary plat and a nonrefundable preliminary filing fee as provided in appendix B to this code must be filed according to the official calendar on file with the office of the Director of Planning. The plat shall be drawn to a scale which is acceptable by the City.
(1) 
A title including the name of the subdivision, developer, engineer (or surveyor), name of survey, the scale, the date, a north point and approximate acreage.
(2) 
The boundary lines of the tract to be subdivided with courses, angles, and distances, the property lines and names of record owners of adjoining undeveloped property, easements, building lines, buildings and lots, physical features including watercourses, ravines, bridges, culverts, drain pipes, sanitary and storm sewers, water mains, and other existing features on the property being developed and on undeveloped properties within two hundred (200) feet of the subject property.
(3) 
Contours based on U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey mean sea level elevations at intervals, as required by the city, of two (2) to five (5) feet, and approximate flood hazard lines delineating the limits of the floodplain on the unimproved property which have been determined by a registered professional engineer.
(4) 
Location and width of existing streets, street names, width between curbs, if paved, and alleys, within and adjacent to the property.
(5) 
The location, widths, and names of all proposed streets, alleys or other public ways, all lots, blocks and all parcels of land to be dedicated for public use.
(6) 
A vicinity map showing sufficient area to properly locate the proposed subdivision in relation to schools, parks, shopping centers, thoroughfares and highways.
(7) 
A designation of the proposed use of land within the subdivision.
(8) 
The approval of the preliminary plat does not constitute acceptance of the subdivision, but is merely an authorization to proceed with the preparation of the final plat. No work shall be done on the subdivision before the final plat is approved. The preliminary plat will be effective for 48 months from the date of approval by the commission or the council. If a final plat is not submitted and approved within that period, the preliminary plat approval will lapse.
(9) 
[Reserved]
(10) 
Exceptions: The preceding requirements for the preliminary plat in this subsection are waived if the following criteria are met:
a. 
The subdivision is actually a resubdivision of lots previously platted and filed of record in plat records, Gregg or Rusk County, Texas; or
All proposed lots of the subdivision abut upon an existing street of adequate width such that no additional right-of-way is required; and in either case, no construction of public streets, alleys, storm sewers, sanitary sewers, or water mains is required within or for extension to the subdivision;
b. 
The developer first secures written permission from the Director of Planning to waive the preliminary plat.
(c) 
Final plat or recording plat.
The final plat shall be submitted to the Director of Planning after the preliminary plat has been approved by the Planning Board and all changes and alterations made. No final plat will be considered unless a preliminary plat and final as-built engineering plans have been approved. Such final plats shall be filed in the office of the Director of Planning by the submittal date listed on the official calendar. The final plat shall show or be accompanied by the following data:
(1) 
Plats shall be drawn upon sheets eight and one-half (8-1/2) inches by eleven (11), seventeen (17) inches by twenty-three (23) inches, twenty-four (24) inches by thirty-six (36) inches or twenty-four (24) inches by forty-eight (48) inches and at a scale acceptable by the City.
(2) 
A title including the name of the subdivision owner or owners, and licensed land surveyor responsible for the plat, and the scale and location of the subdivision with reference to original land grants or surveys, and the date and north point.
(3) 
The certification and seal of the registered licensed land surveyor who surveyed, mapped and monumented the land should be placed on the face of the map.
(4) 
A certification of ownership and dedication of all streets, alleys, water lines, sewer lines, parks and playgrounds to the city for public use forever, signed and acknowledged before a notary public by the owner and lienholder of the land and a complete and accurate description of the land subdivided and the streets and other improvements dedicated. Samples of official dedication statements are located in the City of Kilgore’s Engineering Design Manual.
(5) 
An accurate on-the-ground survey of the property with bearings and distances and showing building lines and the lines of all streets, alleys, and lots in the subdivision and adjacent land, streets, and alleys with their names and width. (Streets, alleys, and lot lines in adjacent subdivisions shall be shown dotted.) All necessary data to reproduce the plat on the ground must be shown on the plat, including all permanent monuments and control points.
Control points and monumentation guidelines:
(a) 
A minimum of three (3) boundary control points must be established when surveying each tract to be subdivided. These boundary control points must be established by methods that meet the current standards set forth by the Texas Board of Professional Land Surveying at the time of the origination of the subdivision.
(b) 
All boundary control points shall be tied to at least one (1) monument of the city GPS control network, and that monument (or monuments) shall be identified on the subdivision plat by name and/or point identification number.
(c) 
In the event that existing boundary monumentation does not allow for easily repeatable measurements, additional monumentation may be placed within the subdivision tract or existing city rights-of-way for the purpose of boundary control points. If the boundary control point is not a corner monument of the subdivision boundary, sufficient information, including direction and distance, must be shown to allow computation of the nearest boundary corner. Any boundary control point, whether a boundary corner of the subdivision tract or not, shall be considered a reference point to the boundary of the subdivision tract and must be of sufficient material and stability to meet the current minimum standards of monumentation of the Texas Board of Professional Land Surveying.
(d) 
The x-y coordinates for each boundary control point shall be provided in NAD 83 format, using U.S. Survey Foot, for State Plane Coordinates for Texas North Central Zone. If bearings and distances shown on the survey plat of the subdivision tract differ from grid bearings and distances, the appropriate rotation angle and combined scale factor, with brief instructions for their use, must be clearly shown on the plat.
(6) 
Signature blocks which are official certificates of approval to be signed by the planning Board, city council and county judge.
(7) 
Minimum width of sixty (60) feet of right-of-way on residential streets and sixty (60) feet on collectors.
(8) 
No lot intended for residential construction shall have less than five thousand (5,000) square foot area. Lot dimensions shall conform to the city’s ordinance requirements for front building line setbacks and side and rear lot line clearances.
(9) 
Streets. Streets in general must conform to the following:
(a) 
Public right-of-way: Right-of-way widths shall be in conformity with the requirements of the most recently adopted Engineering Design Manual and shall be of a width at least as great as the existing streets, but shall in no case, be less than sixty (60) feet wide for local residential streets, sixty (60) feet wide for through residential streets, and eighty (80) feet wide for collectors.
(b) 
Street names: New streets shall be named so as to provide continuity of name with existing streets and so as to prevent conflict with identical or similar names in other parts of the city.
(c) 
Alignment with existing streets. Be in line with existing streets in adjoining subdivision.
(d) 
Dead-end streets and cul-de-sacs: Except in unusual cases, no dead-end street will be approved unless such dead-end streets are provided to connect with future streets in adjacent land, but cul-de-sacs may be permitted where the form or contour of the land makes it difficult to plat with connecting streets.
Such streets shall provide proper access to all lots and shall generally not exceed five hundred (500) feet in length, and a turnaround shall be provided at the closed end, with an outside radius of at least sixty (60) feet.
(e) 
Reserve strips: Reserve strips controlling access to public ways shall not be permitted.
(f) 
Half-street dedications: Half-street dedications shall not be permitted unless such dedication shall:
a. 
Complete a prior half-street dedication legally platted prior to Ordinance No. 629, or;
b. 
Be required to legally dedicate a previously traveled way bounding a side or sides at the subdivision.
(g) 
Boundary streets: In cases where the land proposed to be subdivided is partially or totally bounded on one (1) or more sides by a street, way or thoroughfare having a width less than that specified in the item above, such land shall be platted so as to provide street widths specified.
(h) 
Size of lots and blocks: The minimum lot size shall be in accordance with the development code of the city. Lots not subject to the zoning ordinance and, therefore, having no zoning classification shall conform to a minimum lot area of five thousand (5,000) square feet. In general, blocks shall be approximately one thousand (1,000) feet long, but the length may be varied according to circulation, topography, and provisions of the master plan. Blocks shall have a minimum width of two hundred (200) feet.
(d) 
[Reserved.]
(e) 
Monuments.
Concrete or approved equal monuments, six (6) inches in diameter, four (4) inches long, shall be placed on all corners of subdivision boundary lines, curve points, angle points and block corners.
An iron pin, or approved equal, one-fourth of an inch in diameter embedded at least six (6) inches in the monument shall be put in the monument at the exact intersection point. The monuments shall be set at such an elevation that they will not be disturbed during construction and the top of the monument shall not be more than six (6) inches below the natural ground after contemplated improvements are completed.
The corners of each lot shall be located and identified by an iron pipe one-half of an inch or three-fourths of an inch in diameter, sixteen (16) inches long driven into the ground.
(f) 
Improvements; bond or letter of credit.
The improvements listed below in subparagraphs (1) through (6) of this paragraph (f) of this section shall be installed prior to the approval of the final plat which is prepared for recording purposes. In lieu of actual completion of such improvements, the subdivider may file with the city council, a surety bond, from a bonding company authorized to do business in this state, to secure to the city the actual construction of such improvements in a manner satisfactory to the commission and to a permanent line and grade in accordance with standard specifications of the city of or good engineering practice (if specifications are not available) within a period specified by the commission, but such period shall not exceed two (2) years. Such bond shall be in the amount made with surety and conditions satisfactory to the city council. Whenever no lots have been sold, the subdivider may vacate the plat and the bond will be returned to the subdivider.
The subdivider, after approval of the preliminary plat, may install these improvements only in a portion of such area, but improvements must be installed in any portion of the area, for which a final plat is approved for recording, and the owner may sell or lease lots only in the improved portion of such property; provided that, water and sewerage facilities shall be designed and built to serve the entire area and so that they may be easily expanded or extended to serve the entire area.
(1) 
Clear and grub and remove all rubbish for a minimum width of fifty (50) feet on all streets.
(2) 
The developer shall bear full cost of all drainage structures including inlets, culverts, storm sewers, manholes, and subdrains required to carry storm drainage or groundwater on or across the property regardless of its origin. The city may, at its option, participate in the cost of drainage improvements. Participation must be approved individually on the merits of the work and the availability of funds by the city council.
(3) 
Curb and gutter on all streets meeting the city’s specifications as set forth in the approved Engineering Design Manual and set to proper line and grade with other necessary drainage and drainage structures to properly drain the area.
(4) 
Pavement and width on all streets shall meet all requirements as defined in the most recently adopted Engineering Design Manual.
(5) 
Provide and install, at developer’s expense, a complete system of city-approved water mains of adequate size, together with suitable water connections for each lot and appropriate surface location indicators, fire hydrants, fittings, etc., as defined in the most recently adopted Engineering Design Manual. The city shall be notified on construction initiation three (3) days prior to such initiation and inspect the construction to ensure conformance to city standards. The water connections or taps shall be made only in the presence of the water and sewer department representative and approved by him. All service lines shall be in accordance with the city’s most recently adopted Engineering Design Manual.
The size of mains, spacing of fire hydrants, valves, etc., shall be in accordance with the city’s most recently adopted Engineering Design Manual and shall conform to the requirements of the state fire insurance commission, the Texas Department of Health Services and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
(6) 
Provide and install, at developer’s expense, a complete system of sanitary sewers of adequate size, together with suitable sewer connections for each lot and appropriate surface location indicators, and also together with standard manholes all subject to the guidelines defined in the city’s most recently adopted Engineering Design Manual. Sewer pipe materials and pipe and joint specifications shall also be in accordance with the guidelines defined in the city’s most recently adopted Engineering Design Manual. The city shall determine the type of pipe material to be used in each subdivision project due to soil conditions. More than one (1) type of pipe may be required as per the Engineering Design Manual. The city shall be notified of construction initiation three (3) days prior to such initiation and inspect the construction to ensure conformance to city standards. The sewer connections or taps shall be made only in the presence of the city water and sewer department representative and approved by him.
The sewer mains shall be constructed in accordance with the city’s most recently adopted Engineering Design Manual and in accordance with all requirements of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
(7) 
Provide and install, at developer’s expense, a complete system of city-approved drainage facilities. Drainage facilities shall be designed and constructed at such locations and of such size and dimensions to adequately serve the development and the contributing drainage area above the development. All drainage facilities shall be constructed in accordance with the most recently adopted Engineering Design Manual and all requirements of the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Corps of Engineers and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Additionally, the developer shall obtain all permits required by these agencies. The city shall be notified on construction initiation three (3) days prior to such initiation and inspect the construction to ensure conformance to city standards.
(g) 
Environmental considerations:
Whereas it is a violation of state statutes to markedly increase the turbidity of streams, whether perennial or intermittent; it shall be the responsibility of the developer, builders, contractors, and others disturbing the natural surface or ground cover, both collectively and separately to institute such precautions as may be necessary to prohibit erosion, sediment transport, and/or siltation into any stormwater conveyance system or onto nearby properties. It shall be a violation of this chapter to pollute such streams by introducing into such waterways construction debris, trees, brush, or other cleared materials, excavated material, trash or rubbish.
(h) 
Subdivider to pay for improvements.
The subdivider may award the contract and make payments directly to the contractor for all improvements in the addition after the plans and specifications have been approved by the city. No reimbursements will be made by the city for the cost of improvements.
(i) 
As-built plans required.
The engineer representing the subdivider must present to the city reproducible, complete as-built plans for all paving, drainage structures, water lines and sewer facilities within thirty (30) days after completion of each contract before the final plat is approved.
(Ordinance 1494 adopted 2/22/11)
(a) 
The city will construct all trunk and outfall sewer lines and pay the entire cost thereof, except where such trunk or outfall line traverses a street; in which case the developer shall pay toward the cost of such trunk or outfall line, his cost of constructing a sewer main of adequate size to serve the abutting property where it required to serve only such abutting or adjoining property as determined by the city.
(b) 
The city shall, as part of its overall planning, have the right to require an owner or developer to lay larger water or sewer mains than actually required to serve the abutting property, by payment to such owner or developer of the actual difference in cost of the pipe as required by the city and the smaller size required to serve only the abutting property.
(c) 
Where a water or sewer main is required to be constructed along a street upon which property other than the owner’s or developer’s property abuts or adjoins on the opposite side of such street, then the developer shall be required to bear only one-half the cost of such main, the balance of the cost of to be borne by the city, which will be assessed against the abutting or adjoining property, when, if, and before such property will be considered for incorporation into the city.
(d) 
A developer or owner will not be required to install a sewer or water main of larger size than actually required to adequately serve his addition in accordance with the above-stated requirements.
(e) 
Where the economical spacing of fire hydrants dictates that one (1) be placed along his outer boundaries, then and in that event, he shall pay only the pro rata cost of such hydrant, including the fittings therefor, in the ratio that the area of his subdivision served by such hydrant bears to the area which is not a part of his subdivision.
(f) 
The owner or developer shall furnish free of cost to the city the necessary right-of-way across his addition or subdivision secured by an easement along and upon which it becomes necessary to construct its trunk or outfall lines, other than along a designated street.
(Ordinance 1494 adopted 2/22/11)
Only contractors approved by the city will be permitted to perform any of the work required under this chapter. Each contractor shall, before being approved by the city to construct any part of the work, submit satisfactory proof of carriage of insurance in the following amounts:
(1) 
Public liability, three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000.00) and one million dollars ($100,000.00) [sic];
(2) 
Property damage, not less than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00);
(3) 
Compensation insurance.
(Ordinance 1494 adopted 2/22/11)
(a) 
The developer is to write the Director of Planning a letter requesting final inspection.
(b) 
[Reserved]
(c) 
The Director of Planning will designate an inspector.
(d) 
The person making such inspection is to write a letter to the Director of Planning stating his findings and recommendations[.]
(e) 
The city council is to rule on final acceptance in behalf of the city.
(f) 
The Director of Planning will notify the developer in writing of the city council’s action.
(Ordinance 1494 adopted 2/22/11)
A one-year maintenance bond with corporate surety is required from the addition developer in the amount of ten (10) percent of the contract price.
(Ordinance 1494 adopted 2/22/11)
(a) 
The owner or developer will be required to execute a satisfactory instrument conveying to the city, upon completion and installation, all water and sewer mains, valves, fire hydrants, fittings, manholes, curbs and gutters, paving, drainage and other improvements completed by him.
(b) 
A statement, shown in the City of Kilgore’s adopted Design Manual, acknowledging the existence of floodplains on the property, and dedicating a floodway easement is required.
(Ordinance 1494 adopted 2/22/11)