Unless exempted by Chapter 58.17 RCW, all subdivision activity is subject to the requirements of this title. No person may subdivide land except in accordance with all of the provisions of this chapter. Short plats consist of subdivisions which result in nine or fewer lots. Subdivisions of 10 or more lots may also be referred to as formal or long plats/subdivisions.
(Ord. 811, Sec. 5 (Exh. 4), 2010)
No person may subdivide property except in accordance with the provisions of this title. Subdivisions and short subdivisions are subject to a three-step approval process. The first step is approval of the preliminary plat, the second is approval and construction of the infrastructure necessary to serve the subdivision, and the third step is for approval of the final plat. Each step requires a separate application and fee as set by Council resolution.
(Ord. 811, Sec. 5 (Exh. 4), 2010; Ord. 1179, Sec. 9, 2024)
Short plats can be re-subdivided with a subsequent short plat within five years if the total number of lots created between the original and second short plat does not exceed nine. If the number of lots exceeds nine, re-subdivision requires a long plat.
(Ord. 811, Sec. 5 (Exh. 4), 2010)
(a) 
A preliminary plat shall follow the procedures for a Type II review for a short plat and Type III review for plats pursuant to Chapter 14.16B.
(b) 
A preliminary plat shall be approved if it meets the approval criteria in Chapter 58.17 RCW and the requirements of this title.
(c) 
Preliminary plat approvals may contain conditions as deemed necessary to ensure the approval criteria are met.
(Ord. 811, Sec. 5 (Exh. 4), 2010)
The application for final plat approval shall include:
(a) 
Completed application form with fee.
(b) 
Draft copies of the following information:
(1) 
Mathematical lot closures showing error of closures not to exceed 0.005 times the square root of "n," where "n" equals the number of sides and/or curves of a lot.
(2) 
A certification from a professional land surveyor, licensed in the State of Washington, as to the survey data, layout of streets, alleys and other rights-of-way.
(3) 
A certification that bridges, sewage, water systems and other structures together with the information provided by the professional land surveyor for the approval signature of a licensed engineer acting on behalf of the City.
(4) 
A complete survey of the section or sections in which the plat is located, or as much thereof as may be necessary to properly orient the plat within the section or sections. A computer printout showing closures of the section or subdivision breakdown (if any), plat boundary, road centerlines, lots and tracts. The maximum allowable error of closure shall be .02 feet in any such closure.
(5) 
A title company certification which is not more than 30 calendar days old containing:
(i) 
A legal description of the total parcel sought to be subdivided; and
(ii) 
A list of those individuals, corporations, or other entities holding an ownership interest in the parcel; and
(iii) 
Any easements or restrictions affecting the property with a description, purpose and reference by auditor's file number and/or recording number; and
(iv) 
Any encumbrances on the property; and
(v) 
Any delinquent taxes or assessments on the property.
(6) 
An approved subdivision name reservation form from the Snohomish County Auditor's Office.
(7) 
If lands are to be dedicated or conveyed to the City as part of the subdivision, an American Land Title Association title policy shall be required.
(8) 
The Planning Director may require the applicant to submit any other information deemed necessary to make this determination, including, but not limited to, a copy of the tax map showing the land being subdivided and all lots previously subdivided from that tract of land within the previous five years.
(Ord. 811, Sec. 5 (Exh. 4), 2010; Ord. 1069 § 2, 2020; Ord. 1179, Sec. 9, 2024)
(a) 
Final plats for subdivisions and short subdivisions are approved by the Planning and Public Works Directors. Final plats shall be approved if it is found that the requirements of preliminary plat, including applicable conditions of approval, have been met, and the requirements of Chapter 58.17 RCW have been met.
(b) 
The final plat submitted for recording shall be drawn in waterproof ink on a sheet made of material that will be acceptable to the Snohomish County Auditor's Office for recording purposes, and having dimensions of 18 inches by 24 inches.
(c) 
When more than one sheet is required to include the entire subdivision, all sheets shall be made of the same size and shall show appropriate match marks on each sheet and appropriate references to other sheets of the subdivision. The scale of the plat shall be at one inch equals not more than 50 feet.
(d) 
The applicant shall also provide all final plat maps and engineered as-builts in digital form in a format approved by the City.
(Ord. 811, Sec. 5 (Exh. 4), 2010; Ord. 1023, Sec. 2 (Exh. A), 2018; Ord. 1179, Sec. 9, 2024)
The final plat shall contain the following information:
(a) 
The name of the subdivision, which name shall not duplicate the name of any existing subdivision as recorded in the Snohomish County Registry.
(b) 
The name and signatures of the subdivision owner or owners.
(c) 
The location by quarter section/section/township/range and/or by other legal description, the county, and state where the subdivision is located.
(d) 
The name, registration number, and seal of the professional land surveyor responsible for preparation of the plat, and a certification on the plat by said surveyor to the effect that (1) it is a true and correct representation of the land actually surveyed by or under the surveyor's supervision; (2) that the exterior plat boundary, and all interior lot corners have been set on the applicant's property by or under the surveyor's supervision using appropriate permanent materials, with a field traverse with a linear closure of one to 10,000 and corresponding angular closure as specified in WAC 173-303-610; and (3) that all street centerline monuments (points of intersection, points of curve, points of tangency, etc.) within the plat and all intersections with existing street centerlines have been monumented with concrete monuments in case or other permanent material approved by the City.
(e) 
The scale according to which the plat is drawn in feet per inch or scale ratio in words or figures and bar graph. The drawing shall be of legible scale, and shall include the north arrow and basis of bearings. Unless otherwise approved by the Planning Director, the scale of the final plat will be at one inch equals 50 feet in order that all distances, bearings and other data can be clearly shown.
(f) 
A boundary survey prepared by a Professional Land Surveyor, licensed in the State of Washington, shall be shown on the proposed plat and shall reference the plat to the Washington Coordinate System, North Zone (North American Datum, 1983) with a physical description of such corners. When the necessary G.P.S. points exist within one-half mile of the subject property, they shall be located on the plat and used as primary reference datums.
(g) 
The boundary lines of the plat, based on an accurate traverse, with angular and linear dimensions.
(h) 
The exact location, width, number or name of all rights-of-way and easements within and adjoining the plat and a clear statement as to whether each is to be dedicated or held in private ownership.
(i) 
The true courses and distances to the nearest established right-of-way lines or official monuments which will accurately locate the plat.
(j) 
Curved boundaries and centerlines shall be defined by giving radii, internal angles, points of curvature, tangent bearings and lengths of all arcs.
(k) 
All lot and block numbers and lines, with accurate dimensions in feet and hundredths of feet, and bearings to one second of arc. Blocks in numbered additions to subdivisions bearing the same name must be numbered consecutively through the several additions.
(l) 
Accurate locations of all monuments at such locations as required by the City Engineer.
(m) 
All plat meander lines or reference lines along bodies of water which shall be established above, but not farther than 20 feet from the high waterline of the water or within a reasonable distance, to ensure reestablishment.
(n) 
Accurate outlines and dimensions of any areas to be dedicated or reserved for public use, with purposes indicated thereon and in the dedication; and/or any area to be reserved by deed covenant for common uses of all property owners.
(o) 
A full and correct legal description of the property.
(p) 
All permanent restrictions and conditions on the lots or tracts or other areas in the plat required by the City.
(q) 
Any additional pertinent information required at the discretion of the Public Works Director or Planning and Community Development Director.
(r) 
An endorsement to be signed, prior to recordation, by the proper officer in charge of tax collections, certifying that all taxes and delinquent assessments have been paid, satisfied, or discharged.
(s) 
The following declaration: "All conditions of the preliminary plat or preliminary short plat, embodied within the Form of Decision [recorded in Book ____, Page ____ of the Snohomish County Registry/which is attached hereto as Exhibit ____], shall remain conditions of construction of the public improvements."
(Ord. 811, Sec. 5 (Exh. 4), 2010; Ord. 1069 § 2, 2020; Ord. 1179, Sec. 9, 2024)
All subdivision plats shall contain the following endorsements, specific language of which is to be made available by the Planning Director: certificate of subdivision approval, certificate of approval of public improvements, certificate of ownership and dedication, certificate of survey and accuracy, certificate of City Treasurer, Planning and Public Works Directors Approvals, Snohomish County treasurer's certificate, and recording certificate.
(Ord. 811, Sec. 5 (Exh. 4), 2010; Ord. 903, Sec. 22, 2013)
[1]
Code reviser's note: This section has been updated to correspond to changes made by Ordinance 1023 and the intent of the city council in passing Ordinance 1023.
Preliminary approval of a plat does not constitute acceptance by the City of the offer of dedication of any streets, sidewalks, parks, or other public facilities shown on a plat. Offers of dedication will be officially accepted with approval of the final plat.
(Ord. 811, Sec. 5 (Exh. 4), 2010)
When the City approves a final subdivision or final short subdivision, the applicant shall record the original signed final plat or final short plat with the Snohomish County Auditor. The applicant will also furnish the City with one reproducible copy of the recorded documents, and the Snohomish County Assessor shall be furnished one paper copy.
(Ord. 811, Sec. 5 (Exh. 4), 2010)
(a) 
If an applicant wishes to alter a subdivision or short subdivision or any portion thereof, except as provided in Section 14.18.065, that person shall submit an application to the Department of Planning and Community Development requesting the alteration. The application shall contain the signatures of the majority of persons having an ownership interest in lots, tracts, parcels, sites or divisions within the subdivision or short subdivision or in that portion to be altered.
(1) 
Upon receiving an application for an alteration of a short subdivision or subdivision, the Planning Director or designee shall provide a notice of application to all owners of property within the subdivision, per Chapter 14.16B, Part II, for short subdivisions and Chapter 14.16B, Part III, for subdivisions.
(2) 
The notice shall establish a date for a public hearing or provide a person receiving notice to request a public hearing within 14 days of issuance of the notice of application. The Hearing Examiner shall conduct the hearing.
(b) 
The Planning Director shall have the authority to determine whether the proposed alteration constitutes a minor plat alteration or a major plat alteration. Major plat alterations are those which substantially change the basic design, density, open space, or other similar requirements or provisions.
(1) 
When the alteration meets the requirements of this section and Section 14.16C.025, the alteration will be reviewed as a Type II minor plat alteration.
(2) 
When the alteration exceeds the requirements of this section and Section 14.16C.025, the alteration shall be considered a major plat alteration and be reviewed by the same body that reviewed the original application (the Hearing Examiner). The criteria for approval of such a modification shall be those criteria governing the permit which is the subject of the proposed alteration.
(c) 
If the subdivision or short subdivision is subject to restrictive covenants, which were filed at the time of the approval, and the application for alteration would result in the violation of a covenant, the application shall contain an agreement signed by all parties subject to the covenants providing that the parties agree to terminate or alter the relevant covenants to accomplish the purpose of the alteration of the subdivision or short subdivision or any portion thereof.
(d) 
The City shall determine the public use and interest in the proposed alteration and may deny or approve the application for alteration. If any land within the alteration is part of an assessment district, any outstanding assessments shall be equitably divided and levied against the remaining lots, parcels, or tracts, or be levied equitably on the lots resulting from the alteration. If any land within the alteration contains a dedication to the general use of persons residing within the subdivision, such land may be altered and divided equitably between adjacent properties.
(e) 
After approval of the alteration, the City shall order the applicant to produce a revised drawing of the approved alteration of the subdivision or short subdivision, and after signature the final plat or final short plat shall be filed with Snohomish County to become the lawful plat or short plat of the property.
(f) 
This section shall not be construed as applying to the alteration or replatting of any plat or short plat of State-granted shore lands.
(Ord. 811, Sec. 5 (Exh. 4), 2010; Ord. 1069 § 2, 2020; Ord. 1179, Sec. 9, 2024; Ord. 1211, 12/9/2025)
(a) 
Whenever an applicant wishes to vacate a subdivision or short subdivision or any portion thereof, that person shall file an application for vacation with The Department of Planning and Community Services. The application shall set forth the reasons for vacation and shall contain signatures of all parties having an ownership interest in that portion of the subdivision subject to vacation.
(b) 
If the development is subject to restrictive covenants which were filed at the time of the approval, and the application for vacation would result in a violation of a covenant, the application shall contain an agreement signed by all parties subject to the covenants providing that the parties agree to terminate or alter the relevant covenants to accomplish the purpose of the vacation of the subdivision or short subdivision or portion thereof.
(c) 
When the vacation application is specifically for a City street or road, the procedures for right-of-way vacation in Section 14.16C.095 shall be followed for the street or road vacation. When the application is for the vacation of the plat or short plat together with the streets or roads, the procedure for vacation in this section shall be used, but vacations of streets may not be made that are prohibited under State law.
(d) 
Notice shall be given to all owners of property within the subdivision or short subdivision, to all property owners within 300 feet of short subdivision and subdivision boundaries, and to all applicable agencies. The Planning Director shall conduct a public meeting in the case of short subdivisions, and the City Council shall conduct a public hearing on the application for a vacation. The application for vacation of a subdivision or short subdivision may be approved or denied after the City has determined the public use and interest to be served by the vacation. If any portion of the land contained in the proposed vacation was dedicated to the public for public use or benefit, such land, if not deeded to the City, shall be deeded to the City unless the City Council sets forth findings that the public use would not be served in retaining title to those lands.
(e) 
Title to the vacated property shall vest with the rightful owner as shown in Snohomish County records. If the vacated land is land that was dedicated to the public, for public use other than a road or street, and the City Council has found that retaining title to the land is not in the public interest, title thereto shall vest with the person or persons owning the property on each side thereof, as determined by the City Council. When a road or street that is to be vacated was contained wholly within the subdivision or short subdivision and is part of the boundary of the subdivision or short subdivision, title to the vacated road or street shall vest with the owner or owners of property contained within the vacated subdivision.
(f) 
This section shall not be construed as applying to the vacation of any plat or short plat of State-granted shore lands.
(Ord. 811, Sec. 5 (Exh. 4), 2010)